The Ashtabula County Technical & Career Campus (A-Tech) Youth Philanthropy Board (YPB) has awarded its grants for the 2019-2020 school year. The Ashtabula Foundation provided $5,000 to the A-Tech YPB to dispense to worthy community groups and organizations, who meet certain criteria on their applications as a 501 C3 non-profit.
The A-Tech YPB, which is composed of six seniors and six juniors, selected four organizations as beneficiaries: New Leaf Childcare in Conneaut, Cynthia Nye Marsh Hartsgrove Township Park, Jefferson Area Little League, and Homesafe, Inc.
The mission of the A-Tech YPB is directing the funding of projects in our community that will directly benefit people in the area. New Leaf Childcare will improve its safety by adding ADA compliant doors. Cynthia Nye Marsh Hartsgrove Park will add a child play area, adult swing sets and a sand volleyball court. Jefferson Little League will use the money to offset registration fees to keep it at a reasonable cost for families. Homesafe, Inc., will improve its facility with new flooring.
“Being a part of the Youth Philanthropy Board gives me an opportunity to give back to the community,” said senior Brodie Mlckovsky.
“It is important because it teaches students how to give back to their community which has supported them. It's an awesome opportunity for each student who participates in it to learn the value of different things within the community,” said senior Alexis Kicielinski.
“It’s an awesome opportunity to be part of this and see what difference you can make when you give back to the community,” said senior Savanna Sternberg.
Beneficiaries were selected from applications received earlier this year. In partnering with A-Tech, the Ashtabula Foundation’s goal is to allow the students to focus on ways to give back to the community through service learning, to expand leadership skills, to use their individual talents and energy to help in this type of endeavor relating to the community in which they live and work.
Members of the A-Tech YPB this year are juniors Karena Byler (Cosmetology), Sara Gonzalez (Early Childhood Education), Carolyn Kobas (Culinary Arts), Malachai Rossiter (Software & Application Design), Padam Sidhu (Healthcare Academy), DaHai Skaruppa (Healthcare Academy), Vincent Schismenos (Software & Application Design), and Willmarie Telleria (Visual Design & Imaging).
Seniors include Seth Hering (Computer Systems & Networking), Alexis Kicielinski (Health Care Academy), Brodie Mlckovsky (Health Care Academy), Melissa Robinson (Health Care Academy), and Savanna Sternberg (Health Care Academy). A-Tech Student Liaison Gilda McQuoid and Instructional Coordinator Brian Kimmel serve as advisors to the board.