Article Contributed on: 9/15/2009 4:35:11 PM
It's that time of year again when local school children start searching for idle pennies in an effort to assist their school in reaching the 25-sack challenge for the service learning program known as the Penny Harvest.
The fun doesn't stop there... the Penny Harvest is designed to teach kids about their value as contributors to society, and after the "harvest," students identify community issues, interview local nonprofit leaders, and make big decisions of where to grant all of that money.
Wondering what difference a penny can make? Last year, 31 Colorado schools participating in the Penny Harvest collected just shy of $40,000 worth of pennies (that's over 16,000 pounds!) and made over 90 grants--combining money and service hours--to nonprofits, individuals, and even projects at their own schools. Every penny the children collect is theirs to give away to causes they choose.
The Penny Harvest, kicking off its 3rd year in Colorado,is a program of the Young Philanthropists Foundation (YPF), a Denver-based 501 (c) 3 nonprofit whose mission is to give kids the power to change our world through philanthropy and volunteerism.
YPF provides the Penny Harvest for free to all participating schools, elementary through high school. The program is currently running in numerous school districts, as well as private schools, across the greater Front Range.
To view a list of schools, or find out how to bring the Penny Harvest to your school, visit:
www.pennyharvest.org/Colorado.
For more information regarding the Young Philanthropists Foundation, or our programs, please contact us at 720.221.9218.
Every child wants to make a difference. The Penny Harvest gives them a chance. The results for children--and their communities--are extraordinary.