The Youth and Philanthropy Initiative (YPI) is about you standing up and making a difference about something that really matters to you.
As part of your whole year group, you have the very real opportunity to work together in a team to choose a social issue that is important to you, find a charity that supports that issue, meet with that charity to learn more about what they do and finally, use your skills and talents to convince a panel of judges that your chosen charity should win £3000.
You might even want to go above and beyond and use your time to help your charity too! You decide!
But remember, only one team and therefore only one charity wins the £3000 in each school. It is up to you and your team to share the story of your chosen charity in a way that engages and persuades the judges.
Before you begin your YPI journey your teacher or a member of our team will work with you to explain what YPI is all about, explore what philanthropy means and begin to think about social issues that matter to you and how you can get the most out of YPI. This is your chance to ask lots of questions.
You or your teacher will select teams for you to work in. Remember to draw upon your unique talents and skills and learn to work effectively – you’re stronger together.
Explore what the issues are facing your community and what you already know about them? What do you care about? Discover which charities support your team’s social issue and make sure together that you choose a charity that is officially registered as a Scottish Charity and helps people in your local area.
Understanding a charity must go beyond copying and pasting what is on their website. Get to know your charity, either by emailing, phoning, visiting them or conducting an interview online. Use your time to learn about them and their story, you can even use your talents to do something for them in the process. Think about how you could help them now or perhaps in the future.
If you aren’t sure of the best way to connect and engage with your charity, remember to ask an adult at your school for help. You can also share the ‘What is YPI’ to give your charity more information.
Use your skills or spend time developing new ones to get creative. Digital options, music, drama, poetry, art, and drama can all be used to make your case and convince the judges. Or something else totally different. Be as creative and unique as you can to make your presentation stand out.
The judges are asked to consider a very specific criteria, make sure you try and meet as many of these as you can and importantly, remember to make sure you clearly explain the impact £3000 could have on your chosen charity and local area.
Depending on the number of students in your year, your school may hold class or house heats to decide which teams proceed to the Final Showcase.
If your presentation meets most of the judging criteria you could be in with a chance to showcase your work to a larger audience and potentially win the £3000 for your charity. Remember, this is not only an opportunity to secure funds, but a great chance to raise awareness of a cause and a charity that you’ll now be really passionate about.
Feeling inspired, motivated and engaged by YPI?
You have already shown that you can make a difference, so what can you do next and how will you stay involved with your chosen charity or other causes you’d like to support?
Could your presentation be used by the charity on social media or for anything else? Would you like to consider volunteering in the future? Are you interested in supporting younger pupils take part next year?
Speak to your teacher to explore ideas and options.
Working with likeminded partners supports the sustainability of YPI as we grow the opportunity throughout Scotland.
