Five Palm Beach County student teams awarded $47,000 at Philanthropy Tank finals
WEST PALM BEACH — The nonprofit Philanthropy Tank this month awarded a total of $47,000 to five groups of Palm Beach County high school students who proposed ideas to solve problems in their communities.
Philanthropy Tank says it “challenges, empowers, and equips” students in grades 8 through 11 to become a new generation of local change-makers. In its annual competition, students pitch philanthropic ideas that directly address problems in the places they live.
To date, more than 1,000 students have taken part in Philanthropy Tank competitions in Palm Beach County and in Baltimore. The nonprofit has awarded more than $750,000 in grants to nearly 70 student-led projects.
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This year’s winning groups, announced March 8 at the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts in West Palm Beach, are:
Down to Earth: $10,000
Daisy Li, an 11th-grader from Jupiter who attends Dreyfoos School of the Arts, wants to teach fourth- and fifth-grade students in Palm Beach County public and charter schools about climate change, and then mobilize them and their families to practice sustainability by giving them an opportunity to view “Science on a Sphere,” a 6-foot diameter National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration globe projection screen that lets viewers see Earth and its systems in three dimensions. Don Byrd, the executive vice president of TBC Corp. in Palm Beach Gardens, will be her mentor.
Hearing for a Change: $10,000
Tenth-graders Erica Frishberg of Boynton Beach and Jacob Carrion of Boca Raton at Olympic Heights High School in Boca Raton have started weekly book clubs where students listen to and discuss audiobooks with struggling readers at Palm Beach County elementary schools. The sessions last for 45 minutes each week during aftercare. The goal is to help the younger students improve their vocabularies and reading comprehension and expand their imaginations. Tom Vining, a former senior executive with the Otis Elevator Co., will be their mentor.
TaTa for Now: $10,000
Jessie Baxter and Holly Milsom, two 10th-graders at Jupiter High School, started a group focused on providing quality, well-fitted undergarments to school-aged girls in Palm Beach County who may not have them. Its goal is to boost the self-esteem of young women by providing for a basic, often overlooked need. Debra Elmore, the founder of the Palm Beach County business A.K. Consulting, will be its mentor.
Hooks with Heart: $9,000
A group of students at Atlantic High School in Delray Beach — 10th graders Anna Johnson of Delray Beach and Senai Newby of Lake Worth Beach and 11th grader Donna Cornish of Delray Beach — started a club that teaches the stitch craft of crocheting “while providing a safe space to encourage human connection, promote animal welfare, and mental health improvement of youth and adults,” Philanthropy Tank said in a news release. Vining also will be their mentor.
Endgame Education: $8,000
Maya Behura, a 10th grader from Boynton Beach who attends the American Heritage School in Delray Beach, says Endgame Education exposes young people to chess and tutors those looking to compete by hosting in-person and virtual events. Its goal is to engage youths in the problem-solving and critical-thinking skills that chess demands of its better players. Chadi Irani, regional vice president of advertising at LocaliQ, the business arm of The Palm Beach Post, will be her mentor.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Philanthropy Tank awards $47,000 to 5 Palm Beach County student groups
