Youth and Philanthropy Initiative

Archived – Previous COVID-19 Updates

Last updated : March 17, 2020

March 17, 2020: Update to our charity partners

To our charity partners in communities across Canada,

Our thoughts are with you, your staff, volunteers, and the community members that you serve. We know that with the rapid developments and recommendations being made to slow the transmission of COVID-19 that you may be making significant alterations to the way you provide services, and that you are supporting some of our community members most at-risk through acute precarity, including social isolation, and loss of income.

We will continue to monitor the situation, and want to offer our support to you. When and if schools re-open across the country in April, we will also be exploring alternative methods of issuing our available grant funding so that it may still reach local organizations, regardless of whether a school has been able to complete or resume their YPI projects. On March 12th, schools were asked to stop all site visit requests, and avoid assemblies for their YPI Finals. We expect this recommendation will stay in place if schools resume in early April.

We have closed the YPI office for the time being, but our team continues to be available by e-mail as we work from home, and can schedule times to speak over the phone if you have any questions. Please contact us at info@goypi.org

We are enormously grateful to all of you for the myriad ways that you care for our communities, not only through these challenging times but always.

In solidarity, and with all of you in our hearts,

Rachel Paris
Manager, Digital Strategy and Community Engagement
YPI Canada

March 13, 2020 : 

We are aware of current school closures and monitoring the situation. Please contact the YPI  team if you have any questions or concerns about resuming YPI. 

March 12, 2020:
 
Dear YPI Canada teachers and administrators,

The health and well-being of our community is always our top priority. The Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) has assessed the public health risk associated with COVID-19 as low for the general population in Canada, but this could change rapidly.

Public health officials, including PHAC and provincial ministries of health, are not currently recommending schools and other comparable institutions close at this time. However, we are continuing to monitor school and board responses across the country, and we are preparing a contingency plan for how YPI funds can be granted to charities in your communities in the event that schools are closed this spring.

At this time, in addition to and/or subject to your school’s own precautions, YPI Canada is making the following recommendations regarding the YPI program:

  1. Students should no longer conduct site visits to local charities as part of their YPI project this spring. Students may conduct phone interviews where possible. Please note that charities will likely be quite busy and/or understaffed, and unable to accommodate interview requests at this time.

  2. Do not hold assemblies for your YPI Finals. At this time, we recommend that your finalist teams deliver theirpresentationsonlyinfrontofasmallpanelofyouth-majorityjudges.Ifconvenienttoyou,YPIstaffwill be available to phone/Zoom/Skype into your judging panel, or other parts of your presentations pro cess, to offer our live support.

  3. We will cancel and suspend YPI Finals invitations to our external guests, and recommend that you consider the same for your guests.

  4. YPI staff will avoid travel and attendance at schools until further notice. Our objective is to reduce the chance of the YPI team becoming a vector for COVID-19 to multiple schools in our network. We will continue to provide you with support by phone, email, and Zoom/Skype.

We will be closely monitoring the situation, and be in communication with you. Please do not hesitate to be in touch with any comments, needs, or questions.

Thank you for your partnership with YPI Canada in support of your students, local charities, and community members.

Warm wishes from the YPI Canada team, to you and everyone at your school,

 

Holly McLellan

Executive Director, Youth and Philanthropy Initiative Canada
973 Dovercourt Rd, Toronto, ON, M6H 2X6
Tel:416-489-1044 TollFree:1-888-489-1044•holly@goypi.org •www.goypi.org

Connected People. Compassionate Communities. Philanthropic Future.

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