GENERAL INFORMATION









Who operates YPI and what support can our school expect?



YPI is a program of the Toskan Casale Foundation. Secondary school teachers are supported by program coordinators who work directly with them and their students to ensure they understand the fundamentals of the intiative. Teachers are given a resource guide, skills posters and additional learning materials to launch YPI in their school.

What is the cost of participating in the program?



Secondary schools participate in YPI free of charge.

Where does the grant money come from and who does it go to?



YPI grants are provided by the Toskan Casale Foundation in association with YPI's generous financial supporters. When a student group is chosen to receive a YPI grant, the funds are awarded directly to the students’ chosen charity by the foundation. In order to qualify for a grant, charitable organizations must be local and community-based, working within the social service sector and registered with the government authority that oversees the charitable sector in their region. The organization must provide direct service to the local community.

GETTING INVOLVED










How can I learn more about getting my school involved?


You can reach us by phone at 416.489.1044 or by email at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . If you are an educator interested in enrolling your school in YPI, please submit an electronic application form here. Please note: YPI is a very popular initiative and an electronic application does not guarantee enrollment. When an application is submitted, new schools are considered on a first come first served basis. A YPI program coordinator will follow-up with you to confirm your enrollment.












What if I know someone who wants to financially support YPI?



Our approach is to build long-term relationships with likeminded funding supporters. We can best meet a funder's philanthropic objectives and deliver meaningful recognition and benefits through building relationships. Should you know a person or organization that is interested in financially supporting YPI, please contact Marni Schecter, Vice President of Development and Communications at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or call 416-489-1044.
















GETTING STARTED










Does every student need a student guide?





Not every student will need a student guide. The YPI curriculum resource provides educators with the option of having students follow along with the guide, or the lessons can be built in teacher-led format without the guide.











What technical (A/V) provisions are needed for the introductory workshop/assembly?




YPI program coordinators are equipped with laptop computers and use audio/visual aids like slide shows and DVDs to deliver the initial workshop. LCD projectors are helpful tools in the workshop setting. If an LCD projector is not available, a television and DVD player can be used in its place. If provision of A/V tools is a challenge for your school, program coordinators are flexible and can accomodate your specific needs.










How many students are there on each team? How are the teams arranged?





Many educators tell us that a team of 3-5 students is the right number. In terms of arrangement, this is generally left to the teacher to decide if students can choose who they work with or if the teacher chooses who will be on each team.










Can YPI be delivered in a course that is not compulsory?




In order to implement YPI, participating schools must agree to deliver the initiative in a mandated course. This means that all students across the grade level in which YPI is being delivered have the opportunity to participate.










Does this mean that every class of that compulsory course has to participate in YPI or can teachers opt out?




Every class of the mandated course in which YPI is delivered must participate in the initiative to ensure equity and access in implementation and delivery.










How long does it usually take for a school to complete the YPI process?




On average, educators complete YPI in 4-6 weeks. However, each teacher may use his or her discretion in deciding how many instructional weeks they will dedicate to YPI.











CHOOSING A CHARITY










What issues/types of charities usually win the YPI grant in the end?





YPI grants provide support to local, community-based, social service agencies who deliver direct services to those in need. The issues addressed by charities can cover many areas ranging from homelessness and domestic abuse to employment resources and hunger. The YPI curriculum resource provides worksheets that outline the types of social problems dealt with by the social service sector.










What if students find a charity that is not registered with a government authority?




In order to be eligible to receive a YPI grant, charities must be registered with the appropriate government authority in their region. Please visit our Teacher Resources section for links to the websites of government authorities in each YPI region. When deciding which charity they would like to select, students should bear in mind that the YPI grant cannot be issued to a non-registered charity.










What if students choose a charity that is run by a religious group?




Students can choose charities affiliated with a particular religious organization. The only stipulation is that these charities meet the general YPI criteria and provide their services to clients in need outside of their particular faith group.










What types of charities are not appropriate for YPI?




YPI charities should do work focused in the social service sector. These are charities that provide a direct human service to their clients. As such, charities focused on animal welfare, environmental issues, and academic or healthcare/medical research are not appropriate for the YPI mandate.














