High school students in DeKalb County are invited to attend Orientation for the 2017 Youth Engaged in Philanthropy (YEP) program. This year, Orientation will be on Sunday, September 17, from 2:00 – 4:30 p.m. at the DeKalb County Community Foundation, 475 DeKalb Avenue in Sycamore. RSVP online by September 14 or by emailing yep@dekalbccf.org.

Orientation is the first official meeting of the YEP program and is required for new and returning members. During this youth-led meeting, both new and returning members will learn about YEP’s grantmaking, gain a better understanding of the YEP program, and be made aware of new and exciting changes to the program. An information session will start at 2:00 p.m. Parents are welcome to stay for the information session to learn more about the program. Following the program, youth will participate in a fun-filled nonprofit scavenger hunt at 2:30 p.m.

“YEP brings teens from all over the county together to learn about how we can work together to make the community a better place,” said YEP Secretary Libby Swedberg. “YEP Orientation is always a lot of fun to attend. It’s the best way to meet new people, while learning something that you can use throughout your lifetime.”

YEP is an exciting, youth-led program for high school age students who live in DeKalb County or who attend a high school in DeKalb County. After the Orientation meeting, members attend monthly meetings where they build leadership skills, learn about nonprofits in DeKalb County, and become life-long philanthropists. The program comes to an exciting end during the April and May meetings where members will use their knowledge to grant approximately $11,000 to local youth-serving organizations in DeKalb County.

Youth interested in attending Orientation should RSVP online or email yep@dekalbccf.org. For questions or additional information, please contact YEP Staff Advisor Noah Nordbrock at 815-748-5383 or noah@dekalbccf.org.

Pictured: The scavenger hunts brings members to locations in the community where YEP grants are making a difference. One of the stops from the 2016 Orientation was Hopkins Park in DeKalb, site of the Kishwaukee Special Recreation Association T’NT program for Camp Maple Leaf.