Ripley Youth Outreach (RYO) is an initiative of the Ripley County Community Foundation with a focus of promoting education in all aspects of philanthropy in local youth. This youth philanthropy program is made up of teens from area high schools, with a goal to empower the youth to create a powerful voice in their communities and become leaders of their generation. Our initiative provides training on philanthropy, fundraising, and the grant making process. Since 2015, Ripley Youth Outreach has made a powerful impact in their community through various projects and programs.
Chalktoberfest
In October of 2020, Ripley Youth Outreach hosted its first Chalktoberfest, a local art drawing contest where students can show off their creative abilities through chalk. The 2020 theme was to draw a movie poster, 2021’s theme was to draw your favorite CD cover, and 2022’s theme was to draw your favorite book cover. This years theme was to draw your favorite TV show!
A Greener Tomorrow
In 2021, Ripley Youth Outreach was awarded a grant from Enbridge that started our Greener Tomorrow Campaign. This project was the brainchild of our summer interns, who determined our county could use some newly planted trees and pollinator gardens. By the end of the year, over three hundred trees were planted and three pollinator gardens were installed with the help of local organizations, business, and schools.
Change Ripley County Grant
Ripley Youth Outreach established the $10,000 Change Ripley County Grant in 2019 to give local youth a platform in which to be heard, the confidence to take action to change their communities, and resources to enact that change. The grant encourages youth to partner with a local nonprofit organization to establish a change and improve Ripley County.
A Box of Christmas Cheer
In 2022, Ripley Youth Outreach collected items to spread cheer during the holiday season! 160 treat boxes of “A Box of Christmas Cheer!” containing hot chocolate, candy canes, sugar cookie mix, icing, and green & red sprinkles were distributed to the 8 local food pantries.
Participating High Schools include:
Mission Statement: To create a powerful youth voice in our community in order to improve the lives of those in Ripley County through a philanthropic approach.
Vision Statement: To spread knowledge of philanthropy across Ripley County through service and education, to empower the youth to become leaders of their generation.