1 in 5 Kids in America At Risk of Hunger - What's Your Solution?
Apply for a Sodexo Youth Grant

YSA will award 100 Sodexo Youth Grants of $500 each to support youth-led service projects in the United States that address the issue of childhood hunger on Global Youth Service Day (April 20-22, 2012).  

16.2 million children in the United States live at risk of hunger. YSA and Sodexo are calling on young people, ages 5-25, to help make sure your peers don't have to worry about where their next meal will come from.  

We're looking for projects that engage your peers, friends, families, neighbors, Sodexo employees, and other community members in creative, youth-inspired solutions to ending childhood hunger in your community.  

Applications are due by midnight on January 17, 2012.   

Learn more at: www.YSA.org/grants/sodexoyouth    

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News From the Field

Get Ur Good On for the Holidays

YSA wants you to Get Ur Good On during the season of giving! This is a great time to volunteer with friends and family and bring good cheer to other people. Host a holiday party for homeless youth, tweet messages to raise awareness about an important issue, or organize a food drive. Check out more ways to Get Ur Good On for the Holidays and let us know what you do on GetUrGoodOn.org. http://bit.ly/tcC08X   

The Huffington Post: Top 11 Kids Who Made A Difference In 2011

As world leaders struggled in 2011 to save a famine-struck Africa, end the global water crisis and continue to research cures for devastating cancers, a host of young activists also stepped up. As young as 7, these young people who want to make a difference offered their insight, experience and commitment to resolving these plaguing issues. Meet 11 such budding activists who may just inspire you to help make this world a better place. http://huff.to/tt8Gda    

A Billion + Change

In November, nonprofit, corporate and government leaders gathered to mark a major milestone for A Billion + Change, a national campaign to mobilize billions of dollars in skills-based and pro bono volunteer services to help build the capacity of nonprofit organizations to effectively meet community needs. Senator Mark Warner (D-VA), honorary chairman of A Billion + Change, hosted an event on Capitol Hill to celebrate the more than 50 companies that have pledged more than $1 billion in service to nonprofits, and to encourage companies large and small across America to join the campaign by starting or expanding their own skills-based volunteer programs. The campaign's pledge companies - the majority of which signed on to A Billion + Change during a "50 Companies in 50 Days" pledge campaign launched in September 2011 - range in size from small businesses with fewer than 10 employees to large organizations such as Deloitte HP, IBM, GE and State Farm. Together, these companies have pledged to provide 9.5 million hours of employee time and talent to nonprofits by the end of 2013. A list of all 50 pledge companies, and information on how to join the campaign is available at http://bit.ly/ua3XPN       

2012 National Service-Learning Conference Early Bird Registration Ends Next Week - December 15

Join NYLC & youthrive on April 11-14, 2012 in Minneapolis, MN for the most comprehensive service-learning professional development opportunity in the world! Attend the largest gathering of youth and practitioners involved in the service-learning movement. http://bit.ly/v2MtkE   

Grants & Awards 

Splashlife Lincoln Awards

Deadlines: Dec. 15, Jan. 15, Feb. 14

Identifying, honoring and supporting the next wave of entrepreneurs to help them take charge of America's future. As announced at the White House Youth Entrepreneur Summit, Splashlife is giving out $2,500 Lincoln Awards to support entrepreneurs aged 35 or younger. All business ideas will come from their members (it's free to join!), and the winning submissions will be decided by member vote. There are three award categories:

Entrepreneurs for Social Change - business ideas from people aged 35 or younger that will be a force for good in their communities and the world - Deadline: December 15 

Veteran Entrepreneurs - open to all US Military Veterans aged 35 or younger - Deadline: January 15  

Women Entrepreneurs - open to all women age 35 and younger - Deadline: February 14

Learn more at: http://bit.ly/v8bcjB   

Case Foundation #GoodSpotting Sweepstakes

Deadline: December 23

This holiday season, YSA is joining the Case Foundation in #GoodSpotting! Together, we're catching people (or organizations) in the act of doing good. Snap a pic of your friend, neighbor, coworker (or it could be you!) doing something good, and share it online using the hashtag "#GoodSpotting." You can also upload it directly from the Case Foundation Facebook page. Then enter the #GoodSpotting sweepstakes to win up to $500 in holiday spending money and $5,000 in grants for your favorite charity. Let's go #GoodSpotting! Submit all #GoodSpotting pictures by 12/23. Learn more at: http://bit.ly/sPa24z  or on Facebook at http://on.fb.me/vae4Ow or on YouTube at http://bit.ly/ryiQCf  

