Helping Teens understand the needs in their community and how they can help
The SV2 Teens Program is a youth-led changemaking experience for SV2 Partners’ children who are in 7th-12th grade. Teens gain exposure to pressing local social issues, learn about nonprofit organizations and think together about giving money away effectively aligned with trust based philanthropy practices. Since the program’s founding in 2009, SV2 Teens have made over a dozen grants together in the areas of Resilient Youth, Environment, Education, Workforce Development, Housing & Basic Needs in the Bay Area, and Criminal Justice Reform. Read more about the impact of the SV2 Teens program in this article from Gentry magazine.
Teens Program
Session 1
Orientation & Program Kickoff
Sunday, January 10th 1:30-4pm
This high‐energy session will be packed with team building, setting team norms, sharing personal social change passions, leadership development, and best practices in grantmaking. Key components of the program and schedule will also be covered.
Session 2
Issue Area Learning and Community Building
Sunday, January 24th 1:30-4pm
Teens will continue personal reflection about social impact issues in the Bay Area, practice active listening, research social impact topics, select one social impact topic they’d like to focus on for the program, and share changemaker inspirations.
Session 3
Understanding Promising Solutions
Saturday, February 6th 1:30-4pm
We’ll do some skill-building in understanding promising solutions in the area of focus, as well as how to thoughtfully and empathetically assess nonprofits. Teens will narrow down to three organizations they’d like to invite to participate in our program.
Sessions 4-6
Site Visits
Exact Dates TBD – Will set based on org and Teen availability. Planning for the weekend of February 26th, March 5th, and March 19th (~2 hrs).
We’ll meet with the three organizations to learn more about what they do firsthand and discuss how they might use grant funds from SV2 Teens. During these site-visits, we may volunteer and get hands-on! Note: the site visits will be virtual for SV2 Teens 2021.
Session 7
Grant Decision & Allocation Meeting
Sunday, April 18th 1:30-4pm
Teens will review what they have learned, reflect about their site visits, and ultimately decide how they want to allocate their grant funds to the organizations where they did site visits.
Session 8
Program Wrap-up and Celebration
Sunday, May 2nd 1:30-4pm
Families and nonprofit leaders join the Teens for a celebration and ceremony led by the SV2 Teens in which they present their learnings, future goals, and the grant checks to their nonprofit Grantees.
Session 9
Teen Feedback and Reflections
Sunday, May 16th 1:30-2:30pm
We’ll share reflections, learnings, and feedback.
KIDS Program
Our kids are never too young to learn to give
SV2 Kids brings families together to engage in local community service projects that broaden the perspectives of our younger children, connect families, and spark compassion for others and a love of giving in the next generation. Each SV2 Kids activity involves learning about the issue area, volunteering together at a local nonprofit to serve our community, and taking time to reflect on what we’ve learned. The content of the program is geared toward children ages 4-12 and their families. Past service projects have focused on the elderly, the environment, animals, poverty and homelessness.