During the 10 Year Celebration Event on Thursday May 9, Youth Engaged in Philanthropy (YEP) members awarded $14,005 in grants to nine local organizations for a variety of youth-serving programs and projects. In their 10^th year as a youth-led committee of the DeKalb County Community Foundation, YEP continues to familiarize high school youth in DeKalb County with local nonprofits, grantmaking, and philanthropy. This year, over 70 students reviewed applications, attended site visits, and were responsible for allocating thousands of dollars into the community.

“A few months back, a generous local donor added extra dollars to our grantmaking budget for this year. We were very grateful for that,” said YEP Grants Chair Hailee Bosek. “Our goal was to make the biggest impact possible with the money we were in charge of. We took our time with each application, wanting to be sure we made the best decisions. It was a great feeling handing out grant checks in the end. We made a difference for youth in the community!”

YEP Grants awarded for 2019 include:

• Adventure Works of DeKalb County, Inc. – $2,450 for a play area in a therapeutic outdoor space
• Camp Kesem at NIU – $1,000 for support of children through and beyond their parent’s cancer at Camp Kesem
• DeKalb County Community Gardens – $1,250 for tools and educational materials at Walnut Grove Vocational Farm Summer Camp Program
• DeKalb County History Center – $1,200 for materials and startup costs of the Junior Docent program
• Family Service Agency – $500 for supplies and educational material at Teen-centric, a peer-to-peer conversation group
• Indian Valley Vocational Center – $2,497 for hazmat suits and other supplies for IVVC Fire Science students
• Kishwaukee Family YMCA – $1,995 for an outdoor structure to provide shade for summer day camp children
• Kishwaukee Special Recreation Association – $1,009.78 for adapted art supplies for special needs children
• North Elementary School – $2,103.22 for the Earth Day monarch butterfly waystation project

Learn more about Youth Engaged in Philanthropy at dekalbccf.org/yep or contact YEP Staff Advisor Noah Nordbrock at 815-748-5383 or noah@dekalbccf.org.

Pictured: Representatives from the Kishwaukee Special Recreation Association (KSRA) pose with YEP members while receiving their grant check during the 10 Year Celebration Event. The $1,009.78 grant will help KSRA obtain adapted art supplies for special needs children.