SELINSGROVE — One-hundred-twenty high school students from eight area school districts immersed themselves in learning the importance of philanthropy during a special program held Wednesday on the campus of Susquehanna University.
The event was the Community Giving Foundation’s kickoff for this year’s Youth in Philanthropy program. Students from the Warrior Run, Mifflinburg, Lewisburg, Line Mountain, Danville, Midd-West, Selinsgrove and Shikellamy school districts participated.
Foundation Program Officer Eric Pangelinan said there are four defining “t’s” of philanthropy: Time, talent, treasure and testimony.
The Community Giving Foundation was founded 20 years ago and now serves six counties: Columbia, Montour, Union, Northumberland, Snyder and lower Luzerne. Specializing in endowments and grant making, the foundation helps fund nonprofits, charitable organizations, local townships, fire departments, police stations, as well as church activities such as food drives.
Supported by donors from the community and funds from the foundation, students from these counties are “given the chance to grant out $5,000 to the community,” said Pangelinan. “We teach them the responsible way to do grant making.”
At the kickoff, the students were given tools to understand how to conduct a needs assessment. Once the students go back to their respective schools, they will work together to find a cause in need of support within their region.
Mifflinburg Area High School sophomore Rubi Valle-Torres shared that the foundation showed her “how… all of us as a group… can work to make our school better and our community better.”
According to Pangelinan, every year focuses on a different lesson, but shares the same goal.
This year, partnering with Central Susquehanna Intermediate Unit, Youth in Philanthropy brought the topic of school violence to the board. Rachel’s Challenge, a nonprofit created in honor of Rachel Scott, the first student slain in the Columbine school shooting, was the center of discussion.
Although it isn’t projected to be part of the regular programming moving forward, Pangelinan believed it was a great way to incorporate philanthropy into the schools.
“Students can see if this is something they want to bring into their schools and their homes,” he said.
The program impacted Warrior Run sophomore Summer Rovenolt, who learned that “if you are kind, even the smallest act of kindness… can change (someone’s) day completely and change their life even.”
Lewisburg Area High School sophomore Alex Gilmore was excited to see where the Youth in Philanthropy program will take his school in the future.
“Sounds like something we’re going to be doing for the next couple of years, and… I think it’ll be helpful to take what we learn here and apply it back to our school,” Gilmore said.
In the winter, the students will return to the foundation with three needs for organizations in their region and the methodology used in achieving those needs.
From there, applications for requests for proposals — describing those problems and proposed solutions — will be sought from nonprofits.
“The foundation vets the applications to make sure they are all eligible and with good intentions,” said Pangelinan.
The students then serve as the advisory committee, reviewing the applications and ultimately choosing which organizations will be granted and what donation amount they will receive.
