The students of H.J. Cody School in Sylvan Lake have teamed up with the Red Deer & District Community Foundation to work on the Youth in Philanthropy Project.

The goal is for students to challenge each other to think of creative ways to give back in the community.

Lead for the Red Deer Youth in Philanthropy Erin Peden says the kids have been excited and are looking for different ways in Sylvan Lake to help out the community.

“We are really acknowledging how they give back in the community as a way to promote philanthropy.”

November 14 was also National Philanthropy Day, and they invited the community to join them at the Timber Coffee Company to talk about their commitment to the project.

The theme of their campaign is “How do you give,” and the goal is to make people stop and think about what they do for others. They use social media to pass the campaign theme along and encourage others to get involved.

“We're asking students to think about what they have done in making a difference in their community how they are giving back to the community, and then write it down on a whiteboard or a piece of paper hold it up and then take a picture of themselves with #HowDoYouGive” explains Peden.

The program, Youth in Philanthropy is a concept they use to introduce students about caring and dealing with social needs and financial responsibilities that comes with exploring charities.