With the help of an education consultant and middle school teacher, NPC has evolved our philanthropy curriculum into a customizable program for middle schoolers that ties into core curriculum standards and is supported by teachers and administrators.
Students learn about the nonprofit sector, the Berkshire nonprofit landscape, and philanthropy. They use NPC’s Giving Back guide as a tool to identify nonprofits to assist. In our model, each classroom is provided with $1000 (Funded by local foundations) to give to one or more nonprofits of their choosing. Students research nonprofits, make persuasive presentations to each other, and come to a consensus about which nonprofits will receive the funds.
The program has been implemented at Reid and Herberg Middle Schools in Pittsfield, and Mt. Everett in Sheffield. Funding is needed to expand into northern Berkshire County and to additional schools.
If you are interested in the philanthropy curriculum for your school, reach out to info@npcberkshires.org.