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January 19, 2012
Volume 19, No. 3
Circulation: 39,950
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YSA Looking For "The 25 Most Powerful & Influential Young People" In The World
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"Because Service is Power!"
YSA is launching the inaugural YSA List of "The 25 Most Powerful and Influential Young People" in celebration of our 25th Anniversary.
The YSA List will recognize 25 young people (ages 5 - 25) around the world that have made significant, large-scale change in Health, Education, Human Service, Human Rights, and the Environment.
We will announce the YSA List on Global Youth Service Day 2012 (April 20-22).
The 25 winners will receive $1,000 awards to support their ongoing efforts to change the world.
Learn more and nominate a young person by January 31 at www.YSA.org/25/list
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Connect with YSA
  
YSA Funding Partners
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News From the Field
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MLK Day of Service
On Monday, in honor of the legacy and life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Americans across the country will unite in a national day of service, working together to address some of the nation's toughest problems. http://bit.ly/wKExnV To honor the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. National Day of Service and Dr. King's life and legacy, the President and Mrs. Obama, the Vice President and Dr. Jill Biden, Cabinet Secretaries, and other senior administration officials participated in community service projects and events throughout the country. http://bit.ly/w0exzy
For a growing number of U.S. companies, the MLK Day of Service is an opportunity to invest money, supplies, and employee time to make a difference in their communities and honor the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King. http://bit.ly/xcsyAT
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No Name Calling Week - January 23-27
No Name-Calling Week is an annual week of activities aimed at ending name-calling of all kinds and providing schools with the tools and inspiration to launch an on-going dialogue about ways to eliminate bullying in their communities. Anyone who wants to work towards eliminating harmful name-calling, harassment and bullying in their school can be a part of No Name-Calling Week, whether you are a teacher, student, guidance counselor, coach, librarian or bus driver. Download materials off this web site, or order the Resource Kit and create your own No Name-Calling Week initiative in your community. http://bit.ly/zKB3kd
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Digital Learning Day - February 1
Digital Learning Day is a culminating event in a year-round national awareness campaign to improve teaching and learning for all children. On Digital Learning Day, we are asking everyone, no matter your comfort with technology-teachers, librarians, school leaders, afterschool programs, community groups, parents-to sign up and be counted in this effort. Digital Learning Day is not just for schools; learning takes place in many environments, so libraries, community or afterschool programs, and other groups along with parents and students are all invited. Sign up today, learn more, and join us for a celebration of innovation. http://bit.ly/wf66kk
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Souper Bowl of Caring - February 5
Souper Bowl of Caring is youth across the nation working to fight hunger and poverty in their own communities around the time of the Super Bowl football game. In the weeks leading up to or on Super Bowl Sunday, young people take up a collection (many use a soup pot), asking for one dollar or one item of food for people in need. They give 100% of their donation directly to the local hunger-relief charity of their choice. In 2011, more than 260,000 youth participated in Souper Bowl of Caring, collecting more than $9.5 million in dollars and food for local hunger-relief charities. This year's goal is to empower 275,000 young people to collect $11 million for charities in their communities. Help grow this movement and tackle hunger in America! http://bit.ly/z3Y3Pl
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Grants & Awards
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GOOD New Year Challenge: Get Healthy
Deadline: January 24
GOOD Maker is looking for a great idea to help a local community get healthy, from people's feet to teeth to brains. Submit your ideas to apply for $1,000 to fund your idea. Interested in getting into shape, detoxing, catching up on some rest, and feeling healthy for 2012? Come up with a workshop or project idea-teach a healthy cooking class, give a free yoga class in the park, or organize a walk-a-thon. Individuals, groups and organizations can submit ideas. We'll review submissions and on January 24th, we'll open it up to a public vote. http://bit.ly/wZucaD
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Deadline: February 1
The National Endowment for the Arts is awarding multiple grants ranging from $2,500 to $20,000 to groups that are revitalizing the role of literature and encouraging reading for pleasure and enlightenment. Applicants must be a 501(c)(3) nonprofit; a division of state, local or tribal government; or a tax-exempt public library that is participating in The Big Read and developing and producing a well-planned, community-wide read with innovative, diverse programming and widespread community involvement and participation. Activities should last approximately one month and focus on one book or poet from The Big Read Library. http://bit.ly/x2keCx
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Disney Friends for Change Grants
Deadline: February 29
Disney Friends for Change Grants offer young change-makers an opportunity to receive a $1,000 grant to help make a lasting, positive change in the world. Whether you are passionate about protecting the planet, providing meals to those who need it or giving kids just like you the resources they need to star in their own play, be an athlete or an artist, you can be a Friend for Change! Whatever your interests, a Disney Friends for Change Grant can help you make a difference for people, communities and the planet. Youth ages 5-18 located in all 50 states and the District of Columbia are eligible to apply for a $1,000 grant. www.YSA.org/grants/disney-friends-change-grants
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Skoll Awards for Social Entrepreneurship
