“What counts in life is not the mere fact that we have lived. It is what difference we have made to the lives of others that will determine the significance of the life we lead.” – Nelson Mandela
At your Community Foundation of White County, we strive to foster giving in the next generation of philanthropists. Thanks to a regional cultivation grant from Wabash Heartland Innovation Network, we dove deeper into this challenge this year by launching the Youth Philanthropy Council to empower local youth.
Representing all four White County schools, 26 students joined the inaugural Youth Philanthropy Council (YPC) to work with peers from across the county to build leadership skills, learn about philanthropy, and identify and support projects that make a difference in their school communities.
In their first semester, the YPC held five official meetings where they learned about grantmaking, built their own grantmaking processes, marketed their grant opportunity in their school communities, reviewed and made recommendations for grants, and volunteered to strengthen their community.
YPC Vice-President, Aiden Vrotny shared about the experience, “This semester of the YPC was a complete success! Students were finally given the chance to help programs in a meaningful way. We gave away a little under $10,000 and every penny of it went to helping our schools and their programs—not to mention the experience we all got in decision-making and grant-giving! Overall, it was an amazing semester for the members across White County!”
The Inaugural YPC Grants were awarded as follows: Twin Lakes: -$1,800 to fund new women’s dancing shoes for the music and theatre departments
Tri-County: -$1,500 to support the backpack food program -$500 for upgraded kitchen equipment for the FACS department -$500 to implement flexible seating to improve mental health| Frontier: -$1,000 to purchase new CTSO presentation materials for professional youth groups (BPA, FCCLA, HOSA, FFA) -$780 for new didactic skull and spine for the health department
-$113 to purchase Constitution Quest for real life simulation for government and economic students
-$606 for support of new self-serve salad bar to ensure no child leaves hungry
North White: -$500 to support Leader In Me program
-$800 for new lockers in the theatre department
-$300 to purchase derby cars for the chemistry department for Newton’s Laws teachings
-$300 for classroom manipulatives for the middle school math department
-$600 to purchase new cake decorating supplies for the culinary department
Students from the inaugural class of the YPC represent Twin Lakes, Frontier, North White, and Tri-County High Schools: Christian Wallace (President), Aiden Vrotny (Vice-President), Tessa Kirchner (Secretary), Katie Pinkerton (Project Manager), Taylor Burns (Project Manager), Vera Hindi (Project Manager), CJ Hunt Jr, (Project Manager), Shyanne Craig, Sabrina Hornung, Kaden Gamble, Heiden Morales, Emily Cardoza, Charlie Butler, Addison Douglas, Scottie Unger, Ryleigh Metzinger, Rhyan Strange, Nolan Roeske, Morgan Galyen, Lorelai Miller, Jasmine Durando, Griffin Hornung, Genevieve Stroetz, Diego Romero, Charlie McMillin, and Braylon Gretencord.
To learn more about how to support the next generation of philanthropists, reach out to director, Lucy Dold at )574) 583-6911 or log onto www.cfwhitecounty.org.
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