Seven RBHS juniors and seniors participated in the Community Memorial Foundation's Young Community Changemakers (YC2) Program. YC2 is a youth philanthropy program offered to juniors and seniors. The program fosters students' exploration of their local communities and the social issues within them, educates them on philanthropic theory, and involves them in assessing organizations and distributing grants.
This year, 69 students across four high schools were accepted into the program and divided into two groups. Group A's funding priority was to increase health equity by reducing the health, social, and economic barriers to optimal well-being and quality of life. Group B's funding priority was to address the effect of poverty on health by providing for basic needs such as access to nutritious food, homelessness prevention, and promotion of self-sufficiency. Both groups conducted site visits to 10 non-profit organizations and evaluated grant requests to award up to $30,000.
A group of students led a discussion where they reflected on their time in the program and the lessons they learned. "I think we all especially appreciate the Community Memorial Foundation and the YC2 program for forcing us to think more critically about philanthropy and how to be a good philanthropist," said RB senior Hayden Marrs.
Congratulations to RB students Jessica Bellm, Montzy Brito, Jorie Eggers, Emma Lopez, Hayden Marrs, Rachel Nguyen, and Henry Walker on completing the YC2 program! Special thank you to the Community Memorial Foundation staff, Greg DiDomenico, President and CEO; Tom Fuechtmann, Senior Program Officer; and Beth Murin, Program & Communications Officer, for collaborating with local high schools and organizations to provide the best philanthropic experiences for our students.