The Community Foundation of Southern Indiana’s Youth Philanthropy Council held its Gold Acorn Celebration event on Sunday, April 15, at 1 p.m. at The Grand in New Albany. The Council awards grants to programs that involve youth to area nonprofit organizations and honors youth volunteers in Clark and Floyd counties at this annual event.

The Youth Philanthropy Council is comprised of students working with adult volunteers who train the youth in community needs and leadership. The YPC is designed to involve young people in meaningful ways, to encourage them to give and serve in their communities and to make philanthropy a habit for future generations. High school students are nominated for membership on the YPC during the summer and begin participation in the fall. Students attend workshops to help educate and engage them in the world of philanthropy, followed by a grant cycle in which non-profit organizations apply for grants and recipients are selected by members of the YPC.

Programs receiving grants were:

Clark County 4-H Corporation is receiving a grant for Prom Aid, which is an annual event at which the Junior Leader Club collects slightly used prom attire, cleans it, and distributes it to teens.

Clark County Youth Shelter & Family Services received a grant for arts and activities. The grant will allow youth in crisis an outlet to express anger, pain, frustration, creativity, inquisitiveness, and enthusiasm through art projects and/or off-site activities.

Family & Children’s Place received a grant for its BullPup COOL Club. Members of the COOL Club will plant flowers around Hazelwood Middle School as a service learning project. The COOL Club is designed to reduce teen misbehavior, truancy, and academic failure through interactive and creative opportunities to learn.

Interfaith Community Council, Inc. received a grant for Pack the Bus. This project provides backpacks filled with school supplies to low income families with children in kindergarten through eighth grade. The program is offered as part of the national Pack the Bus collaboration.

Jeffersonville High School is receiving a grant for Key Club tutoring. The grant will pay for supplies, snacks, and games for students as well as background checks for teen tutors offering weekly tutoring for foster children through a partnership with Regional Youth Services and Noah's Ark Children's Village.

Miles for Merry Miracles received a grant to provide assistance to less fortunate families and their children during the Christmas season. The organization provides shoes, toys, clothes, $25 Kroger gift cards, a Christmas dinner and a bag full of groceries.

New Albany Floyd County Schools received a grant for the Theatre Arts with Hearts program. The program is a youth-driven effort within the non-profit Floyd Central Star Boosters designed to help underserved youth explore the world of theatre by attending special workshops, events and performances dedicated to or created for them.

Opening Gates received a grant for its Leading a Horse program. This program will provide leadership training to small groups of teens from Silver Creek Middle School utilizing therapy horses in three, two-and-a-half hour sessions.

Providence High School received a grant for its Empty Bowls Event. For Empty Bowls, Providence students make ceramic bowls which are sold for donations that go towards local hunger coalitions and ministries. The goal is to promote the awareness of hunger issues while promoting the arts through “Artful Service.”

Regional Youth Services received a grant for an Independent Living Trip. In this program, foster youth will travel to a selected city to visit a college campus, provide community service, and use skills learned in a bi-monthly group setting.

West Clark Community Schools received a grant for Borden Elves, a program that provides supplies to create handmade toys for the needy at Christmas which are then donated to the Salvation Army each year.

In addition to awarding grants, the Gold Acorn Celebration gives non-profit organizations an opportunity to honor youth for their volunteer work. The names of the youth, followed by the organizations which honored them, are below.

Anne Barrett, Green Valley Elementary School

Michael Becht, Terraces of Park Place Neighborhood Association

Taylor Buckner, Jeffersonville High School

Kaitlynn Ann Davis, Floyd County Teen Court

Kaylie Fougerousse, Interfaith Community Council, Inc.

Juana Gonzalez, Hispanic Ministry of New Albany Deanery

Abbey Hunter, Kiwanis Club of Jeffersonville

Mackenzie Miller, Jeffersonville High School Anchor Club

Art Ordonez, Floyd Central High School Star Boosters

Jena Reinhardt, Howard Steamboat Museum

Alexcia Simmons, Boys & Girls Club of Kentuckiana

Jessica Snow, Miles for Merry Miracles

Andrew Snyder, Ed Endres Boys & Girls Club of Kentuckiana

Sydney Willis, YMCA of Southern Indiana, Floyd County

Jeffrey Wilson, Rauch, Inc.

Members of the YPC were also recognized for their participation during the 2011-2012 school year. The names and schools of the students are listed below.

Jiffy Bishop, Jeffersonville High School

Abby Dilk, Floyd Central High School

Davis Elliott, Jeffersonville High School

Emilee Flispart, Jeffersonville High School

Luke Gillenwater, Silver Creek High School

Kaitlin Hein, Floyd Central High School

Adaline Heitz, Floyd Central High School

Emily Hoffer, New Albany High School

Savannah Hunter, New Albany High School

Abigail Kimball, New Albany High School

Emily Kunkel, Floyd Central High School

Macy Lancaster, Jeffersonville High School

Katie Lyon, Jeffersonville High School

Jessica McCormick, Jeffersonville High School

Alyssa Moore, Floyd Central High School

Shea O’Brien, Jeffersonville High School

Regan Platt, Floyd Central High School

Ryan Plunkett, Floyd Central High School

Morgan Reilly, Jeffersonville High School

Major Ricke, New Albany High School

Temple Ricke, New Albany High School

Austin Traylor, Silver Creek High School

Gannon Yeaton, Floyd Central High School