Three Boca Raton Area Teenagers Among Elite Group of Students Named to Philanthropy Tank Class of 2022

Prestigious nonprofit announces the six teen group finalists that will vie for up to $15,000 in funding during April Finals Event

Boca Raton, FL – Philanthropy Tank has announced the finalists for its 2022 program. The nonprofit challenges, empowers, and equips the next generation of CHANGEmakers to develop and execute sustainable initiatives and solutions to solve problems in their communities.

The nonprofit received hundreds of applications from students between 8th and 12th grade from across Palm Beach County. The application requires students to submit a philanthropic idea that directly addresses issues in their community. The students will present their ideas to a group of Philanthropist Investors who can award each project up to $15,000 in funding to launch and implement their program. This year’s Philanthropist Investors are Aisha Ali, Caroline Cummings Rafferty, Frances Fisher, and Tom Vining. The students will also receive one-to-one mentoring and support from these local leaders, philanthropists, and entrepreneurs to help them execute their initiatives and increase their ability to make meaningful change.  

Two Boca Raton teens and one Highland Beach teen are among 15 students chosen as Finalists:

·      Growing Native Oases Made for Engagement (GNOME): Mallory Thomas (11th Boca Raton), Anna Jarvis (11th Boca Raton), Elise Sigel (12th Highland Beach), and Alyssa Jiggetts (11th Coconut Creek) from FAU High School – GNOME was conceived from the idea that being mindful about nature and giving back to the community can benefit anyone who participates. GNOME will create community butterfly gardens in underserved communities in Palm Beach County, and eventually expand to more public locations. The project will also hold educational panels to raise awareness about environmental issues in Palm Beach County through hosting gardening lessons, and events.

The rest of the Finalists include:

·      Green Garments: Amelia Williams (11th Delray Beach) from Alexander W. Dreyfoos School of the Arts – Green Garments will inform Palm Beach County students about alternatives to their current clothing purchase and use patterns, which are harmful to the environment, and waste energy and natural resources. The project will raise awareness of eco-friendly alternatives, and focus upon the recycling, reuse, repair, repurposing, and reselling of clothing through an online store and at program events.

·      Bridging the Gap: Duaa Ali (11th Palm Beach Gardens), Sahil Bhandary (11th Wellington), Jayantha Kantamneni (11th Jupiter), and Cooper Weisman (11th West Palm Beach) from Alexander W. Dreyfoos School of the Arts- Bridging the Gap plans to work with elementary and middle schools in Palm Beach County to provide school supplies to underprivileged schools. “We hope to bridge the education inequality gap through our program in which we not only tutor students at these schools but, with funding, will be able to provide them with the supplies to truly succeed in their educational environment.”

·      Drop the Vape: Tessie Gordon (10th Wellington) from Wellington High School – Drop the Vape is a program that aims to decrease the number of teen vape users in Palm Beach County by establishing a new educational course for students caught with vape devices at school, offering a text-to-quit program for students hoping to stop vaping, and advocating for an increase in the proximity between vape shops and schools.  

·      Sharing the Arts: Shreya Srinivasan (12th Wellington), Alyssa Jean Louis (12th Royal Palm Beach), Ave Goorbarry (11th Lake Worth), and Nathan Goldin (10th Jupiter) from Alexander W. Dreyfoos School of the Arts – Sharing the Arts is a program that aims to support low-income middle school students exploring their interest in the arts by offering workshops, supplies, and mentorship.

·      Traveling Comforts: Karimah Khoram (10th Royal Palm Beach) from PACE Center for Girls – At any given time in Palm Beach County there are approximately 1,000 kids in foster care. Typically, when a child is removed from his or her home, they leave with the clothes on their backs and nothing else. Traveling Comforts is a program that aims to provide foster kids with their personal travel/duffle bag, a cozy throw blanket, a toiletry bag, and a stationery kit to comfort them through transitional situations.

The Finalists will make their presentations in a live recorded event that will be posted on Philanthropy Tank’s website as well as its Facebook, YouTube, and LinkedIn pages on April 11th.

This is Philanthropy Tank’s 7th year operating this unique program in Palm Beach County. The locally grown success has resulted into expansion for the nonprofit into Baltimore, Maryland, now in its second year. Philanthropy Tank plans on continuing expansion in the near future.

To date, Philanthropy Tank student-led programs in Palm Beach County and Baltimore have impacted more than 300,000 lives; more than 1000 students have participated in the student programs; and more than $700,000 in grant money has been awarded to nearly 70 projects.

www.philanthropytank.org

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