Deadline: March 1
The Skoll Foundation presents the Skoll Awards for Social Entrepreneurship each year to a select few social entrepreneurs who are solving the world's most pressing problems. The Skoll Award includes a core support grant to the organization, to be paid over three years, and a noncash award to the social entrepreneur presented at the Skoll World Forum on Social Entrepreneurship every spring. http://bit.ly/A8YsU3
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Everyday Young Heroes
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Kendall Ciesemier
Wheaton, IL
YSA recognizes 17 year old Kendall Ciesemier of Wheaton, Illinois as one of our Everyday Young Heroes for her work to inspire children in America to care for needy and orphaned children in Africa. When Kendall was in 5th Grade, she saw an episode of the Oprah Winfrey Show highlighting the plight of African AIDS orphans. Growing up with a chronic liver disease, Kendall had experienced struggle in her own life and the pain these orphans were experiencing resonated deeply with her. After witnessing the show, Kendall found World Vision's orphan sponsorship program and met Benite, an 8-year-old girl from Mauritania who needed help. Months after sponsoring Benite with $360 of her own money, Kendall received a letter from her about starting school for the first time. That summer, Kendall underwent two liver transplants and asked that in lieu of gifts, friends and family donate money to help more children like Benite. With their generosity, Kendall sponsored the village of Musele, Zambia and raised over $15,000 as kids from across the country, hearing of Kendall's effort, started their own fundraisers. As a result of this snowball effect, Kendall decided to start her own 501(c)(3) non-profit organization called "Kids Caring 4 Kids" with a mission to raise awareness and money for highly vulnerable children in Africa and to inspire kids in America to care for those in need. In the past six years, Kids Caring 4 Kids has grown to support eight different projects in Africa, helping nearly 7,000 people in Africa by inspiring over 7,000 American kids to raise nearly one million dollars. Now 17 years old, Kendall has become the champion of a cause that is lighting a fire in the hearts of children and their schools, communities, and families. For her work, we honor Kendall as an Everyday Young Hero. To nominate a young person who has improved their community through service to be recognized as an Everyday Young Hero, please visit www.ysa.org/awards/hero. |
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Resources & Trainings
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NYLC Webinar: Sustaining Service-Learning
January 24, 2012 at 2pm Central
This free webinar on January 24, 2012 will explore ways to sustain your service-learning project or program. What does it take to create and sustain a culture that supports young people learning to solve their community issues? Who needs to be engaged? What support do teachers, parents, and school structures need in order to nurture this type of learning experience? http://bit.ly/zVeXYs
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Afterschool Alliance Releases Expanded Learning Principles
A new publication from the Afterschool Alliance offers a set of principles for how afterschool, summer and expanded learning time programs can provide the engaged learning that students need to succeed. Principles of Effective Learning Programs: A Vision Built on the Afterschool Approach looks at eight key strategies that afterschool and summer programs are using to support student success. http://bit.ly/xwtwaZ
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Earth Echo International Presents "What's On Your Fork?" Webinar
January 25, 2012 at 2pm Eastern
Register now for the What's On Your Fork? webinar to begin exploring the environmental and community impact of daily food choices. Join host Philippe Cousteau and guest experts Brent Kim and Ralph Loglisci of Johns Hopkins Center for a Livable Future to delve into issues of food choices and the ways in which food and water are inextricably connected. Bring your appetites and your questions: active participants will have a chance to win Food, Inc. videos during the webinar. http://bit.ly/y3VZGt
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Is Your Nonprofit a Service Enterprise?
Service Enterprises employ strong volunteer management practices that enable them to provide significantly more services with fewer monetary resources. Currently, less than 15 percent of nonprofits nationwide demonstrate the characteristics of a nonprofit Service Enterprise. Is your organization one of them? Click here, and in 10 questions find out. Once you see how your nonprofit measures up, visit the Reimagining Service website to learn more about the research as well as access tools and resources to maximize your volunteer engagement practices and make the case for investing in effective volunteer practices. http://bit.ly/wDBVmn
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Service Calendars
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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 |
Seasons of Service
January 2012
National Mentoring Month - January
Semester of Service - MLK Day to GYSD
No Name Calling Week - January 23-27
February 2012
African American History Month - February
Digital Learning Day - February 1
Souper Bowl of Caring - February 5
National Green Week - February 6 to April 22
Random Acts of Kindness Week - February 13-19
International Mother Language Day - February 21
National Eating Disorders Awareness Week -
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Song of the Week
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One more in honor of MLK Day: James Taylor - "Shed a Little Light"
"Let us turn our thoughts today
To Martin Luther King
And recognize that there are ties between us
All men and women
Living on the earth
Ties of hope and love
Sister and brotherhood
That we are bound together
In our desire to see the world become
A place in which our children
Can grow free and strong
We are bound together
By the task that stands before us
And the road that lies ahead..."
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The Editors
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 Mike Minks Director of Outreach
and Innovation
Editor-in-Chief @michaelminks |  Danielle Miranda Manager of Outreach
Associate Editor |  Mike Man Manager of Outreach
Associate Editor |
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