Youth and Philanthropy Initiative Scotland

In 2008, WFT invested £370,000 over three years, to enable the Institute for Philanthropy to launch the Youth and Philanthropy Initiative (YPI) in Scotland.

The Youth and Philanthropy Initiative was originally the idea of Julie Toskan-Casale, founder of MAC Cosmetics, as an innovative way to financially support local, grassroots charities while engaging young people in a hands-on active citizenship experience.  Since 2002, YPI has grown to become a successful, interactive programme operating in 300 schools across Canada, the United States, England and Scotland.

In its first year, this innovative citizenship programme was rolled out to ten schools in Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire, however potential for growth and development was clear. In 2010, the Wood Family Trust assumed operational and strategic management of the programme with ambitions to turn YPI into an educational programme of national significance across Scotland.

YPI is a leader in the field of citizenship education programmes, providing a uniquely intensive, all round programme which has proven impact on personal, enterprise, employability and citizenship skills. Following an external evaluation of YPI, 100% of teachers who were engaged with the programme over a one year period felt that students had improved in teamwork, presentation skills, research skills, communication and decision making. The impact that YPI has on the life of a whole school has been highlighted by HMIE in a number of secondary school reports, with particular reference to its ability to genuinely develop wider achievement and enrich the life of a school.

In the academic year 2011/12, YPI will be delivered to 54 schools across Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire, Perth & Kinross, Edinburgh and the Greater Glasgow region.

By the end of the 2011/12 academic year over 10,000 young people will have engaged with the programme in Scotland, granting £408,000 to 136 Scottish charities.

The Wood Family Trust wishes to acknowledge the support of the Bank of Scotland, Exclusive Regional Funder of YPI in the Greater Glasgow region and the Gannochy Trust, Exclusive Funders of YPI for Perth and Kinross.