New Castle County YPB Awards $15K in Nonprofit Grants
The DCF’s New Castle County YPB is composed of 25 students from New Castle County public, independent and diocesan high schools. Since October, YPB members have been studying youth issues in their neighborhoods and schools. They learned about community service and grantmaking and conducted site visits.
This year’s New Castle County YPB chose to focus on organizations that provide extracurricular activities to middle and high school students with developmental and/or physical challenges. The board also chose to support organizations and programs that provide support and promote healthy lifestyles for at-risk (e.g., parenting or pregnant, struggling with substance abuse) teens.
The 2015 grants were awarded to:
Delaware Association for the Blind – $3,000 to support Camp Sunnybrook, a six-week summer day camp for blind and visually impaired children.
Kingswood Community Center – $3,250 to support the Kingswood Mentoring Program for at-risk middle and high school students.
Leading Youth through Empowerment – $3,250 to support the training and tutoring of middle school students at Thomas A. Edison Charter School and to prepare them for high school.
Mom’s House – $500 to support tutoring, life-skills/parenting classes and mentoring programs for young parents.
YMCA of Delaware, Western Family Branch – $2,500 to provide funding for aquatic activities for youth ages 11-18 with intellectual and physical challenges.
YWCA Delaware – $2,500 to support the YWCA Girl/YWCA Ready program, which engages mentors to work with students who are first-generation college attendees.
The Delaware Community Foundation sponsors a Youth Philanthropy Board in each Delaware county to encourage high school students to become more involved in philanthropy. Each board of high school students is allotted a pool of money to give as charitable grants. The students learn about philanthropy and effective grantmaking, study youth issues in their neighborhoods and schools, solicit grant proposals, make site visits, and award grants to those they determine to be most deserving.
Retired Delaware educator Phyllis Wynn established the Youth Philanthropy Fund in 1999 because she wanted to encourage youth to become more involved in philanthropic ventures. Students who serve on the YPB are nominated by their principal or guidance counselor.
“The Youth Philanthropy Board program gets kids out into the community to experience firsthand the impact their work has on people’s lives,” said DCF President & CEO Fred Sears. “It’s a valuable learning experience for these kids that also shapes the lives of those they’re helping.”
2014-15 New Castle County Youth Philanthropy Board
Marguerite Beane, Padua Academy
Carbery Anne Campbell, St. Andrew’s School
Alina Caulfield, Sanford School
Nigel Clark, Mt. Pleasant High School
Nijay Crawley, Newark High School
Gabriella daPonte, Red Lion Christian Academy
Samantha Drummond, Wilmington Christian School
William Esteves, Delcastle Technical High School
Bryce Fender, Conrad Schools of Science
Mary Fiorile, Archmere Academy
James Hamory, St. Mark’s High School
Rachel Heisler, Tatnall School
Katherine Hosey, Ursuline Academy
Madeleine Ireland, Wilmington Friends School
Patrick J. Lyons, Salesianum School
Tylor Matthews, Delaware Military Academy
Collin Megee, Cab Calloway School of the Arts
Sarah Meyers, William Penn High School
Bronwyn Lee Morris, St. Elizabeth High School
Lange Scanlan, Tower Hill School
Matthew Thompson, Caravel Academy
Connor Ward, St. George’s Technical High School
Bailey Weatherbee, Charter School of Wilmington
Arianna Wilson, Alexis I. du Pont High School
Morgan Wright, Concord High School