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March 15, 2012
Volume 19, No. 11
Circulation: 40,100
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Register and Share
Your GYSD Projects
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Register your GYSD project by April 1 to qualify to win a Jefferson Award. www.GYSD.org/register
Founded in 1972 by Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, Senator Robert Taft, Jr and Sam Beard, the Jefferson Award has become the Nobel Prize for volunteerism and community service.
Your efforts with the Global Youth Service Day can win you a Jefferson Award! When you register your GYSD project at www.GYSD.org/register by April 1 you are automatically entered into the Youth Service Challenge. The top prize is a trip for two students and one chaperone to the 40th Anniversary Gala in Washington, DC this June. Cash prizes are being awarded for best projects in multiple categories including health and wellness, hunger, the environment, and more! Other prizes include local and national celebrity visits. www.youthservicechallenge.org
After you register your GYSD project, share it with the world!
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Connect with YSA
  
YSA Funding Partners
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Global Youth Service Day - April 20-22, 2012
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Community Health Index Webinar
Tuesday, March 20 @ 3:00pm Eastern
The National Conference on Citizenship (NCoC) and YSA will be hosting a webinar on March 20 to provide information about how to better engage communities and build substantive, data-driven programs using Community Health Indexes. These indexes are the result of partnerships around the country that have produced reports, infographics and initiatives to inform public policy, develop community-based programs, and direct resources and investments. Register for the webinar at http://bit.ly/xjgyR2
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Register your GYSD project or event at www.GYSD.org/register
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News From the Field
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Happy 100th Anniversary to the Girl Scouts!
On March 12, Girl Scouts of the USA celebrated 100 years of building girls of courage, confidence and character who make the world a better place. Today, Girl Scouts of the USA has a membership of over 3.2 million girls and adults in every residential zip code and in 90 countries. Nearly 60 million living women in the U.S. today are Girl Scout alumnae. To focus national attention on girls and the issues they face, Girl Scouts of the USA has announced ToGetHerThere, the largest, boldest advocacy and fundraising cause dedicated to girls' leadership in the nation's history. The multi-year effort will seek to create balanced leadership - the equal representation of women in leadership positions in all sectors and levels of society - within one generation. http://bit.ly/zCRGO7
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2012 President's Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll
This week, the Corporation for National and Community Service and the U.S. Department of Education honored the nation's leading colleges and universities, students, and faculty members, and staff for their commitment to bettering their communities through community service and service learning.
Five higher education institutions received the Presidential Award of the 2012 President's Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll, the highest federal recognition a college or university can receive for its commitment to community service. The five awardees are Carson-Newman College, Miami University, North Carolina State University, Seattle University, and the University of Pennsylvania. CNCS also named a total of 642 schools to the President's Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll, which recognizes colleges and universities for their impact on issues from literacy and neighborhood revitalization to supporting at-risk youth. http://bit.ly/yVTSO9
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Apply to Serve on GenerationOn National Youth Advisory Council
Are you a young person or do you know a young person (13-18 years old) who is passionate about service and would make a great leader? GenerationOn will be accepting applications for its next National Youth Advisory Council in mid-March. This is a unique opportunity for twelve middle and high school students from diverse backgrounds across the nation to participate in a service-learning and leadership development program within generationOn. Applications will be accepted through April 10th, 5pm EDT. http://bit.ly/wnqowN
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Campus Champions of Change
Today at the White House, President Obama stopped by a White House Champions of Change event honoring five young leaders for outstanding leadership on their college campuses, chosen by the public for their projects that embody the President's goal to win the future. Watch the President's remarks at http://1.usa.gov/xwR7c3
Learn more about the five winners and the runners-up at: http://bit.ly/xQv9lD The five winning projects will be featured by mtvU and MTV Act and be given the opportunity to host an episode of mtvU's signature program, "The Dean's List" in the near future.
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Grants & Awards
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Disney Friends for Change - Latin America Grants
Deadline: April 22
Disney Friends for Change - Latin America Grants offer young change-makers an opportunity to receive a $1,000 grant for a youth-led service project that demonstrates youth leadership, creativity, and the commitment to making a positive impact on the environment. Youth ages 5-18 located in Latin America are eligible to apply for a $1,000 grant. http://bit.ly/wYeWdb
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State Farm Cause An Effect Grants
Deadline: March 20
Across the United States and Canada, State Farm is searching for people who want to Cause An Effect by bringing $25,000 to their communities. From February 29 through March 20, people can visit the Cause An Effect tab on the State Farm Facebook page to submit a Cause and help build safer, stronger, better educated communities. The State FarmŽ Youth Advisory Board will accept 3,000 submissions, and will select 100 finalists. Then your votes will decide which 40 get a $25,000 grant to help Cause An Effect. http://on.fb.me/AwSKFf
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Pearson Prize for Higher Education
Deadline: March 28
The Pearson Foundation is proud to present the Pearson Prize for Higher Education, an award meant to identify students who are giving back to the college community and to help them continue their service while in school. The Pearson Foundation is awarding Pearson Prize National Fellowships to 20 students in recognition of their commitment to local communities. Students that attend an accredited community college, undergraduate school, or university in the United States, who have completed at least one year of studies prior to the start of the application, and who are leaders in their community should consider applying. http://bit.ly/wGvlde
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AT&T Aspire Local High School Impact Initiative Grants
Deadline: April 27
The AT&T Aspire Local High School Impact Initiative RFP is focused on high school success and college and career readiness programs that will maintain AT&T's commitment to support local organizations that are delivering results that help reduce the dropout rates in their communities. The 2012 Local Impact RFP will provide project support for currently operating high school retention programs comprised of elements aligned to the What Works Clearinghouse Dropout Prevention Practice Guide. Project support is intended for organizations that are ready and capable of operating by the first semester of the 2012/13 school year. Payments ranging from $100,000 to $300,000 for 24 months are available. http://bit.ly/z6gKdp
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Everyday Young Heroes
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Megan Churchman
El Paso, TX
YSA recognizes 21-year-old Megan Churchman of El Paso, Texas as an Everyday Young Hero for her work to support Cameroonian orphans.
