Youth and Philanthropy Initiative
2013! It’s been a year to remember. Here are some of the highlights from this year:
1. Our launch of YPI Northern Ireland
2012-2013 was the first year that we ran the YPI program in Northern Ireland. We opened the program in 5 schools, and we’re on track to grant 10 grants in 2013-2014!
Our first-ever YPI Grow Out Forum was a big success!
Welcoming close to 1000 students and teachers from across Ontario to Toronto’s Sony Centre, our morning kicked off with a welcome from MC Kelly Lovell, followed by an empowering address from man-of-many-talents, Warren Coughlin.
We heard from Jonah and Emily – two awesome YPI Alumni who each created some really special videos as part of their YPI experience.
Thank you. This year, you spoke up, rose up, lent an ear, lent a hand, and shared a victory.
During the YPI Final Presentations, you showed the adult world a glimpse of what you’re capable of. And we say “THANK YOU” – for sharing your values, for asking good questions, for showing your conviction, and for compelling us to continue to care even more.
We had an amazing story submitted to us by a YPI team member. One YPI judge was absolutely blown away by the experience of a YPI Final Presentation:
“In my work I suffer Death by PowerPoint too often to be able to suffer bad presentations even for the best of causes. But today’s presentations were up there with the best I’ve seen.”
It’s been a long time since I’ve been able to say “Wow, I really learned something cool in school today.”
Over the last couple of weeks I went to visit and interview students and teachers from different schools in Toronto. I consider myself very lucky to be doing a job that I really believe in and to be a part of an organization that has a lot of impact.
At a very special award ceremony held Wednesday, May 4, 2011, Julie Toskan Casale was awarded the first ever Premier’s Award for Philanthropy in Education by the Hon. Leona Dombrowsky, Minister of Education, Province of Ontario.
This award, a new category within the Premier’s Awards for Teaching Excellence, is in recognition of Julie’s philanthropic passion and dedication in the founding and development of the Youth and Philanthropy Initiative (YPI)
During a luncheon and panel discussion hosted by the Institute for Canadian Citizenship and CoChaired by Madame Adrienne Clarkson and John Ralston Saul, the Youth and Philanthropy Initiative was awarded a Best Practice Award in Civic Education.
Innovated and launched in Toronto in 2002 and now in 185 high schools across Canada, 112 in the United Kingdom and 7 in New York City, the Youth and Philanthropy Initiative has positively impacted the lives of 120,000 grade nine and ten students…and counting.
The Toskan Casale Foundation has been named Outstanding Philanthropic Foundation for 2008 by the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP), Greater Toronto Chapter.
AFP works to advance philanthropy through advocacy, research, education and certification programs and has been honouring leadership in philanthropy through its annual award program since 1995.
