By Krystal Moralee

Philanthropy isn’t something that should be reserved for adults with boardroom seats, and through the Community Foundation of St. Clair County’s Youth Advisory Council, high school students have a real voice in deciding how resources can improve the lives of their peers.

This fall, six experienced YAC members will step into executive leadership roles for the 2026-27 school year: President Paige Voss, Vice President Cambelle Garth, Treasurer Delaney McDonald, Secretary Wrenn Perkins, and members-at-large Andrew Cottone and Riley Wendling.

“It really is run for youth, by youth,” said YAC advisor Audrey Sochor. “Our Youth Advisory Council is a grantmaking committee that is made up of high schoolers from around the county who review youth-focused applications and determine grant awards. They also act as a role model for youth as philanthropists and attend or volunteer at community events and do service projects.”

The executive team helps facilitate full-group discussions and guide how YAC operates throughout the year. And while their leadership roles officially begin in September, none of the six are newcomers. Each has already spent at least a year learning firsthand what it means to listen to the needs of other young people and turn those needs into meaningful action.

Voss, a senior at Port Huron High School, begins her fourth year with YAC. Her principal recommended the organization to her at the beginning of her freshman year, and she initially joined in hopes of meeting students from other schools throughout the county.

She stayed for what those students could accomplish together.

“I think YAC impacts the community by providing resources and experiences to young people that wouldn’t otherwise be accessible to them,” Voss said, adding that community service projects have become her favorite part of the experience.

Garth, a senior at St. Clair High School, is entering her third year with YAC. She also learned about the group through her principal and was intrigued by the opportunity to try something new while becoming involved in work that mattered to the community.

She said YAC helps make resources more accessible in areas ranging from schools and sports to mental health, and one of the things she has valued most is meeting the people behind the organizations they assist.

“We meet a lot of people that are very passionate about their organizations and it’s truly inspiring,” Garth said.

Fellow St. Clair High School senior McDonald has also been involved since her sophomore year. As she steps into the treasurer position, she appreciates that young people can be an important force for change.

“I feel that sometimes you only hear about what adults and large organizations are accomplishing but being a part of YAC shows how students are impacting our community for the greater good,” she said.

Her favorite experiences have been site visits, where YAC members can see what happens after a grant decision is made and witness the results of their work in the community.

Perkins, a sophomore at Yale High School, begins her second year with YAC. She heard about the opportunity through one of her father’s friends and was drawn to the prospect of helping organizations whose work she could see taking shape around her.

“In YAC, we are able to grant money but also see how that money impacts the world around us,” she said.

Just as important has been finding a community among the other students.

“My favorite part of being in YAC is being able to connect with people my own age who want to make a difference like I do,” she said. “I’ve met so many wonderful people through YAC.”

Cottone, a junior at Marysville High School, is entering his second year with the organization after learning about it from a close friend. He joined hoping to develop his own skills and relationships while making a tangible difference in his community.

For Cottone, the breadth of that difference is one of the best things about YAC.

“There aren’t many opportunities for teenagers to help reduce mental health stigma, provide school supplies to low-income families, fund student development programs, and provide books to children aged 0-5 all in the same meeting,” he said. “The work we do is vital and so rewarding!”

Wendling, a junior at Port Huron Northern High School, is beginning her third year with YAC. She learned about the organization through her parents and events in which they had participated, inspiring her to seek an opportunity to advocate for others and help create change herself.

“I think we impact the community by listening and advocating for our peers to make our community a better place for everyone,” Wendling said.

She also values bringing together teenagers from different places who share that goal, building friendships while creating what she described as “a stronger force to advocate for our peers.”

That voice comes with a lot of power and responsibility.

YAC was established in 1994 through a $1 million challenge grant from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation as part of the Michigan Community Foundations Youth Project. During the 2025-26 year alone, YAC awarded more than $59,000 in grants.

Those dollars touched the community in so many ways, from student tutoring and a backpack giveaway to camp scholarships, adaptive bicycles, and a kids’ fishing clinic. Grants also supported Community Mental Health’s Teen Advisory Group, KIDS in Distress, student mentoring through SONS, the St. Clair County RESA Imagination Library, a women’s empowerment dress closet at Port Huron High School, and St. Clair High School’s Peer 2 Peer LINKS program.

The students making those decisions are guided by priorities established by local youth. Every three years, YAC surveys St. Clair County students about the issues affecting them. Responses to the most recent survey helped establish three funding priorities for 2025-27: mental health, school life, and life skills and personal development.

More information about YAC is available at stclairfoundation.org/yac.