IMPACT Youth Council

Ashland County Community Foundation’s IMPACT Youth Council offers high school students the opportunity to serve as grantmakers. IMPACT is an acronym for Imagine Making Philanthropy an Ashland County Tradition.

Members of the IMPACT Youth Council learn about the needs of youth in Ashland County and then review grant applications from organizations that provide services to meet those needs. The students then decide how grant dollars should be awarded from ACCF’s Youth Empowerment Fund.

Nonprofits, learn more and apply for an IMPACT Youth Grant.

Donors who wish to support the IMPACT Youth Council financially can make a donation to the “CUTTY Fund for Youth Empowerment.”

Students, read on for information about eligibility, program requirements and the application process.

Eligibility and Application

Each spring, we look for students who will be sophomores, juniors and seniors in the following school year to serve on the council. Students from Ashland, Hillsdale, Loudonville and Mapleton high schools as well as the Ashland-West Holmes Career Center, Ashland County Community Academy, Genesis Christian Academy or home schools may apply.

The IMPACT Youth Council requires a time commitment involving attendance at monthly meetings on Sundays during the school year, periodic field trips to nonprofit agencies within Ashland County. Participants are also expected to complete a small amount of work outside scheduled meetings.

The application period is now closed for the 2023-2024 school year.

Meet the Director

Ashland native and Ashland City Schools teacher Sarah LeVeck is director of the foundation’s IMPACT Youth Council.

Sarah believes youth are hungry for significance, but often aren’t sure where to start. She enjoys empowering students and and mobilizing their energy, desire and optimism to be stewards of generosity and servant leaders in our community.

Sarah teaches math at Ashland Middle School. She also serves as chair of the mathematics department and as a gifted intervention specialist. Along with her husband, Lance, LeVeck has three children. She is a member of Park Street Brethren Church.

Meet the Council

2022-2023 Student Roster

Ashland County-West Holmes Career Center

Megan Blough, Senior

Ashland High School

Elijah Barlow, Senior

Joshua Bonfiglio, Junior

Andrew Briggs, Senior

Aubrie Cooke, Sophomore

Sara Finks, Senior

Megan Hicks, Senior

Jianmei Lefelhoc, Senior

Katrin Parker, Sophomore

Mackenzie Parsons, Junior

Emma Schaefer, Senior

Courtney Stewart, Senior

Andrew Swartz, Sophomore

Jessica Wally, Junior

Hillsdale High School

Emily McGovern, Senior

Loudonville High School

Brendon Hess, Junior

Sydney Polen, Senior

Mapleton High School

Elly Keener, Junior

Emma Roar, Junior