The Youth and Philanthropy Initiative Scotland are the Scottish branch of a truly global movement.

YPI, which is funded and managed by The Wood Foundation in Scotland, raises awareness among young people about philanthropy and their local community, with each participating school given a YPI Grant to direct to a local charity through a unique programme of team work, research and competition. YPI is proving to be a highly effective framework through which students can establish meaningful partnerships across their school community, develop essential skills for learning, life & work, and directly support local people & groups most in need.

As YPI Scotland approaches its 10 year anniversary and reflecting upon growth from a pilot of 8 schools to over 210 participating schools in the 2016/17 academic year, The Wood Foundation commissioned Heehaw to develop two videos which use real student experiences to tell the story of YPI and the personal and societal benefits for young people engaging more with their local communities.

Michael Welsh, Heehaw’s Senior Producer said: “Developing these videos with YPI Scotland has been a pleasure. The process has made me personally aware of the work of some excellent small charities across the country, and I found the levels of engagement within the schools we visited inspiring.

From the off the team at YPI Scotland have been very receptive to doing something that was a bit different with our videos; to help produce two films that arrest our young audience. We are really happy with the resulting films and hope they encourage young people to appreciate the amazing contribution they can make to society from a young age.”

Lynsey Brosnan, YPI Scotland Coordinator said: “YPI is by far The Wood Foundation’s most successful philanthropic initiative in Scotland. Beyond the grants YPI has awarded to local charities, the programme most significantly impacts upon young people, not only providing a valuable experience of philanthropy but also nurturing critical employability and enterprise skill development.

Heehaw from the outset had a clear creative vision for the project and one which exceeded our expectations. Heehaw have supported us to produce two engaging and inspiring videos, which showcase the true impact that the programme can have on young people”

Make a Difference video: https://vimeo.com/207319665

For more information about YIP Scotland please visit: http://ypiscotland.org.uk/

For more information about Heehaw please visit: http://www.heehaw.co.uk/