This year Lord Mayor’s Charitable Foundation celebrated 20 inspiring years of its Youth in Philanthropy (YiP) program. Year 10 student Lucy Brockman participated in the YiP program this year and had the opportunity to talk to YiP Ambassador Aishah Brockhoff.
Youth in Philanthropy (YiP) is a program that inspires young students in Melbourne to learn about philanthropy whilst also providing them with opportunities to create a positive impact on the world. Students work together to become grantmakers and decide on how to support charities working in homelessness, sustainability and more.
This year’s YiP ambassador, Aishah Brockhoff, participated in YiP in 2019 when she was a student at MacRobertson Girls’ High School. I recently had the opportunity to speak with Aishah and ask her about her experiences participating in YiP.
Aishah said that when she first heard about YiP, she was keen to learn more. “'I had never heard of anything like Youth in Philanthropy before and as I learned more about the program, I was really inspired by the amount of work students undertake. I am fortunate to come from a family who is charitable, and participating in YiP allowed me to expand my knowledge about philanthropy and discover a real passion for it.”
Participants discuss their experiences.
When asked why she wanted to stay involved with the program, Aishah said "The immense scope of the YiP program allows young people to become involved in society’s biggest issues where they would otherwise be silenced."
“Being involved with YiP for such a long time, I feel that it has left me with a great sense of teamwork and the ability to learn to be giving, showing other students that there is a bigger world.
“It gives you a sense of hope. The program has allowed me to see the immense impact that young people can have on these issues.”
Participants at the 2022 YiP Insights event
Initially, Aishah’s goal was to get more young people involved in some of society’s big issues, however, her goals have changed. She now really wants to focus on bringing more awareness to students about being changemakers through philanthropy and for more young people to see how they can assist in changing problems in the world.
My school, The Academy of Mary Immaculate, was given the opportunity to participate in a YiP workshop. We were given the task of assessing three grant applications and distributing $10,000 as grants.
It was a process of much deliberation, as working in a group meant we all had to compromise on what was most important to us individually. We had a focus on homelessness and affordable housing, and due to it being such a significant issue, especially here in Melbourne, we found it challenging to make the funding decision.
Overall, the experience allowed us to have an insight into the amazing work of all the charities the Foundation provides grants to, and just how much of a positive impact they all make on our city.
Written by Lucy Brockman, Youth in Philanthropy 2022 participant.