Philanthropy Kids is a based in Dallas, Texas that celebrates and inspires philanthropy in youth. Philanthropy Kids undertakes various projects including print and digital publications and educational programs. They release issues of Philanthropy Kids Magazine, a magazine that highlights stories of youth performing acts of philanthropy across the globe. In addition to their print editions, Philanthropy Kids publishes these stories on their online blogs and social media platforms. They also operate the PAVE program, which stands for Philanthropy and Volunteerism in Entrepreneurship. PAVE teaches children about philanthropy and the non-profit sector, ultimately giving them the tools to start their own charitable organization or social enterprise. History Philanthropy Kids was started in 2011 by Amit Banerjee as his Eagle Scout Project while a member of Troop 51 in Frisco, Texas. The original intent of the project was to create a magazine that would share the stories of kids doing good. The magazine encouraged submissions about different types of philanthropic behavior, ranging from small acts of kindness to larger multi-stage service projects. In March 2012, Philanthropy Kids released the first issue of Philanthropy Kids Magazine, highlighting the Boy Scouts of America and Dallas philanthropist Bobby Lyle. The magazine was distributed around the Dallas-Fort Worth area and across the country. Issues of the magazine were given to different groups and institutions such as schools, libraries, and corporate offices. Later that year at TEDxKids@SMU, Banerjee was invited to give a talk about the magazine and how recognizing youth for the good that they do for others fosters a culture of service that continues throughout their life. In 2013, Philanthropy Kids acquired PAVE, an organization that holds courses that teach kids what philanthropy is, why it's important, and how the participants can be philanthropists. PAVE originally stood for Philanthropy in Volunteerism in Education because all the courses were held as embedded learning initiatives in class during the school day. Teachers would dedicate a few hours per week for the PAVE facilitators to teach the classes about philanthropy and non-profit organizations. The program was later renamed Philanthropy and Volunteerism in Entrepreneurship as the topic of social entrepreneurship was integrated into the PAVE curriculum. In December 2013, PAVE held its first international program in Mazatlán, Mexico. In 2014, Philanthropy Kids released the second issue of Philanthropy Kids Magazine, recognizing Jackson Price and fundraising efforts for Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children. The organization continued hosting PAVE programs both within the United States and internationally, establishing PAVE as a global project. In 2017, Philanthropy Kids acquired Children Writing for Children, an organization that promoted literacy and emotional development in youth by distributing picture books written by children to other children. Projects Philanthropy Kids Magazine Philanthropy Kids Magazine is a digital and print publication that highlights the stories of kids around the world doing good for others. The magazine promotes the message that one does not need to be rich or old to be a philanthropist and that they just have to care about others. The magazine accept submissions about both big and small acts of philanthropy. The only requirements for submitting an article to the magazine is that the author must be under twenty-one years old. The magazine is published both in print and is available online for free. The publications are distributed to schools, public libraries, doctors' offices, and other institutions. Students who are featured in the magazine are invited to an event to celebrate the launch of that particular issue. More recently, Philanthropy Kids has started using their various social media platforms to share the stories at a more regular rate similar to the Humans of New York photojournalism series. PAVE Philanthropy and Volunteerism in Entrepreneurship (PAVE) is a program founded by Bob Hopkins that teaches youth about philanthropy, non-profit organizations, and social entrepreneurship. PAVE teaches its participants that "Anyone can be a philanthropist". The goal of the program is to help grow students personally and professionally. Participants learn about what constitutes as philanthropic behavior, how they can engage in community service at home, how non-profit organizations operate, how social enterprises are started, and how they can start their own service project or non-profit organization. Participants also learn about soft skills such as how to be emotionally literate, how to effectively communicate through different media, and how to build a professional network. Participants in the program have been determined as having a lesser inclination to engage in illegal and unethical activity because they have been taught how to live a philanthropic life. PAVE programs originally were exclusively held as part of classroom curriculum in select school districts but has since expanded and holds independent programs that are open for all youth in the area. The program engages youth in both affluent communities and lower-income communities to ensure that community engagement is encouraged across all socioeconomic demographics. Since 2013, PAVE has held programs around the world in Mazatlán, Mexico, Nagpur, India, Monterrey, Mexico, and Port-au-Prince, Haiti. These programs usually are condensed, taking place over a shorter period of time and include a large-scale service project.
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