Nine finalists selected for Palm Beach Philanthropy Tank – Sun Sentinel
The Palm Beach Philanthropy Tank, a “Shark Tank” reality television-style competition for students enrolled in grades 7 to 12 in Palm Beach County, has selected nine innovative and socially impactful solutions to be presented by young philanthropists at the second annual event.
Founded by a group of local attorneys, certified public accountants, financial advisers and nonprofit leaders, the event emulates the TV show, with a twist. Students design and envision their own philanthropic version of the show.
“I am truly delighted to participate in the second annual Palm Beach Philanthropy Tank,” judge Julie Fisher Cummings said in a statement. “Investing in our youth in a real-world manner and helping to facilitate their success was so rewarding last year.”
“In the past 12 months I’ve witnessed real passion on the part of both students and my fellow mentors to make a positive impact on the world. I can’t wait to see what the students have in store for us this year,” she added.
Besides Cummings, the four judges who also serve as the philanthropist-investors and mentors for this year’s competition are: William Meyer, Christine Stiller and Avy Stein.
Last year, the My Fair Ladies group from Royal Palm Beach Community High School participated in the inaugural Palm Beach Philanthropy Tank.
“We were able to meet the goal of expanding the Backpack Drive to all of our feeder schools and to better establish the reputation of our group in the community,” according to a group statement. “Our business mentor helped us create the agenda for one our biggest follow-ups to this endeavor, our Women’s Empowerment Week, which took place Jan. 17 to 20, 2017.”
Allyson Reeves, a senior at Florida Atlantic University High School, and Sage Albert, a junior at Dreyfoos School of the Arts in West Palm Beach, were part of the Go Green team.
Their winning pitch was to teach swimming at the YMCA to special needs children for which they were awarded $12,000 to turn that pitch into a reality.
The two offer advice for future competitors: “The people sitting in the room around you are people with the same passion to make an impact as you. Take the time to get to know them, share resources and advice because while you might not always have a mentor, those are the people who will offer you support and wisdom.”
Finalists will pitch their ideas during a live event to a panel of four philanthropists, and they are eligible to receive up to $15,000 to implement their vision and 12 months of one-to-one mentoring.
The finalists were set to gather Feb. 5 for an initial meeting with the philanthropist-investors at Palm Beach Atlantic University and will have a month to prepare for the live event March 8 at the Maltz Jupiter Theatre.
Teams will participate in workshops in which they will receive coaching and professional support to craft and deliver a winning presentation.
During the weeks leading up to the event, the selected presenters will meet regularly with coaches from Advisors for Philanthropic Impact, who will provide pre-competition mentoring.
Meyer said the students he mentored last year showed ingenuity and perseverance well beyond their years, and that “helping to channel the drive and initiative these students demonstrated was exciting for me, personally.”
“I’m someone who gets excited about innovative ideas that can actually be implemented, and we helped to develop some future stars last year,” he said in a statement.
To be considered for a spot in the finals, applicants were required to submit a description of their project that addressed community impact, program feasibility, solution creativity, sustainability and team strengths.
The types of social issues addressed by the selected students include hunger, homelessness, medical care, education for underprivileged students, education for emotionally and/or physically challenged youth, and public health and welfare.
See the article here: http://www.sun-sentinel.com/local/palm-beach/fl-bbf-tank-0208-20170207-story.html