NORWICH – Local non-profit organizations hoping to secure a portion of the $10,000 Norwich High School’s Youth Philanthropy Council will be awarding this year will have a few extra days to put the finishing touches on their grant applications.

“We’ve extended our deadline to Tuesday, February 16,” explained Susan Fertig, who serves as the student organization’s advisor. The original deadline required all applications be filed by this Friday.

Now in its second year, the program is a collaboration between Norwich High School, the Upstate Institute at Colgate University, Chenango United Way and The Community Foundation for South Central New York.

This year the Youth Philanthropy council has been limited to 10 participants, all upperclassmen. In order to be selected to participate, students had to first complete a rigorous application process, which were reviewed by a selection committee before a final selection was made.

Junior Katie Orioli is one of six new student participants on the Youth Philanthropy Council. She said she was prompted to apply for the program because of “all the work (the group) does that involves the community.”

During the first half of the school year, Orioli and the other participants learned about non-profit organizations, philanthropy and the needs of the community through a series of seminars. These after-school meetings guest speakers from Colgate University, The Community Foundation and United Way.