Youth and Philanthropy Program for High School Students

Youth and Philanthropy (YAP) empowers local 10th, 11th, and 12th grade students to take an active role in their community and understand the role of philanthropy in their lives. Participating students come together as grant reviewers to assess community needs and disperse an average of $25,000 each year to organizations addressing those needs. Participants gain skills in consensus building, critical thinking, community needs assessment, and interview techniques.

YAP was first introduced to Tompkins County over 20 years ago, and now over 200 students from every school district in Tompkins County have participated in the United Way of Tompkins County's Youth and Philanthropy Program.

"Usually as a teenager, you would not expect to be able to deal with $25,000 and act as 'adults.' However, YAP was a student-centered program where all the decisions were made by teenagers. I learned that we can deal with important topics too!"

- Jisoo Ha, Past YAP Participant

 

The YAP program is led by Myriah Marnell, Assistant Vice President at Tompkins Community Bank and UWTC Board Member with Rebekah Hinton, Director of Community Impact at United Way of Tompkins County.

Interested in becoming part of the 2024 Fall YAP Program?

YAP is committed to the ideal that EVERYONE can be a philanthropist. We are looking for a diverse group of students with various passions, backgrounds, and skill sets to help make an impact in our community. Our staff and volunteers are excited to support a variety of students as they gain the tools and community insights needed to be part of the next generation of changemakers!

2024 Program Dates and Times

Session 1 - Monday, October 21th 5:15pm - 7:30pm

Session 2 - Wednesday, October 23th 5:15pm - 7:30pm

Session 3 - Monday, October 28th 5:15pm - 7:30pm

Session 4 - Wednesday, October 30th 5:15pm - 7:30pm

Session 5 - Monday, November 4th 5:15pm - 7:30pm

Session 6 - Wednesday, November 6th 5:15pm - 7:30pm

Session 7 - Wednesday, November 13th 5:15pm - 7:30pm

Grant Award Mock Ceremony - Wednesday, November 20th 5:15pm - 7:30pm

Grant Award Ceremony - Tuesday December 3rd 4:30pm - 6:15pm

Important Information:

Most sessions will be held at the United Way Office at 313 N. Aurora St in Ithaca. 

Dinner is provided at every session

In person participation is an important aspect of the program; however, accommodations for hybrid participation will be offered.

Students must submit all required forms prior to attending their first session.

Consistent attendance is expected of all participants. Only one absence is allowed during Sessions 1-4, 7 and must be communicated to the program leadership ahead of time. Sessions 5-6 and the Award Ceremony are mandatory for all participants.

 

Students or Adults Recommending a Student can click on the appropriate link below!

Students DO NOT need a recommendation from an adult to sign-up for the program. This is only a tool for adult mentors in the community to help us connect with potentially interested students.

Student Interest Forms and Student Recommendations Deadline is Friday, October 18th

 

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Youth and Philanthropy Student Interest Form

YAP is committed to the ideal that EVERYONE can be a philanthropist. We are looking for a diverse group of current high school 10th,11th, and 12th grade students with various passions, backgrounds, and skill sets to help make an impact in our community. Our staff and volunteers are excited to support a variety of students as they gain the tools and community insights needed to be part of the next generation of changemakers!

Students across Tompkins County come together as grant reviewers to assess community needs and then disperse an average of $25,000 each year to organizations addressing those needs. Youth participants gain skills in consensus building, community needs assessment, critical thinking and interview techniques.

FILL OUT THE INTEREST FORM TO JOIN US THIS FALL! 

We are looking for students who can commit to joining us during the dates and times below. If these dates and times work for you, fill out an interest form and a staff member will contact you. 

  • Session 1: Monday, October 21
    • 5:15PM - 7:30PM
       
  • Session 2: Wednesday, October 23
    • 5:15PM - 7:30PM
       
  • Session 3: Monday, October 28
    • 5:15PM - 7:30PM
       
  • Session 4: Wednesday, October 30
    • 5:30PM - 7:30PM
       
  • Session 5: Monday, November 4
    • 5:15PM - 7:30PM
       
  • Session 6: Wednesday, November 6
    • 5:15PM - 7:30PM
       
  • Session 7: Wednesday, November 13
    • 5:15PM - 7:30PM
  • Mock Ceremony: Wednesday, November 20
    • 5:15-7:30
  • Award Ceremony: Tuesday, December, 3
    • 4:30PM - 6:15PM

Most sessions will be held at the United Way Office at 313 N. Aurora St in Ithaca. 

In person participation is an important aspect of the program; however, accommodations for hybrid participation will be offered.

Students must submit all required forms prior to attending their first session.

Consistent attendance is expected of all participants.

Dinner will be provided at each session.

All interest forms are due no later than Wednesday, October 18, 2024 at 5:00PM. Please submit your application by clicking on the "SUBMIT" button after entering all your information. 

 

Commitment to Anti-Racism, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

United Way of Tompkins County is an equal opportunity organization and is committed to promoting/embracing diversity, equity, and inclusion in all our activities and relationships. We strive to make sure our organization is accessible and welcoming to all members of the community. Click here to see our Statement on Anti-Racism, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.

The demographic questions below are optional. If you feel comfortable, we hope you will answer them. Your answers will help us better understand the effectiveness of our outreach and help us strengthen our commitment to diversity and inclusion.

Your responses will be kept private and secure. Only United Way of Tompkins County staff members will have access to this information and it will not be shared without your permission. You can change this information in the future by contacting Gregg Houck, Senior Director of Community Impact at ghouck@uwtc.org. 

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Youth and Philanthropy (YAP) empowers youth to take an active role in their community and begin to understand the role of philanthropy in their lives. The program accomplishes its mission by enabling students to discuss community needs, lead a grant review process, and distribute, on average,  $25,000 to local organizations.

YAP is committed to the idea that EVERYONE can be a philanthropist. We are looking for a diverse group of students with various passions, backgrounds, and skill sets to help make an impact in our community. Our staff and volunteers are excited to support a variety of students as they gain the tools and community insights needed to be part of the next generation of changemakers.

NOMINATE A STUDENT TODAY TO PARTICIPATE IN YAP!

Nominate a 10th, 11th, or 12th grade student to participate. Once we receive your nomination, a staff member will  follow-up with your nominee and encourage them to join us for our Fall program!

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Is your organization interested in applying to the YAP Grant Fund?

YAP Grant Application opens Tuesday, October 1st.

 

A blue triangle with an uppercase letter t centered in negative space. Below are the words TRIAD FOUNDATION in uppercase print.

 

Youth and Philanthropy is made possible through the generous support of the Triad Foundation.