New Members Elected to Youth Grantmaking Council

Shown, from left (front): Caity Rice, Keeli Stewart, Jordan Shuler, Kayla Griffen, Lauren Howser and Erin Lapp. Middle row: Joey Payne, Kevin Jentzen, Hunter Steinkamp, Evan Comer, Rachael Dixon, Patricia Bacala and Carmen Boley. Back row: Isaiah Turner, Luke Taylor, Lindsey Boswell and Kaleb Mount. Missing: Brandon Boswell, Jerel Taylor and Braxton Soloe.

Youth Grantmaking Council, a program of the Scott County Community Foundation. The Council is made up of students throughout Scott County that hold regular meetings, discuss ideas and hold events to raise money, and then give grants to the community for youth-related projects. They have also developed a community service aspect of the program, and collect needed items for a different charitable organization each month. The goals of the Council are to provide opportunities for leadership development, provide positive peer support, learn about philanthropy and serving the community, form a partnership with other youth and adults, and grow the Scott County Youth Grantmaking Council Endowment Fund for the future.

The following students were chosen to be on the Council: Patricia Bacala, 11th grade student from Scottsburg High School; Lindsey Boswell, fifth grade student from Vienna-Finley Elementary School; Rachael Dixon, eighth grade student from Austin Middle School; Kevin Jentzen, seventh grade student from Scottsburg Middle School; Erin Lapp, 11th grade student from Austin High School; Kaleb Mount, fifth grade student from Scottsburg Elementary School; Joey Payne, ninth grade student from Scottsburg High School; Jordan Shuler, fifth grade student from Lexington Elementary School; Keeli Stewart, seventh grade student from Scottsburg Middle School; Luke Taylor, sixth grade student from Scottsburg Middle School; Isaiah Turner, ninth grade student from Turner Academy Homeschool. Members who have continued their terms from 2007-2008 include Carmen Boley, Brandon Boswell, Evan Comer, Kayla Griffen, Lauren Howser, Caity Rice, Braxton Soloe, Hunter Steinkamp and Jerel Taylor.

The Council has elected the following officers for 2008-2009: Evan Comer, president; Jerel Taylor, vice-president; Caity Rice, secretary; Brandon Boswell, treasurer; and Lauren Howser, parliamentarian. The following students have been named chairpersons of committees: Carmen Boley, asset development; Rachael Dixon, community service; Kevin Jentzen, bylaws; Hunter Steinkamp, public relations; and Isaiah Turner, grants.

The Scott County Youth Grantmaking Council has been working hard toward reaching their goal of raising $10,000 for a matching grant opportunity from the Youth Philanthropy Initiative of Indiana, through the generosity of the Paul Ogle Foundation. They have raised over $4,000 toward the dollar-for-dollar match opportunity, which ends Dec. 15. Brandon Polley and Jaime Toppe are the adult facilitators of the council.