The Hempfield Foundation recently announced that it is accepting applications for its new student representative program. Through the program, rising juniors and seniors at Hempfield High School will become involved with the nonprofit's board of directors, offering their perspective during meetings and learning about how the Hempfield Foundation operates behind the scenes. Applications may be acquired by emailing hempfieldfoundation@gmail.com, and the deadline to apply is Thursday, Aug. 31.

Student applicants must be a junior or senior at the start of the 2023-24 school year and must be enrolled at Hempfield High School. The Hempfield Foundation is looking for students who can commit to at least one full school year of service, which will begin on the day of its board meeting on Tuesday, Oct. 3. Student representatives will be expected to attend the subsequent board meetings, which are held on the first Tuesday of every month at 8 a.m. The foundation encourages students with a desire to participate in other board events to apply. Additional events include fundraisers and community service projects.

As representatives on the board, students will have a chance to offer their perspective as it relates to the Hempfield Foundation's projects. The majority of the foundation's work is directed in two ways: grants for school faculty members and scholarships for graduating seniors. The organization offers grants to allow teachers to fund enrichment projects and programs that may not be covered by the school district's budget.

Beyond venture grants and senior scholarships, the Hempfield Foundation also supports a variety of small service projects that arise within the community. In recent years, the nonprofit assisted Hempfield High School's Student Council with creating an emergency fund to assist families in the district affected by a catastrophe. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Hempfield Foundation partnered with the school district to provide yard signs for each family with a graduating senior. "When we think about the work we do, we know that having students' perspective would be really helpful," said Scott Bishop, executive director of the foundation. "As a district, we have tremendous kids with different experiences and budding leadership skills, making this program a no-brainer."

The Hempfield Foundation first considered introducing students to its board over a year ago, but class schedules prevented it from launching the program. However, the high school now offers more opportunities for its students modify their schedules through dual enrollment and senior option, which allows students to participate in extracurriculars during the school day. With the scheduling obstacle removed, the Hempfield Foundation decided to finally pilot the student representative program.

"Understanding the work that faculty and staff put into what they do is super important," Bishop said. "Students will not only get to see outside-of-the-box thinking firsthand, they will also see the mechanics of how a foundation runs."

For more information visit http://www.hempfieldfoundation.org.