Good News From Grantees: YIP Awards Grant to Rappahannock EMS Council

FREDERICKSBURG, VA – Forty-three local high school students awarded $10,000 to one deserving local nonprofit.  

The students in grades 10 through 12, members of The Community Foundation’s Youth in Philanthropy (YIP) program, spent 12 weeks reading applications, conducting site visits, interviewing nonprofit leaders and deliberating decisions. They presented their findings to an audience of foundation board members, parents and community leaders on October 19.  

At the recommendation of Youth in Philanthropy members, the foundation awarded $10,000 to Rappahannock Emergency Medical Services Council for their 2024 Emergency Preparedness Program. 

The Rappahannock EMS Council exists to facilitate the development and continued operation of high-quality, dedicated, and coordinated emergency response and preparedness system for Planning Districts 9 and 16. They plan to implement a youth-centric preparedness awareness program to encourage the youth in our community to participate actively in community events promoting awareness related to topics such as Hands-Only CPR, Stop the Bleed, You are the Help Until Help Arrives, and Emergency Kits. YIP student grant reviewers appreciated that REMS saw a need to include a youth perspective in their work. “These funds mark a transformative moment, enabling us to actively engage, educate, and empower our younger community members,” expressed Rappahannock EMS Council's Board of Directors President, Kevin Dillard.   

This year, YIP also learned from the 516 Project, Inc. and guest facilitators from the Rappahannock Area Office on Youth and Dr. Frank Cirioni, Dean of Students at Germanna Community College. 

Now is the ideal time for rising 10th graders to apply to become a “YIP” member!

Youth in Philanthropy, established by The Community Foundation of the Rappahannock River Region in 2003, empowers local students to make changes in their community and respond to the issues they feel most passionate about. YIP is both an endowment fund and a program of The Community Foundation. The program consists of about 40 area high school students each session who tackle issues like homelessness, domestic violence and sexual assault. Each grant cycle, students are challenged to practice leadership, study proposals, manage budgets, work together and present their views to an audience of peers and adults. YIP has grown membership to over 300 students, awarded over 100 grants to more than 90 youth projects and disbursed over $200,000 to organizations throughout the region.  

To learn more about YIP, scholarships or our other programs, contact Ashley McNeil, Manager of Programs and Special Initiatives, at Ashley.McNeil@cfrrr.org or 540-373-9292 x124.