March 24: The Geelong Advertiser reported on the work being done by students at Belmont High, Christian College, Sacred Heart and Bellarine Secondary to decide how to distribute funds allocated by the Geelong Community Foundation in the GCF’s Schools in Philanthropy program. This year, the GCF has to decide how to allocate $700,000 among requests from charitable organizations totaling about $2 million. By being part of this process, students learn about both philanthropy and the worthwhile causes in the Geelong area.
The Geelong Advertiser Editorial on the same day praised the program and the encouragement it gives to the participating students.
In the March 22 Geelong Advertiser a different kind of coverage of the Schools in Philanthropy program appeared in the Vox Pop interviews with 10 people about “why they want to make a difference in the community”. Along with 7 students of Belmont High, its Vice-Principal, a Northern Bay College teacher and Bron Lawson of the Bluebird Foundation (one of the grant applicants) made comments about ‘helping others’, ‘meeting new people’, ‘feeling good to be able to help’ and ‘giving back’.
