Launched in 2005 with the support of the Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Philanthropies, the mission of the Youth Philanthropy Initiative is to provide empowering, holistic experiential learning for youth that sets the foundation for a lifetime of leadership and community service. 

Cohorts of approximately 25 high school students are selected to participate in an intensive three-year process, whereby they are tasked with designing and implementing an intervention that addresses a community need. Along the way, students receive in-depth training and mentorship in core YPI teachings on self-realization, leadership and philanthropy. By the end of the three-year experience, participants emerge as self-aware leaders equipped to champion real change.

The program promotes a vision and framework for philanthropy that is highly empowering and accessible to all people regardless of age, profession, or socioeconomic status. YPI’s approach transforms the impulse to do good into an organized and empowering activity. YPI teachings emphasize the interconnectedness of philanthropy, leadership and self-realization as mutually-reinforcing activities than anyone can practice, with the ultimate goal of empowering individuals, groups and communities to thrive. Other notable components of the program include:

• A student-led process. YPI is a truly student-led program, whereby students select their focus issue and lead all aspects of project implementation. These high expectations for students allow them to develop a true sense of ownership over the project, and drive them to push beyond their comfort zone to develop new skills and expertise.

• The philanthropy project. The project is an essential part of the experiential learning model and complement to the YPI curriculum, providing a real world focus for cohort members to directly apply new knowledge and turn ideas into action.

• Robust community engagement. YPI participants demonstrate the power of youth as community change agents, and themselves benefit greatly from the opportunity to collaborate with and learn from community leaders while researching, designing, and implementing their project.

• Commitment to excellence. YPI is a demanding, long-term program with high expectations for participant engagement that exceeds those of most other student organizations. By elevating philanthropy to a “varsity sport,” the program seeks to maximize the transformational developmental impact of philanthropic education for participants, while also driving high student motivation to achieve tangible, lasting change in the community.