Up2Us Launches National Advocacy Committee for Sports-based Youth Development

Leading practitioners and researchers in sports-based youth development will convene by conference call on May 7 from 4pm-5pm EDT to define an advocacy agenda for Up2Us.  This Committee will develop position statements, set advocacy objectives, and share best practices with an end-goal of advocating for broad support for Up2Us member organizations at the federal, state, and municipal levels.

If you are interested in participating in this taskforce, please contact Paul Caccamo at (646) 621-4566.

Members of Up2Us Take Part in National Volunteer Effort

Up2Us has kicked-off its volunteerism initiative and nationwide efforts to recruit, train, and place volunteers in Up2Us member organizations.  Through pooled best practices and resources, relationships with corporations and volunteer connector organizations, and a custom-built volunteer database, Up2Us is building the foundation for tens of thousands of adults to volunteer through sports and be role models for our nation's youth.

If you need volunteers or would like to join the Volunteerism Committee, please contact Nick Beckman at (212) 868-9510 x307.

Research Committee Creates Youth Development Fact Sheets

The newly-formed Up2Us Research Committee is already well-underway in exploring the impact of sports on youth development.  Currently, the Committee is defining quality sports-based youth development and creating a series of youth development fact sheets.  For use at conferences, meetings, and on the upcoming Up2Us website, these fact sheets will cover topics such as: essential program components, web-based resources, the importance of play, and disparities of access to sports for under-resourced youth, among many others.

If you are interested in participating on this Committee or on a fact sheet sub-group, please contact Paul Caccamo at (646) 621-4566.

Upcoming PEAR Webinar Discusses Sports-based Youth Development

Up2Us Steering Committee member and PEAR Director Gil Noam invites all sports-based youth development practitioners, intermediaries, researchers, and advocacy groups to participate in a webinar on Thursday, April 24^th from 11:30am-1:00pm EDT.  Panelists include Gil and fellow Up2Us Steering Committee members Paul Caccamo and Daniel Perkins and dialogue will focus on:  innovative practices, redefining competition in youth sports, using sports to achieve health and academic outcomes, and assessing available research.

Center for the Study of Sport in Society Hosts Power of Sport Summit

On June 14^th and 15^th in Boston, the Center for the Study of Sport in Society will host the first Power of Sport Summit.  An interactive meeting of academics, practitioners, and advocates, the Summit will define and address current and emerging issues involving the intersection of sport and social justice.  This Summit culminates a year of innovative research and will feature breakout sessions on topics such as:  gender segregation in sport, nutrition and physical activity, student-athletes and community service, and the intersection of academics & athletics.

For more information and to register, visit http://www.sportinsociety.org/powerofsportsummit.php.