2012 Wildlife Conservation Youth Engagement Grants

Deadline: February 1

Whether you're in a city, rural area or a suburb, wildlife is all around you. In many places, wildlife faces challenges. Are you a high school student with a creative idea for conserving and protecting wildlife and its habitat in your community? Planet Connect is offering high school students grants of $1,000 to implement their problem-solving projects and participate in a local internship focused on wildlife conservation Winners receive $500.00 to turn your project into a reality and an 80-hour wildlife conservation or natural resource internship with a $500 stipend in your local community during the summer of 2012. http://bit.ly/sPM29L   

Scholastic Book Grants

Deadline: Ongoing

The Scholastic Book Grants Program is a corporate in-kind giving initiative that provides high-quality reading materials to children in need. The Company's goal is to ensure that each of its book donations has a significant impact on fostering literacy. Small-scale (unsolicited) donations of 500-1,000 books are awarded to 501c3 or 170c literacy organizations. To read the unsolicited donations policies and procedures, and to download a donation application, visit: http://bit.ly/uktlhz   

Resources & Trainings

10 Year Anniversary Edition of CIRCLE's Quarterly Newsletter

The Ten Year Anniversary edition (v8. i4) of CIRCLE's quarterly newsletter, Around the CIRCLE, can be downloaded from here. The newsletter includes a variety of articles including:
* CIRCLE: Who We Are, What We've Done & Where We Are Headed
* CIRCLE: Illuminating Our Democracy
* The Youth Movement's Role in Civic Revitalization
* Rocking the Numbers: CIRCLE's Role in the Youth Voting Movement
Download this newsletter: http://bit.ly/rWal5k  

NYLC Webinar: Designing Academically Rigorous Service-Learning

Tuesday, December 13, 2011 at 2:00pm Central 

NYLC staff will share a process for writing academically rigorous service-learning curriculum for K-12 students. Explore how to use a backward design curriculum development model that links service and educational standards. Learn from vivid real-life examples of successful programs, sample service-learning projects, and discuss common challenges and opportunities for overcoming them. Register at http://bit.ly/vHw9NJ   

generationOn Webinar: Engaging Youth in Service for MLK Day

Tuesday, December 13th from 3:30-4:30pm Eastern  

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. committed his life to service and to ensuring that all people are treated with respect and fairness. Bring these lessons to life by engaging youth in service in celebration and honor of his legacy. During this webinar, you will: 
- find out how your school or organization can register to host a Sunday Supper and engage youth in meaningful dialogue and reflection on important issues in your community
- discover generationOn's MLK Day resources for engaging students in service and service-learning, including lesson plans, Grow Involved! Kits, project ideas and more. http://bit.ly/tdVikN   

MLK Day Webinar: Creating a Communications Plan

Wednesday, December 14, 2011 at 3:00pm Eastern

Planning a great project is just one part of a successful MLK Day. It's also important to get the word out about your project and events. By using both traditional and social media, you can publicize your event and raise awareness about the issues your project tackles. Learn how to create a communications plan and about all the resources available to help you increase media attention and public awareness for your MLK Day project.  http://1.usa.gov/qH6axE  

Read a recent MLK Day E-Action Update about social media: http://1.usa.gov/rV8ghA  

Get MLK Day media resources at: http://1.usa.gov/vTJTbW      

Service Calendars

Conferences & Events

National Youth Service Summit 

March 30 - April 1, 2012 - Cincinnati, OH

National AfterSchool Association Conference
April 2-4, 2012 - Dallas, TX 

National Service-Learning Conference 

April 11-14, 2012 - Minneapolis, MN

Best Of Out-of-School Time Conference 

April 25-28, 2012 - Palm Springs, CA  

National Conference on Volunteering & Service 

June 18-20, 2012 - Chicago, IL 

See more events on the Conference Calendar.  

Seasons of Service

December 2011

World AIDS Day - December 1
International Day of Persons with Disabilities - December 3
International Volunteer Day - December 5
Human Rights Day - December 10

January 2012

National Mentoring Month - January
MLK Day of Service - January 16

Semester of Service - MLK Day to GYSD
No Name Calling Week - January 23-27
 

See more important dates on the Seasons of Service Calendar.  

Quote of the Week

"The young, free to act on their initiative, can lead their elders in the direction of the unknown... The children, the young, must ask the questions that we would never think to ask, but enough trust must be re-established so that the elders will be permitted to work with them on the answers."

- Margaret Mead

The Editors