Youth in Philanthropy Students to Grant $10,000 to Local Nonprofits

High school students involved with Youth in Philanthropy (YIP), a program offered by the Foundation for MetroWest that provides middle and high school students with philanthropic opportunities, concluded their session by presenting their decision to grant $5,000 to the Greater Waltham ARC and $5,000 to the Key Program at the Children’s Charter Trauma Clinic. Held May 16 at The Grange Hall in Sudbury, the presentation enabled the students to discuss their decision-making process and share their overall experience with parents, teachers, classmates and community members.

YIP is a unique extracurricular educational program designed for middle and high school students who are interested in learning more about running a nonprofit, how donations are used and the needs that exist in their own community. For the last 18 weeks, 14 students from 10 School(s) in grades 9-11 participated in the YIP program offered at the school. The students researched local nonprofits, reviewed their grant applications and had the opportunity to conduct site visits to five nonprofits before selecting the Greater Waltham ARC and the Key Program, Children’s Charter.

One of the Youth in Philanthropy students, Neha Shabeer, a sophomore at Ashland High School, said “In Youth in Philanthropy (YIP) I learned that philanthropy is unique to every individual’s passions and personal experiences. It was very interesting to discover that education and health were the issues that resonated the most with me. My favorite part of YIP was going on site visits and seeing the passion and drive people in the non-profit sector have for their causes. It was incredible seeing the grants come to life.”

Founded in 1956, the Greater Waltham ARC utilizes a person-centered planning approach in order to serve children, adolescents and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families. The organization provides programs, services and supports that foster independence, inclusion, self-advocacy and build community connections, and is committed to influencing attitudes and perceptions through advocacy and legislation so that individuals can choose and achieve their life goals.

The Key Program at the Children’s Charter Trauma Clinic works with troubled youth and their families to help them build positive life skills and experiences in order to pursue productive and rewarding lives. The program employs quality, culturally-sensitive care in the least restrictive environment possible in order to promote safety and meet individual treatment needs of youth and families. The organization is committed to providing quality supervision and training to staff members and creating life-long supporters of the human services field.

In addition to the YIP students in Sudbury, student groups involved in YIP programs across the region are making a positive impact on the MetroWest community. Read more about the YIP program and their efforts here.