A recent survey our Youth and Philanthropy Initiative (YPI) program conducted with the Scottish Youth Parliament found that more than 80% of young people believed activity focused on philanthropy and social activism should be part of the core secondary curriculum.

Excellent curriculum starts with the end in mind. Ask yourself, “What do I want youth to know and be able to do?” Starting with a clear understanding of what youth need to know as philanthropic citizens or grantmakers is the most meaningful way to guide a program’s activities and lesson content. Learning to Give, the philanthropy education resource that I run, is founded on a research-based framework of philanthropy standards and benchmarks that inform our informational papers,  1,700 lesson plans, educator mini-courses, literature guides, student activities, and other resources.