LEWISTON — Jumpstart Our Youth, the statewide student-led philanthropy program, awarded 97 separate grants to organizations ranging from the statewide Make-A-Wish Foundation to the Bath mobile food truck.

Approximately 3,000 Jobs for Maine’s Graduates students in 63 middle and high school programs from Fort Kent to Sanford have been handing out grant checks to community nonprofits, capping off six months of research and decision making as they learn first-hand how philanthropy works. The work is integrated into the JMG school curriculum, helping students understand how community nonprofits benefit those in need, how they are funded and how money and volunteer time are essential to sustaining organizations.

This year the grade nine-12 Lewiston Regional Technical Center students made grants to the following nonprofit organizations with funding provided by the Unity Foundation, Maine Community Foundation and UniTel, Inc.: Tree Street Youth Program, Kora Shriners of Lewiston, Lewiston High School STEP program, Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Androscoggin and Oxford Counties, SkillsUSA Maine and Lewiston Public Library.

“We look at the money that we give to the students to donate to nonprofits as an investment in the future of Maine’s communities,” said Larry Sterrs, CEO of Unity Foundation of Unity, Maine, who created and funds the program along with Maine Community Foundation. “Young people are learning how to make difficult choices about using scarce resources. As adults, they will be making these decisions regularly whether they serve on boards, in municipal or state government or run their own organizations.”

Students work on the JOY program throughout the school year. Beginning in late fall they research local organizations, determine issue areas that are of interest and through an RFP process, invite nonprofits to apply for the $1,000 in grant funds that each JMG class has to award. Often, the nonprofits will make presentations to the students, allowing them to ask more detailed questions about mission and budget.

Classes will debate, vote and cajole classmates to decide which organizations should receive the funds, sometimes choosing to split the grant dollars among two or more applicants. Some classes pool grant funds, working together to award larger grants to more than one organization.

Some classes raise additional funds enabling them to make larger grants. For example, at Freeport High School, students put their money where they wanted their teachers to put their mouths — on Rosetta, the cow. For $1 each, students could vote for the teachers they wanted to see kiss the cow, raising $466 to add to their JOY funds to benefit Seeds of Independence, a youth mentoring organization in their school.

Finally, students arrange a volunteer service learning component in the curriculum.

The Jumpstart Our Youth program will resume next fall with returning and new students.

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