Three years ago, Megan went on her first trip to Cameroon to volunteer with Cry Cameroon's Harvest Children's Home, an orphanage that cares for children who have lost their parents to AIDS-related illnesses. Since her first trip in 2009, Megan has volunteered every summer at the children's home, working to empower the orphans by providing them with a basic education and helping prepare them to be part of the local workforce through occupational training in sewing and construction. She has raised more than $15,000 to support various projects at the orphanage and recruited 15 volunteers to assist her in efforts. She has created a nutritional program for hundreds of children, painted facilities, repaired schools, taught English and sewing classes, distributed clothing, and built under-bed storage drawers and a new kitchen during her volunteer trips. Megan has engaged her community in her projects, working with local businesses and artists to get donations for fundraisers and with local media and the Mayor of El Paso to raise awareness about her work in Cameroon. In addition to her work with Cry Cameroon, Megan also volunteers with Casas por Cristo, a non-profit that builds homes for the homeless in Juarez, Mexico, and serves as a Girl Scout troop leader for homeless girls at a local shelter. For her dedication to providing support for AIDS orphans, we honor Megan 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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New Research Affirms Lifetime Benefits of Girls' Participation in Girl Scouting
According to a new Girl Scout Research Institute report, Girl Scouting Works: The Alumnae Impact Study, women who were Girl Scouts as children display significantly more positive life outcomes than non-Girl Scout alumnae. Approximately one in every two adult women (49%) in the U.S. has at some point been a member of Girl Scouts; the average length of time a girl spends in Girl Scouting is four years. Of Girl Scout alumnae who are mothers, 66% have been a mentor/volunteer in their child's youth organization, compared to 48% of non-alumnae mothers. 77% of alumnae vote regularly, compared to 63% of non-alumnae. http://bit.ly/ylZ1rP
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Water Planet Challenge Hot Topics
EarthEcho International is pleased to introduce Hot Topics. A new resource on the Water Planet Challenge site, Hot Topics are monthly interviews with individuals providing in-depth information on stories at the forefront of today's news. The inaugural Hot Topic looks at the one year anniversary of the earthquake and tsunami that devastated the Northeast coastal region of Japan. What happened at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant on March 11, 2011? And what about the marine debris expected to arrive on the coastlines of the United States and Canada? EarthEcho presents two Hot Topic interviews and supporting video and print resources to help educators, students, and families better understand the situation in the wake of the Fukushima Daiichi Accident: Nuclear Energy with Susan Hess of AREVA, and Marine Debris with Nicholas Mallos of Ocean Conservancy. http://bit.ly/Azm3oc
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GenerationOn Webinar - More than Celebration: Spotlight on Demonstration
Thursday, March 22nd, 3:30 - 4:30 pm Eastern
Join generationOn for this free webinar exploring the fifth stage of the IPARD/C service-learning process - Demonstration/Celebration. Explore how to move beyond celebration to meaningful demonstration. This webinar is part of a bi-monthly webinar series designed especially for educators in which presenters dig deeper into the steps of service-learning. http://bit.ly/zRmdZE
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Japan, One Year On @ WKCD
Next Generation Press and What Kids Can Do (WKCD) - a U.S.-based nonprofit that supports youth voices, vision, and learning across the globe - have launched a one-of-a-kind campaign to renew education and spirit in two Japanese villages joined by loss. As sponsors and publishers of Art and Life in Rural Japan: Toho Through the Eyes of Its Youth, they are donating $5 USD from every book purchase to Katariba - an NGO led by Japanese youth whose passion is to rebuild education in Onagawa and other places like it. http://bit.ly/xZuzpQ
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Service Calendars
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Conferences & Events
Building a Grad Nation Summit March 18-21, 2012 - Washington, DC 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
March 2012
Best Buddies Month - March
Youth Art Month - March
National Nutrition Month - March
Great American Cleanup - March 1 - May 31
World Book Day - March 1
Read Across America Day - March 2
Teen Tech Week - March 4-10
International Women's Day - March 8
Girl Scout Week - March 11-17
Absolutely Incredible Kid Day - March 15
Areyvut Make a Difference Day - March 16-18
National Wildlife Week - March 19-25
World Water Day - March 22
National Youth Violence Prevention Week -
March 19-23
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Song of the Week
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Yael Naim - "New Soul"
"I'm a new soul
I came to this strange world
Hoping I could learn a bit about how to give and take.
But since I came here
Felt the joy and the fear
Finding myself making every possible mistake
I'm a young soul in this very strange world
Hoping I could learn a bit bout what is true and fake.
But why all this hate?
Try to communicate
Finding trust and love is not always easy to make."
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The Editor
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 Mike Minks Director of Outreach and Innovation
Editor-in-Chief @michaelminks |
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