Over $170,000 in YSA Grants Available for K-12 Schools

YSA Grants: Supporting Student Achievement

Thank you to all educators for another great school year filled with service and learning!  

To help you get excited and prepared for next school year, YSA is currently accepting applications for two of our 2012-2013 K-12 school grant programs, including:

• State Farm Good Neighbor Student Achievement Grants - $1,500 grants for programs enhancing student achievement through a service-learning "Semester of Service" in K-12 public schools in all fifty US states, the District of Columbia, and in the Canadian provinces of Alberta, Ontario and New Brunswick.
• Sodexo Foundation School Engagement Grants - $5,000 grants to engage teachers and students, grades K-12, in learning about and addressing childhood hunger in their community through the Semester of Service™ framework.  

Learn more about these and other YSA Grants programs, and access the applications at www.YSA.org/grants   

Connect with YSA

YSA Funding Partners

News From the Field

White House Council for Community Solutions Releases Final Report

On Monday the White House Council for Community Solutions released their final report to President Obama. To create Community Solutions for Opportunity Youth they recommended the development of successful cross-sector community collaborations, the creation of shared national responsibility and accountability, the engagement of youth as leaders in the solution, and the building of more robust on-ramps to employment. In the youth as leaders section they called on President Obama to create a Presidential Youth Council. Read the full report at  http://1.usa.gov/MNW3KQ  and sign up to get involved with the Campaign for a Presidential Youth Council at http://bit.ly/JQKZ96  

Service Success Stories

Several pieces of good news to share this week:

• 135 energetic, inventive young people submitted their ideas for creating jobs and connecting youth to education through the SparkOpportunity Challenge. More than 10,000 votes were cast in just 10 days, and the winners were announced this week at the White House.  http://bit.ly/HvA70A  

• Ten high schools in the United States and Canada have been chosen as leader schools in teen driver safety by NYLC's Project Ignition. These leader schools receive funding to continue their programs next school year and to attend next year's National Service-Learning Conference. http://bit.ly/LGalZ2 

Voices for National Service Capitol Hill Day - July 11, 2012 in Washington, DC

As the fiscal year 2013 budget debate heats up, there will be tremendous pressure to cut federal spending. Unfortunately, many Members of Congress still don't recognize the connection between funding for the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) and the important work CNCS-supported organizations are doing in their state and district. As a result, CNCS will be targeted for cuts.  On July 11th, Voices for National Service will host their annual Capitol Hill Day to help make those critical connections. Through a coordinated day of congressional office visits, they will try to visit every Congressperson and outline what's at stake in their communities if CNCS funds are cut or eliminated. Please join us for the Voices for National Service Capitol Hill Day. Register early to secure your place. Registration will close on June 25th. http://bit.ly/LxhaOv  

• GenerationOn recognized six youth, ages 8-16 as 2012 Hasbro Community Action Heroes.  http://bit.ly/JQMjce  

• A major new study by CIRCLE, Pathways into Leadership: A Study of YouthBuild Graduates, shows that a significant number of YouthBuild graduates go on to become leaders in their careers and communities.  http://bit.ly/MNYn4B  

• A new Knight Foundation report finds that KaBOOM! playground build projects help volunteers and local organizations cultivate the skills, confidence and inspiration to get more involved in their communities. KaBOOM!: Playgrounds that Build Communities provides lessons for groups seeking to engage volunteers in community change efforts. http://bit.ly/MNYRYo   

Grants & Awards 

Global Youth Service Day Lead Agency Grants

Deadline: July 15

YSA and State Farm are proud to support up to 100 Global Youth Service Day Lead Agencies for GYSD 2013 (April 26-28, 2013). GYSD Lead Agencies are local, regional, or statewide organizations across the United States, and the Canadian provinces of Alberta, Ontario, or New Brunswick that lead GYSD in their city, region, or state. Lead Agencies convene a coalition of at least 10 partner organizations that collectively engage at least 600 youth volunteers in service on GYSD, engage local media and elected officials, and plan a high profile signature project or celebration of service. GYSD Lead Agencies will receive a $2,000 grant provided by State Farm, a travel stipend to attend the Youth Service Institute, and ongoing training and technical assistance from YSA.  www.YSA.org/grants/leadagency   

Sodexo Foundation Lead Organizer Grants

Deadline: July 15

Sodexo Foundation Lead Organizers will work with 10 or more partner organizations to engage at least 600 youth volunteers in learning about and addressing the issue of childhood hunger in their communities, beginning during National Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week, November 10-17, 2012, and continuing through Global Youth Service Day, April 26-28, 2013. Sodexo Foundation Lead Organizers will also build new partnerships in their community and increase public awareness about the issue of childhood hunger and young people's role in solving the problem. Up to 12 organizations will receive $2,000 grants as well as travel and lodging expenses for the Youth Service Institute provided by the Sodexo Foundation. www.YSA.org/grants/SodexoLeadOrganizer   

MLK Day Lead Organizer Grants

Deadline: July 15

YSA and CNCS  are proud to support up to 16 MLK Day Lead Organizers to coordinate Martin Luther King Day of Service (January 21, 2013) activities. The goal of the MLK Day Lead Organizers program is to engage youth and adult volunteers on Martin Luther King Day of Service by encouraging families to serve together. MLK Day Lead Organizers will convene a coalition of at least 10 partner organizations that collectively engage at least 3,000 youth and adult volunteers in service on MLK Day, including projects that both engage and serve veterans and military families. MLK Day Lead Organizers will receive a $4,000 grant as well as ongoing training and technical assistance from YSA. www.YSA.org/grants/MLKDay                 

