For Immediate Release
  
ChangeMakers log over 500 volunteer hours and make $7,000 Grant
  
May 27, 2009 - ChangeMakers, the young grantmaker’s council of the Greater Round Rock Community Foundation, are winding up their year - and the results are in! For full story, please see webpage!

ChangeMakers log over 500 volunteer hours and make $7,000 Grant
  
May 27, 2009 - ChangeMakers, the young grantmaker’s council of the Greater Round Rock Community Foundation, are winding up their year-and the results are in! The 50 members from Round Rock area high schools logged over 500 hours learning about needs in the community and determining how they would invest their charitable dollars. They also completed two community service projects, offering their time and energies to those in need.
  
“The kids are amazing-they fully embrace the responsibility they’ve been given and have become passionate, engaged philanthropists,” said Kami Barron, Executive Director of Greater Round Rock Community Foundation.
  
The year began with the students surveying their peers to determine the most pressing issues affecting Round Rock youth. The results identified the lack of college preparation as the most prominent recurring concern. After researching programs aimed at addressing this issue, the ChangeMakers decided to grant $7,000 to the Round Rock Independent School District. The funding will provide transportation for 1,248 students to travel to two off-campus college and career fairs. It will also fund two on-campus college and career fairs for Junior level students at Round Rock and Stony Point high schools during the 2009-2010 school year. This is a new program, created by the district in response to the concerns raised by the ChangeMakers and the ChangeMakers will actively be involved in planning and implementing the programs.
  
“We are honored to have received this grant from ChangeMakers because it was given by students in an effort to help their peers,” said Superintendent Dr. Jesús Chávez. “It is rewarding to watch students helping each other.”
  
The ChangeMakers also volunteered their time to renovate a children’s playground and cottage at the Texas Baptist Children’s Home on the MLK Day of Service and to assist in planting 165 trees on Global Youth Service Day. ChangeMakers engages youth in active philanthropy-through studying community needs, prioritizing a focus issue and investing charitable dollars. The program would not be possible without the support of Wells Fargo, who generously stepped in as sole sponsor of the ChangeMakers inaugural year by providing $10,000 for the program.