A combination of fundraising and philanthropic work by Plum Coulee School's Youth in Philanthropy Group has provided grants to five non-profit groups.
Nearly $30,000 in grants was distributed last Thursday during Plum Coulee Foundation's annual granting dinner. Included in that total, was $2,500, which was given out by the Plum Coulee School's YIP group.
Mary Eberling-Penner oversees the program. This year, she says the students took a new approach to select the recipients. She says two students were invited to sit in and listen from the sidelines as the applicants read their grants to the Plum Coulee Foundation. She says the students took notes on the projects that were presented and then went back to the school, and presented their notes to the rest of the YIP group.
The school's YIP group includes students in grades six to eight and is building a real sense of citizenship for the students, according to Eberling-Penner.
"We've done some fundraising every year. We typically do a snack fundraiser at school, but we also work hard at each of the (Plum Coulee) Foundation's soup and pies. We'll come, and we'll serve, clean up dishes. Be part of that. And so we advertise that (soup & pie), and because we're bringing kids to that, a lot of community members associated with the school, they're also than coming to the soup and pie suppers, so it's a partnership."
In addition to fundraising, Eberling-Penner says the group also does philanthropic work, including collecting and donating food for local food cupboards.
As they get more involved in the community, Eberling-Penner says the YIP program has been a real eye-opener for many of the students. She uses the new community gardens as an example.
"Suddenly, they just popped up behind the outdoor arena. The kids have no idea how that popped up and happened to be. Until they started getting involved in the granting process of the Foundation and learning. 'Oh, these people had this idea and that's how it came to be. And some people are behind the scenes working to organize this, and that's how it's happening.'"
Eberling-Penner says her long-term goal through the YIP program is to develop kids that don't just ride their bike past all the cool things in their community but understand the work that's gone into them, but also take some pride and ownership of those things too.
Grants given out last Thursday by the Plum Coulee School YIP group included:
Plum Coulee Pedestrian Bridge - $1,250
PlumFest - $500
Prairieview Elevator - $400
Plum Coulee Community Gardens - $100
Plum Coulee School Parent Advisory Committee (Playground project) - $250 - YIP