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PRESS RELEASE Seven YAC Members To Go to Russia Reading - (April 13, 2005) -- Seven members of Berks County Community Foundation's Youth Advisory Committee (YAC) are preparing for a 10-day trip to Russia this June where they will work with teens from the city of Togliatti to develop the first Russian YAC. "When our counterparts in Russia heard about our YAC's success in Berks County, they wanted to learn from our experience as they build their own committee," said Kevin K. Murphy, Community Foundation president. "They asked if some of our kids would come to work with them." Murphy traveled to Togliatti in 2001 as a German Marshall Fund Transatlantic Community Foundation Fellow. During his two-week stay, he and his Russian colleagues exchanged best practices and experiences. Several staff members from the Togliatti Foundation have since visited Reading to continue the exchange of ideas. "YAC applies to any culture or nation," said Giovanna Frank-Vitale, a senior at Reading High School. "I'm interested in seeing the Russian teen's perspective on democracy and philanthropy." In addition to Frank-Vitale, the following YAC members were selected through an application process to go to Russia: Chris Brubaker, a junior at Wilson High School; Lindsley Burton, a junior at Wyomissing High School; Audrey Heins, a senior at Schuylkill Valley High School; Mark Keith, a sophomore at Holy Name High School; Matt Mays, a junior at Wilson High School, and Katie Mellott, a sophomore at Boyertown Area Senior High School. During the trip, the students will spend time in Moscow, Togliatti and St. Petersburg. The time in Moscow and St. Petersburg will include guided tours of the cities' historic highlights. In Togliatti, the YAC members will room with Russian host families and spend the day at the Togliatti Foundation exploring the opportunities for youth philanthropy in the industrial city. The students will visit non-government agencies (nonprofits) that run programs for children in Togliatti. They will talk about the yearlong process that YAC members go through, which includes discussing the issues teens face, requesting proposals from local agencies to address those issues, evaluating the proposals and making grants to support the best ones. They will also discuss the role of fundraising in youth philanthropy. They'll have some fun, too. "I'm excited to learn some Russian phrases and to experience the general mood and behavior of a typical Russian teenager," Mays said. "I'd like to explore what kind of music, movies and girls my roommate likes." The group will also travel to Penza, where the YAC members will join their Russian counterparts as the keynote speakers at the Russian Community Foundations Annual Conference. In addition to the seven YAC members, Murphy will attend at the request of the German Marshall Fund, as will Rick Mappin, vice president for grantmaking and YAC advisor, and Heidi Williamson, director of communications. Reading Mayor Tom McMahon will also take part in the exchange. The trip is being funded by the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation, the German Marshall Fund, CAF Russia and personal contributions from the students who are going. ### Berks County Community Foundation, established in 1994, is a nonprofit corporation that develops, manages and distributes funds to meet existing and emerging community needs. They administer funds of all sizes and for all purposes, from helping disabled children to building innovative renewable energy sources. |
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