FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Local Students Graduate from Youth in Philanthropy Program
Fifty-eight High School students grant $30,000 to six area nonprofits in ceremony on January 30
February 7, 2020 (Natick, MA) — On Thursday, January 30, 2020, 58 high school students graduated from the Foundation for MetroWest’s Hopkinton, Natick, and Sudbury Youth in Philanthropy (YIP) programs.
The largest and longest running youth philanthropy education program in the country, Youth in Philanthropy provides participants the knowledge to become engaged and informed civic leaders in our community by learning both the importance of giving back and the needs that exist in our backyard. YIP also helps local youth develop valuable 21st century skills, including critical thinking, understanding budgets, public speaking, consensus building, and case-making. Ultimately, each class works together to evaluate grant applications, conduct site visits, and distribute up to $10,000 to youth serving nonprofits in our communities.
At the end of their 17-week program, these high school students decided to grant a total of $30,000 to six local organizations. Over 150 people were in attendance for the ceremony, as students, parents, nonprofit representatives, and YIP alumni watched the grant presentations and graduation ceremony at the Hopkinton Center for the Arts.
Attendees heard from an alumna of the program and a member of the YIP Junior Board, Ashani Kurukulasuriya. “Youth in Philanthropy has been an integral part of my development, both as as a public speaker and as a team player. If I have any advice for you it is this simple: do good and be good. Know your community and use your good to make where you live, learn, and work a better place.”
The students in the Hopkinton program presented $5,000 grants to:
- One Can Help, Inc. to support the provision of urgently needed, individualized resources to children in crisis.
- Thrive Support & Advocacy, Inc. to support their Leadership Experience and Development (LEAD) initiative, which empowers young adults with developmental disabilities to acquire the knowledge, skills and confidence needed to become leaders in their communities.
The students in the Natick program presented $5,000 grants to:
- Advocates, Inc. to support the updating of the Framingham Play Therapy Resource Room and the creation of a much-needed new Play Therapy Resource Room at their Waltham clinic.
- Mazie Mentoring Program to support the expansion into the new service area, Marlborough, which includes paying a full-time program manager and funding events and supplies.
The students in the Sudbury program presented $5,000 grants to:
- Boston CASA to support children in the child welfare system with their educational and mental health needs, sibling connections, and social activities through providing community advocates and to support volunteer recruitment and training for Middlesex County.
- Enjoy Life Education to support the expansion of the Leadership Academy to directly impact the lives of more teens in the MetroWest area. This expansion primarily includes increased student scholarships and larger, more localized space.
These programs would not be possible without the support of the following community partners: the Hopkinton Country Club Charitable Foundation and the Sudbury Foundation.
Applications for the Fall Youth in Philanthropy Programs in Hopkinton, Natick, Southborough, and Sudbury open on April 1, 2020. For more information, please visit yipmetrowest.org.
About Youth in Philanthropy
Since launching in 1997, the Foundation for MetroWest’s Youth in Philanthropy program has educated over 2,000 students who have granted over $1.3 million to over 200 MetroWest youth development organizations. The Foundation for MetroWest is proud to be running one of the largest youth philanthropy education programs in the country. For more information about the Youth in Philanthropy program, visit yipmetrowest.org.
About the Foundation for MetroWest
Established in 1995, the Foundation for MetroWest is the only community foundation serving the 33 cities and towns in the region. We promote philanthropy in the region, help donors maximize the impact of their local giving, serve as a resource for local nonprofits and enhance the quality of life for all our residents. Since inception, the Foundation has granted $19 million to charitable organizations and currently stewards more than $26 million in charitable assets for current needs and future impact. To learn more, please visit foundationmw.org or call 508-647-2260.
