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February 9, 2012
Volume 19, No. 6
Circulation: 40,100
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GEt Your GYSD 2012 Apparel!
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 Are you planning a service project or celebration event for Global Youth Service Day - April 20-22, 2012? Order your GYSD 2012 apparel today!
The deadline to order GYSD 2012 apparel is 8am CST, March 6, 2012. At that time the store will be turned off and production will start. All orders will be processed and delivered to you no later than April 13, 2012.
Are you looking for items that feature your organization or sponsor? All of the items featured in the store are available for customization. http://GYSD.nationalservicegear.org
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Connect with YSA
  
YSA Funding Partners
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News From the Field
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10 Ways to Get Ur Good On with Love and Kindness
With Valentine's Day and Random Acts of Kindness Week both happening this month, now is the perfect time to spread some love! There are many easy ways for young people to spread love and kindness-from volunteering at an animal shelter to funding a clean water project in a developing nation. Find more great ideas in our "10 Ways to Get Ur Good On with Love and Kindness" list. http://bit.ly/xYQSU0
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Green Your School Challenge
Got what it takes to be greener than the competition? Join DoSomething.org's Green Your School Challenge and lead your school in green projects. Register your school to take part in the challenge. Get your friends to sign up too. Browse projects ideas for your school to tackle to increase recycling, save energy, promote green agriculture, and more. Report back on your completed projects to be judged by our panel of celebrity and expert judges. http://dsorg.us/gB5fWR
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generationOn Project of the Month: Words Into Action
During Black History Month, we honor the achievements of African Americans in science, politics, business, arts, sports, and literature. Because the achievements of African Americans were once ignored by history, this month is an opportunity to give voice to people and ideas that were muted in their own time. generationOn's challenge this month is to celebrate diversity through advocacy, which means "the act of supporting a cause." You can do this by lending your voice to the words of famous African-American advocates and turning those words into positive action. http://bit.ly/wyXiMA
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AmeriCorps Week: March 10-18
Each year during AmeriCorps Week, we recognize the commitment of AmeriCorps members and alums by highlighting the extraordinary impact AmeriCorps makes across our nation every day. This year, AmeriCorps Week will take place March 10 - March 18. The theme this year, AmeriCorps Works, communicates the value and effectiveness of AmeriCorps and provides an overarching framework to communicate AmeriCorps' triple bottom line return on investment -- for the recipients of service, the people who serve, and the larger community and nation. Learn how you can highlight your work by using the AmeriCorps Week Impact Guide. http://bit.ly/wkjXqS
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Grants & Awards
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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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CNCS September 11th National Day of Service and Remembrance Grants
Deadline: March 13
The September 11th National Day of Service and Remembrance initiative grants range from approximately $50,000 to $150,000 are made to eligible organizations engaged in service activities that meet vital community needs and honor the sacrifice of those who lost their lives on September 11, 2001 or who rose in service as a result of that tragedy. Available funds for the grant total approximately $500,000. CNCS expects to invest a significant amount of available funding to programs working on two focus areas -Disaster Services and/or Veterans and Military Families plus Capacity Building. Additionally, CNCS seeks applicants who engage youth, particularly disconnected youth, and where available, veterans and military families in service. http://bit.ly/AC4KPs
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Gloria Barron Prize for Young Heroes
Deadline: April 30
The Gloria Barron Prize for Young Heroes invites nominations for its 2012 awards. The Barron Prize, founded by author T.A. Barron in honor of his mother, celebrates outstanding young leaders ages 8 to 18. Each year, the Barron Prize honors inspiring young people who have made a significant positive difference to people and our planet. Ten winners each receive $2,500 to support their service work or higher education. Nomination deadline is April 30. For more information and to nominate, visit http://bit.ly/edhitj
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State Farm Youth Advisory Board Grants
Deadline: May 4
The State Farm Youth Advisory Board is currently accepting applications for service-learning projects between $25,000 and $100,000 that are designed to create sustainable change in local communities across the United States and Canada. Applying organizations must be a public K-12, charter, or higher education institution; non-profit organizations are also eligible if they are able to demonstrate how they plan to impact student achievement within the public K-12 curriculum. Projects must address the root cause of the following issue areas: Access to Higher Education / Closing the Achievement Gap; Financial Literacy; Community Safety and Natural Disaster Preparedness; Social Health & Wellness Issues; and Environmental Responsibility. http://bit.ly/yMI7gZ
