Renaissance Academy's Youth & Philanthropy Group Helps Local Community

Phoenixville, PA --- Today during a breakfast reception, members of Renaissance Academy’s Youth & Philanthropy Group, L.I.G.H.T (Leadership, Inspiration, Giving, Hope, Together) met with members of the community to present them with over $1400 to support their efforts.

The Youth & Philanthropy Group, developed by The Phoenixville Community Health Foundation, was designed to provide students with an opportunity to learn about philanthropy first-hand by giving their time and efforts to address the needs of others. Through this award-winning program, students are learning philanthropic leadership, assessment and decision-making skills, as well as team building and team work.

L.I.G.H.T. consists of thirteen Renaissance Academy 8th grade students, with staff members acting as the program facilitators. The group meets as part of the school day several times a month, when they discuss local areas of need, research different organizations in the community and how those organizations impact the community.

The Phoenixville Community Health Foundation provides a philanthropic fund which the students can utilize to make a difference in their world. The students worked as a team to determine the grant recipients as well as how much would be given to each organization. This year, the students selected to support The Arc of Chester County, Phoenixville Area Senior Center, Phoenixville Area Children Learning Center, Canine Partners for Life, and the Domestic Violence Center of Chester County

In addition to the financial support to the organizations, L.I.G.H.T. has provided volunteer support to the Good Samaritan House and the Phoenixville Area Children Learning Center. The students are also look forward to volunteering at the Phoenixville Area Senior Center in the spring.

Lisa Fleck, Renaissance Academy counselor and one of the program facilitators, said, “It is really exciting to see how involved and dedicated this group is to helping others. Working together has certainly strengthened their leadership, communication and advocacy skills.”

Established in 1999, the Renaissance Academy Charter School is a fully accredited K-12, award-winning, tuition-free, college prep charter school located in Phoenixville, PA. Renaissance Academy was recently listed as the #1 K-12 charter school on the 2013-2014 Pennsylvania School Performance Profile published by the Pennsylvania Department of Education. For more information on the school, please visit www.rak12.org.