Last night, six groups of grade 10 LCC students made presentations on behalf of six grass roots charitable organizations in Montreal. Their purpose was to convince a panel of four judges that their chosen charity was deserving of a $5,000 donation provided by the Toskan Foundation through an active learning project called the Youth and Philanthropy Initiative. Students in grade 10 had been working since the starting week of school, learning about the need for charitable organizations, the role of philanthropy in our society and doing actual volunteer work at various charities. They then researched each organization to find out about their mission and history, impact on the communities that they serve, and the nature of the volunteer experience. Working in small groups, the students then put together intricate presentations with the sole purpose of convincing the judges that their respective organizations were deserving of the donation. The presentations took place in the Chamandy Auditorium.

Once again I was amazed at the abilities of the students and the good work that takes place all around Montreal. The students used their oral presentation skills to convey the passion that they felt for their chosen charities. They also seamlessly wove the use of technology, including still images, music and stirring videos to make their respective cases. All six groups were amazing, but the judges had to choose some winners.

Due to a generous donation from members of the Class of ‘85, the usual $5,000 donation from the Toskan Foundation was to be doubled. For the first time we would now be able to give $3,000 to the second place charity and an additional $2,000 to the third place finisher. It is really hard to talk about “winners” because all of the groups did an exceptional job. One day we hope to be able to give donations to any group that makes it to the finals.

Congratulations to all of the students, and a special nod goes out to Centre Philou, which took away the $5,000 donation from the Toskan Foundation, Generations which will receive $3,000 and Share the Warmth which will receive the $2,000 donation, both of which come courtesy of the Class of ‘85. –Patrick Peotto, Assistant Head – Advancement

This Year’s YPI Finalists:

Taylor Hodhod, Yvonne Hercun & Gabby Rappaport (Centre Philou)
Alix Faraggi & Alex Sinor (Generations Foundation)
Alexa Weiser, Helene Osterman & Valerie Rivest (Share the Warmth)
Christie Heseltine, Chelsea Voronoff & Chloe Stroll (Welcome Hall Mission)
Emily Tiberi, Olivia Auclair & Alexandra Masella (The Friendship Circle)
Julian Miller, Max Rabinovitch & Greg Wainberg (NDG Food Depot)