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Everyday Young Heroes
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Jordan Schwartz
Atlanta, GA
YSA recognizes 18 year old Jordan Schwartz of Atlanta, Georgia, as an Everyday Young Heroes for her work to provide opportunities for youth in her community to participate in theater while working to bridge language and cultural gaps. As a 5th grader at Sedalia Park Charter School, in Georgia, when she was learning Spanish, her community theater experience gave her an idea. Jordan saw a need to bridge the language and cultural gap of ESOL (English Speakers of Other Languages) students and students learning Spanish. She formed the Children's Bilingual Theater, a student run theatrical outreach organization bringing bilingual programming to venues in the metro Atlanta area. Now 18, Jordan's commitment to bridging the language and cultural gaps in her community has brought 200 volunteers together to present six bilingual plays, 15 costumed theatrical storytelling and literacy events, and an anti-bullying campaign puppet production. Through grants, awards and partnerships the shows, Jordan has raised about $50,000 to fund performances and cover expenses. CBT productions have been performed at The Art Place in Marietta, Park Street Elementary, The Margaret Mitchell House, Marietta Sixth Grade Academy, Fernbank Museum, Atlanta Museum of History and Zoo Atlanta to name a few, and productions have reached over 6000 audience members and countless school. Jordan is dedicated to giving a diverse group of young people the theatre experience and offering the benefits of confidence and public speaking in a bilingual setting. Jordan has received various honors for her work, including being selected by Parade magazine and the Points of Light Institute's GenerationOn initiative as a member of the 2011 All-America Service Team. For her work to ensure that youth in her community have access to cross-cultural learning opportunities through participation in theater productions, we honor Jordan 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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generationOn March Moments of Service Webinar
Tuesday, February 14th, 3:30-4:30pm EST Throughout the year, Moments of Service provide opportunities to engage youth in relevant and timely real-world service experiences. Join generationOn for a free, live webinar based around March Moments of Service and you will:
- discover ways students can promote literacy through service as they celebrate March is Reading Month and Dr. Seuss's birthday.
- access resources for engaging youth in conserving and protecting water for World Water Day.
- discuss how to honor Women's Appreciation Month with inspirational stories of women philanthropists and service heroes.
- share your youth service and service-learning ideas and successes with our national member community. Register at http://bit.ly/wCZeKR
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Webinar: Fighting Childhood Obesity and Improving High School Graduation Rates through a Learn and Serve Program
Wednesday, February 15, 3:00 - 4:00 EST
Clemson Cooperative Extension Service in Colleton County, SC has partnered with the Colleton County School District and Eat Smart Move More Colleton County on a Learn & Serve South Carolina grant. The program is engaging middle school students to fight childhood obesity by promoting healthier lifestyles and exercise. The program also seeks to improve high school graduation rates. Join a discussion on how students, community partners, and service learning are promoting academic achievement and youth development in areas such as leadership, team building, job readiness skills, and civic engagement. http://bit.ly/Abcl0F
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H20 for Life WASH in Schools Resources
Are you looking to raise awareness about the global water crisis with your students? H2O for Life provides a transformational service-learning opportunity for students, youth groups, and others to partner with a school in a developing country that desperately needs WAter, Sanitation and Hygiene education (WASH in Schools Initiative). Through service-learning, donor partners study the global water crisis, while taking action to fund a WASH project for their recipient partner school. Watch a student video, check out curriculum information, and find a partnering school at: http://bit.ly/nogeWM
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Making Afterschool an Election Issue
You have the power to make afterschool a key issue in elections at every level -- from presidential to Congressional and local. Whether you have the time and resources to run a coordinated, multi-pronged afterschool issue campaign or you are just looking for some ideas on how to raise the profile of afterschool during election season, the Afterschool Alliance's new Campaign Toolkit can inform your planning, help you assess what you can undertake and hopefully make your job easier. http://bit.ly/zrYLG4
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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
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 -
February 26 - March 3
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Song of the Week
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John Mayer - "Waiting on the World to Change"
"Me and all my friends
We're all misunderstood
They say we stand for nothing and
There's no way we ever could
Now we see everything that's going wrong
With the world and those who lead it
We just feel like we don't have the means
To rise above and beat it
One day our generation
Is gonna rule the population
So we keep on waiting
Waiting on the world to change." |
The Editor
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 Mike Minks Director of Outreach and Innovation
Editor-in-Chief @michaelminks |
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