Youth and Philanthropy Initiative Northern Ireland (YPI NI)
United Kingdom
Contact Details
Lauren Lamberton
YPI provides pupils with a hands on experience of philanthropy through an academic course which gives them the skills to assess local community needs and make grants to grassroots charities. We empower young people to ma
We are the new local YPI for Northern Ireland. Working currently in 15 schools but planning to expand much more widely. Participating pupils work in teams to research the needs of their local community and identify the local social service charity they believe is best placed to address these needs. They then learn how to study the charity's management, budget, strategy and staffing arrangements. Pupils build relations with representatives from their chosen charity and, following skills training in investigation and public speaking present on the reasons their proposed charity is most deserving of support. The group judged to have made the most compelling presentation in each school wins a £3000 grant to award to their charity. During the process, pupils develop teamwork, communication and presentation skills.
Launched in 2002 in one school in Canada, YPI now takes place in schools in New York, Scotland, Canada and Northern Ireland.