2013-2014 YOUTH IN PHILANTHROPY

What is the Youth in Philanthropy (YIP) Program? Todays philanthropists are getting younger and younger. As early as their teenage years, many students are discovering their passions and concerns about community and/or global issues, and increasingly using social networking sites to raise awareness and funds for charities. Our communitys students are a powerful asset and a force for social change within our county. So . . . what is YIP and how is a YIP Team formed? the YIP Team is formed by bringing together Fort Bend County junior and senior high school students and providing them the unique opportunity to experience how volunteerism and philanthropy coexist to serve their community. Over the next school year (2013-2014), the team of selected students will embark on a journey to strengthen their connections with their community as well as with each other. The YIP Team will participate in site visits and volunteer projects with area nonprofit organizations to increase their knowledge of the Fort Bend County nonprofit sector. At the conclusion of the school year, with their new knowledge and understanding of the community and the many organizations providing services to its residents, the YIP Team will evaluate local charities and put philanthropy into action by awarding monetary grants to participating nonprofits. Are there similar youth leadership programs? We consider the sessions held for the YIP Team to be unique; however, there are many additional programs of service within our community. The design of monthly YIP sessions are structured to provide opportunities for students to be an integral part of making a change in their community through interaction with representatives of Fort Bend Countys nonprofit sector and implementation of volunteer projects. These experiences empower students to use their leadership and decision making skills as the team works toward common goals. Why would participating in the YIP Program be beneficial to my son/daughter? Session activities place an emphasis on students working as a team to enhance their community. Involvement in the YIP Program provides students different levels of personal development opportunities often not experienced in other school and community activities. Among the benefits of the YIP Program are: building a connection to the local community, strengthening core values of generosity, reinforcing the idea of being grateful for what you have, developing personal and communication skills, providing an outlet for passions and areas of social interests, and creating an environment that requires working on a team to address community challenges. Who is eligible to participate in the YIP Program? Any junior or senior student from a Fort Bend County school may apply to the YIP Program. Between 150-175 students will be selected via an application process. How will members of the Leaders Team be selected? All eligible students wishing to be considered for the YIP Program must complete an application and return it by the stated deadline date of September
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19, 2013. Application packets are available to students on line at the Fort Bend Chambers website www.thefortbendcc.org or the website of The George Foundation at www.thegeorgefoundation.org. Applications may also be picked up from the principals office of participating schools. For questions or packet information, please contact either Dee Koch by phone at 281.342.6109 or by email at YIP@thegeorgefoundation.org. Please Note: Applications require signatures in four different sections: (1) Student Contract; (2) Parents/Legal Guardians Release/Consent to Participate; (3) Parents/Legal Guardians Medical Release; and, (4) Parents/Legal Guardians and Student Photo/Communications Release. Mailing Address for Applications 2014 YIP Program Dee Koch The George Foundation 310 Morton Street, Suite C Richmond, TX 77469 Based on the applications received, the YIP Coordinating Committee will select students to represent the 2014 YIP Team. Selected students will be notified by email or telephone by September 30, 2013. What will participation in the YIP Program entail? The program will take place on pre-scheduled Saturdays during 2013-2014. Sessions will be scheduled once per month. The YIP Team members will form five student work groups with representation of students from multiple school districts. YIP Team members will learn more about the day-to-day operations of the nonprofit sector through presentations and site visits to local organizations. The YIP Team working in their smaller groups will complete volunteer projects with participating organizations to experience the impact of community service. At the conclusion of the YIP Program, the Team members evaluate their YIP experiences with the nonprofit sector. Putting their philanthropy skills into action, the YIP Team will select and award monetary grants to nonprofits participating in the program. The awards will be presented to the nonprofits by Team members at the Investment in Youth Luncheon to be held April 9, 2014. Will the YIP Program be publicized? The YIP Coordinating Committee plans to take every opportunity to have activities of the YIP Program and Team recognized in local media, newsletters, etc. For this reason, parents and students are required to give prior permission for photographs to be taken and news items released. The release form is provided as part of the YIP application, and requires both a signature of parents or legal guardians and the student. When will YIP Program sessions take place? All YIP sessions will begin and end at the Fort Bend Chamber, located at 445 Commerce Green, Sugar Land, Texas 77478, with the exception of YIP Orientation which will be held at the University of Houston System at Sugar Land. The sessions will take place on scheduled Saturdays each month from 9:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m. A calendar of sessions is provided on the application. Additional information on specific session activities and scheduling will be detailed in YIP Team acceptance letter. What if my child has to miss a YIP meeting? When signing the YIP application, your son/daughter is making a COMMITMENT to the time required to participate in the YIP Program. The students time
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commitment to the program is critical to its success and the success of the YIP Team. While we understand the scheduled sessions will sometimes conflict with other activities, a Team member missing more than one session will not be able to continue in the program. We encourage students to carefully evaluate the time the YIP Program requires with the time they have to give. Should a team member miss a session, they must contact the YIP Coordinating Committee as outlined in the acceptance letter materials. Does the YIP Program satisfy students community service requirement? Participation in YIP counts toward community service requirements. Team members will be provided a certificate after each session to document community service hours. What role in the YIP Program does the school play? Each participating school campus has designated a representative to facilitate communication and serve as the liaison to the YIP Coordinating Committee. All program communication to students will come from the YIP Coordinating Committee and the District Liaison will handle all internal communications with school officials. All meeting sessions, site visits and volunteer projects will be staffed by the YIP Coordinating Committee and their recruited Community Volunteers. All adult volunteers will be required to meet the background checks and all other requirements set out by the school districts policies. How will the YIP Team be transported to YIP sessions, site visits and volunteer projects? Transportation to and from the meeting sessions is the responsibility of the parents and students. It is also the responsibility of the parents to plan and coordinate any appropriate carpools. Travel to site visits and volunteer projects will be provided by bus transportation using school district buses. YIP Volunteers will provide on bus supervision. Will I know beforehand YIP Program travel plans? The calendar distributed at the YIP Program Orientation will have the dates and locations of scheduled sessions, site visits and volunteer projects. If you have questions at any time about the program, please feel free to contact Dee Koch, Grant Officer at The George Foundation and YIP Coordinating Committee member by calling 281.342.6109 or by email at YIP@thegeorgefoundation.org.

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