What about charities that work with animals? Can YPI students choose those charities for a grant?
We appreciate charities that exist for the welfare and protection of animals. Although we love animals, the focus of YPI is on the direct social benefit to people in need within a community. 









What if the charity is difficult to get a hold of or does not respond to student inquiries?




If charities are slow in responding to students or do not respond at all, the YPI students involved should let their teacher know that they are having difficulty making contact. With the support of their teachers, students can decide if it is best to pursue another charity. One of the goals of YPI is to connect students with a community-based charity and that includes a site visit. Students are discouraged from choosing charities that will not allow site visits.














Can students use external resources in their presentations, such as charity-created informational materials? If so, how much can they use?






Students are encouraged to be creative in their presentations and to show case their own talents to effectively advocate on behalf of their chosen charity. YPI discourages students from only using informational materials provided by charities, we do encourage students to create their own materials.










Can more than one team choose the same charity?




Within the same class, YPI students cannot select the same charity as their peers. However, because at least two classes in a given school are often participating in YPI, it may happen that students from different YPI classes have selected the same charity. Should this occur, both groups are permitted to proceed with their research and presentations as they will likely use their own unique approaches to advocate on behalf of the charity.





















STUDENT PRESENTATIONS










Does a YPI represenative visit schools to help with presentation skills?










When YPI coordinators deliver the introductory workshop (assembly) they also provide useful tips on presentation techniques and best practices. If educators would like to go over presentation skills in a separate session, coordinators can make themselves available for this. A great presentation skills resource for educators and students is our YPI Speak Out video, which outlines 10 tips for effective presentations and can be found in the Learning Zone and Teacher Resources section of the our site.












Are there different stages of presentation?




Yes, there are two stages of presentation. The first stage occurs at the classroom level, where students deliver their presentations in their respective classes and, together, select the group that did the most effective job as the YPI group for their class. This process takes place in all YPI classes at a given school. The groups selected by their peers then move on to the second (and last) presentation stage, where they present their materials to a judging panel. After deliberating in a separate area, judges select the group with the most effective presentation and award their chosen charity a YPI grant.




















How many judges are on the final presentation judging panel, and who should they be?




The YPI judging panel typically ranges from 4 to 6 people, half of whom should be students. Non-student judges can include school staff such as teachers, principals/vice principals, and community members such as parent council officials. YPI representatives also attend final presentations; however, there is no YPI representative on the judging panel in order to maintain impartiality throughout the process.










Does anyone come to the school to help with the final presentation day?




YPI program coordinators attend the final presentations and provide support to teachers before, during, and after the event as needed. Coordinators also act as facilitators in the deliberation process by reiterating the YPI granting criteria to judges before they make their decision.










Is an audience usually invited to watch the final presentations? If so, who should be invited?




Many schools arrange for students from all YPI classes to observe the final presentations. Some schools even make it a school-wide event open to students from all grades. Final presentation audiences vary in size depending on the availability of space. There are no concrete rules surrounding the size of the audience; however, educators are encouraged to have as many students as possible attend so that presenting groups can share their work with their peers across classes. Other attendees may include charity representatives, community members and local media. However, charity representatives should not be identified to the audience and judges until after the grant recipient has been chosen.










Is a recognition certificate available to give to all participating YPI students?




YES! The work of every YPI student is valued and appreciated. Please use our web-based Student Achievement Certificate to recognize the efforts of your students. Once the requested information has been filled out and submitted, a customized certificate will be generated in PDF format. It can then be printed and/or saved for your records.










Does the selected charity receive their YPI grant at the final presentation?




After the grant recipient is chosen by judges, YPI program coordinators provide the Toskan Casale Foundation with relevant charity and school information. Cheques are distributed at a later date after all necessary data has been received by the foundation.










How can I get students to use the local press or invite special guests, like politicians or city councillors, to the final presentation?




YPI final presentations are a great way to share with your community an impactful initiative that is making a difference to the students in your school. If your school is interested in inviting local press or politicians we encourage you to direct them to the YPI website for the most up-to-date information on the YPI experience.