February 2, 2012

Volume 19, No. 5

Circulation: 39,950

Global Youth Service Day

April 20-22, 2012

In just 77 days, millions of children, teens, and young adults, ages 5-25, in over 100 countries on 6 continents will change the world on Global Youth Service Day.

Youth will serve, educate, advocate, and give to address critical issues including health, education, environment, hunger, poverty, disaster preparedness and response, and human rights.

What problem are you solving? How are you engaging young people in service? Will you commit to telling the world about your service and the power of youth to change the world on Global Youth Service Day - April 20-22, 2012?

Learn more, get planning resources, and register your GYSD project or event at www.GYSD.org

Connect with YSA

YSA Funding Partners

Corporation for National and Community Service

News From the Field

Read Across America Day - March 2

NEA's Read Across America Day takes place each year on or near March 2, the birthday of Dr. Seuss. Across the country, thousands of schools, libraries, and community centers participate by bringing together kids, teens, and books, and you can too! The theme is green for a very special 2012 Read Across America celebration. NEA's Read Across America campaign will showcase the Lorax book as well as NBC/Universal's The Lorax. Whether it's planting a Truffala tree forest, reading garden, or having the Lorax lead your reading parade, don't forget to share your plans for celebrating NEA's Read Across America. (It's a great time for literacy service and service-learning projects!) Learn more at: http://bit.ly/xpfJ2c

Earth Day: Mobilize the Earth

Environmental issues have taken a backseat for world leaders, but the world can't wait. Earth Day 2012 is the catalyst to reignite the movement and make them take notice. Rally. March. Vote. Petition... Join the mobilization on April 22nd. Earth Day is celebrated every year by a billion people and in virtually every country on the planet - the largest civic observance in the world. This year, we'll harness that power. Momentum is already building, with huge events planned in cities around the world. Students can join MobilizeU, an international movement of student environmental activists organizing for Earth Day 2012! (Earth Day - April 22 - coincides with Global Youth Service Day - April 20-22. YSA encourages joint Earth Day and GYSD projects.) http://bit.ly/zt7lLg

Think 2040: A Blueprint for Millennial America

Millennials are the largest generation in American history, and will constitute 33 percent of the eligible electorate by 2016. Millennials nationwide have the potential to dramatically reshape the conversation about America's future. The Roosevelt Campus Network launched Think 2040 - a program that will empower the Millennial generation to reframe the challenges and opportunities facing America and its communities to build toward a better future. The recently released "Blueprint for the Millennial America" presents a millennial-developed policy agenda for 2012, highlighting what big issues will be of their concern in 2012. Learn more about this program, download the blueprint, or plan to host a Think 2040 event: http://bit.ly/zsAXHq

National Service-Learning Conference Registration Deadline February 16

Join the National Youth Leadership Council and youthrive, the Upper Midwest Affiliate of PeaceJam International April 11-14, 2012 at the Minneapolis Convention Center for the largest gathering of the service-learning community and the most comprehensive service-learning professional development opportunity in the world! The regular registration deadline is February 16. Learn more and register at http://nslc.nylc.org

Grants & Awards

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

Let's Play Maintenance Grants

Deadline: February 29

Thanks to generous support from Dr Pepper Snapple Group, KaBOOM! will be awarding grants of $750 each to communities this year who wish to make their playgrounds cleaner, safer and more inviting. The Let's Play Spruce grants are designed to reward communities that have maintained and spruced their playspaces since their playground build. If you've done a "spruce up" project at your playground that involved volunteers in the last 6 months, you are eligible to apply. Alternatively, if you are a community that needs to refill the wood fiber playground surfacing at the playground, you can apply for $750 to be used towards the purchase of the surfacing. http://bit.ly/zteju2

Let's Play Community Construction Grants

Deadline: March 16

Dr Pepper Snapple & KaBOOM! are excited to offer $15,000 Let's Play Playground Construction Grants to qualifying organizations within the U.S. wishing to build brand new playgrounds using the KaBOOM! community-build model. Grantees will plan their project, and share best practices and challenges through the KaBOOM! website. For more information on eligibility requirements and how to apply, visit www.kaboom.org/grants

Special Olympics Project Unify Grants

Deadline: Rolling through May 31

The goal of Project UNIFY is to activate youth around the country to develop school communities where all young people are agents of change - fostering respect, dignity, and advocacy with and for people with intellectual disabilities by utilizing the programs and initiatives of Special Olympics. To be eligible, you must be between the ages of 12 to 20, or a current undergraduate student in college. A Special Olympics North America program is required to be your main partner organization. Projects must demonstrate the core essence of service-learning. Budgets for projects can range from $100 to $5,000. http://bit.ly/wQUgJV

Everyday Young Heroes

Erik Douds

South Orange, NJ

YSA recognizes 20 year old Erik Douds of South Orange, New Jersey, as an Everyday Young Heroes for his commitment to making life better for children with diabetes.

Erik was diagnosed with juvenile diabetes when he was 16 and his life changed when his doctors recommended he try an insulin pump. Erik realized how fortunate he was to benefit from this invaluable device, but he realized that many families were unable to afford an insulin pump and costly diabetes supplies. Determined to help other children access vital diabetes treatments, he started "The Erik Douds Childhood Diabetic Fund". This foundation is devoted to providing financial aid to NJ families who can't afford insulin pumps and is managed by St. Barnabas Hospital in Livingston, New Jersey.

Initially Erik raised money on his own by selling candy at his high school, Seton Hall Prep in New Jersey but with pumps costing $5000.00, Erik knew he would need to engage other people in assisting him to raise money. On his eighteenth birthday, Erik decided to turn his birthday party into a fundraising event and collected around $1,000 dollars for the foundation. He also received a sizable donation of $2,500 dollars from New Jersey's Lions Club. Erik is currently a student at Colby College in Maine and he is planning on expanding his Foundation's outreach, programming and fundraising to Maine.

For his work to ensure that children with pediatric diabetes have access to expensive lifesaving treatment and supplies, we honor Erik 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.

Resources & Trainings

YSA No Kid Hungry Guide

Check out YSA's newest resource - the YSA No Kid Hungry Guide. This guide will help youth create and organize a childhood hunger service project; it also provides tips and suggestions on how to get others involved. Download at: http://bit.ly/wk4eWk

NYLC Book of the Month: Growing to Greatness

The National Youth Leadership Council is featuring Growing to Greatness Seven-Volume Set (2004-2010) as the February book of the month. These reports provide synopses of service-learning history and policy in the United States and U.S. territories, profiles of national organizations, and easy-to-read charts and graphs that build the case for service-learning. Now through Feb. 28 you may purchase this resource at a 25% discount. Visit the NYLC bookstore to order your copy: http://ny.lc/eXlzui

Youth Vote in South Carolina, Florida

CIRCLE continues to keep track of young people's participation in the 2012 primaries:

National Literacy Action Week Virtual Conference

Each year, SCALE sponsors National Literacy Action Week (NLAW), during which campus organizations nationwide join together to raise awareness about literacy and create change on their campuses and in their communities. On Saturday, February 4th, SCALE will hold a virtual conference to address and contextualize the new literacy challenges in today's society. This virtual conference includes four exciting presentations, including one by Scott Ganske, YSA's Director of Education! All presentations will be interactive and provide information and resources to support your continued efforts to support literacy and education. http://bit.ly/y39yjM