The Youth and Philanthropy Initiative (YPI) in Scotland has announced that a total of £2 million has now been awarded to local grassroots charities since the programme was first introduced in Scotland by The Wood Foundation in 2008. This year alone a total of 210 Scottish secondary schools will participate in YPI, actively engaging over 26,500 students in a hands on experience of social action and philanthropy. The latest £3000 grant will be awarded at Govan High School’s YPI Final on Friday 18th November, marking a significant milestone for the YPI programme.
Commenting on Govan High School’s YPI Final and hitting the £2 million milestone, Sir Ian Wood, Chairman of The Wood Foundation said, “YPI is by far The Wood Foundation’s most successful philanthropic initiative in Scotland. Beyond the grants YPI has awarded to local charities, the programme most significantly impacts upon young people, not only providing a valuable experience of philanthropy but also nurturing critical employability and enterprise skill development. We are proud that today’s YPI celebration event at Govan High School marks a total of £2 million invested in local communities across Scotland through the programme. This is a remarkable milestone, made possible through the dedication of our participating schools and charities, the support of our programme funding partners, and the enthusiasm of all participating students.”
Govan High School has now participated in YPI Scotland for two years, delivering the programme across their full S2 cohort as part of the school’s Wider Achievement Programme. Through YPI, Govan High School students are encouraged to draw upon their strengths and learning from across the school, and look beyond the classroom in order to link closely with the wider school community. Teachers at Govan High have noted a massive impact on their learners through the development of vital skills including research, communication and team work, and students have also demonstrated real commitment to the programme, with many dedicating their own time to visit local charities, as they address local social issues.
Nancy Belford, Head Teacher of Govan High School, commented, “As a school we strive to create a caring, inclusive and happy learning community and the whole ethos behind the YPI Programme helps to enhance this vision. YPI encourages our young people to care about their community through identifying a social issue that is important to them; it builds links between people and organisations in the wider community as students explore and visit charities; and it helps to promote inclusion as our young people come to understand what is happening on their own doorstep and what it is they can do to help some of the most vulnerable groups within the local community.”
The YPI programme is now delivered across 31 local authority areas throughout Scotland and over half of all secondary schools in the Glasgow City area are now actively involved in the programme.
Maureen McKenna, Director of Education at Glasgow City Council and guest judge at Govan High School’s YPI Final stated, “YPI is proving to be a highly effective framework through which students can broker and establish meaningful partnerships across their school community, develop essential skills for learning, life & work, and directly support local people & groups most in need. This in itself encapsulates what Curriculum for Excellence is all about. I am very proud of the involvement of schools in our area and that Govan High School’s 2016 YPI Final also recognises a total of £2 million invested in local Scottish charities through YPI.”