Sodexo Foundation School Engagement Grants - $5,000

Deadline: July 15

Sodexo Foundation School Engagement grantees will engage teachers and students, grades K-12, in learning about and addressing childhood hunger in their community through a service-learning Semester of Service. The Semester of Service™ framework is designed to engage students in a minimum of 70 hours of service and learning over a period of at least 10 - 14 weeks. This program focuses on the subject areas of civics, social studies and language arts, but may also incorporate other academic areas. The $5,000 grant can be used to support professional development in service-learning (including required training at YSA's Youth Service Institute), project planning and implementation, and demonstration/sharing of outcomes. www.YSA.org/grants/sodexoschool    

State Farm Good Neighbor Student Achievement Grants

Deadline: July 31

YSA and State Farm™ are proud to offer grants of up to $1,500 for programs enhancing student achievement through service-learning in K-12 public schools in all fifty US states, the District of Columbia, and in the Canadian provinces of Alberta, Ontario and New Brunswick. The State Farm Good Neighbor Student Achievement Grant requires a 12-to-14 week Semester of Service™ starting on MLK Day of Service (January 21, 2013) and ending on Global Youth Service Day, (April 26-28, 2013). The grant also includes participation in a regional training to introduce grantees to the elements and expectations of the program as well as the suite of tools, resources, and support that YSA will provide. www.YSA.org/goodneighbor  

Generations United Youth Jumpstart Grants

Deadline: June 30

Generations United and MetLife Foundation are pleased to announce the 2012 Youth Jumpstart Grants designed to promote intergenerational solutions to societal challenges and build stronger communities. Technical assistance and grants of $1,000 will be awarded to youth and organizations interested in developing youth-led intergenerational programs in their communities. This year, the priority will be funding programs addressing hunger and nutrition. http://bit.ly/mCprqx      

Resources & Trainings

NYLC Webinar: Partnerships, Peace-Building, and Youth Engagement

Wednesday, June 13 @ 12:00pm Central

Join NYLC and youthrive on June 13, 2012 for this webinar to learn about youthrive's model for building youth leaders through peace-building and how you can get involved. youthrive, the Upper Midwest Affiliate of PeaceJam International, is driven by a core group of young people who facilitate programming with support from a youthrive adult. The purpose of this programming is to inspire and engage youth and adults through education, leadership, and service to integrate peace-making activities into their lives, their communities, and the world. In this webinar, participants will learn more about youthrive's trainings such as the Circle of Youth Engagement and PeaceJam. Participants will hear more about the structure of youthrive and have the opportunity to ask questions about youth-adult partnerships and find out ways to get involved in youthrive's programming. http://bit.ly/MgSB8w   

Summer 2012 Service-Learning Professional Development with KIDS Consortium

Join KIDS Consortium this summer and get the tools and ideas you need to plan and implement service-learning experiences with your students! Participants gain an in-depth understanding of the steps in the KIDS service-learning framework; opportunities to experience the activities to be used with  students in the classroom; a wealth of resources and strategies for designing, implementing, and assessing quality service-learning projects with young people; and an implementation plan to take back to the classroom! 

• June 25-29: Salem, Massachusetts 
• July 16-20: Acadia National Park, Maine 
• August 14-17: Montpelier, Vermont 
• August 21-24: New York City

Learn more and register: http://bit.ly/KfuDNs  

MLK Day: A Day On, Not a Day Off

part of Seasons of Service: Engaging Youth in Service-Learning Throughout the Year

These three half-day experiences for developing a Martin Luther King Day event help youth engage in activism at three levels as they also explore the meaning of serving, equity, leadership, and justice through advocacy.  These outlines are part of the free Seasons of Service: Engaging Youth in Service Throughout the Year curriculum, which you can download at http://bit.ly/JoXbjs  

Social Entrepreneurship Toolkit

Check out the newly released Change Inc. Social Entrepreneurship Toolkit, developed by Public Policy Forum in conjunction with TakingITGlobal. Using existing research and program frameworks, the toolkit aims to illustrate social enterprise basics, the economic value of social enterprises, and social enterprise incubators. It provides key ideas and lessons, as well as first hand experiences from young social entrepreneurs, in order to help potential ones address issues ranging from environmental sustainability, to youth enfranchisement. In addition, the toolkit showcases and highlights opportunities, challenges, trends, and further work in social entrepreneurship. Access the report at http://bit.ly/MrjZxg   

Service Calendars

Conferences & Events

National Conference on Volunteering & Service 

June 18-20, 2012 - Chicago, IL    

International Conference on Service-Learning in Teacher Education 

June 21-23, 2012 - Durham, NC  

International Association for Research on Service-Learning and Community Engagement Conference 

September 23-25, 2012 - Baltimore, MD

YSA's Youth Service Institute 

October 17-19, 2012 - Houston, TX  

Summer Changes Everything National Conference 

October 22-24, 2012 - Pittsburgh, PA

People to People International Global Youth Forum
November 7-11, 2012 - Chicago, IL 

Seasons of Service

June 2012
Gay and Lesbian Pride Month - June 
World Day Against Child Labor - June 12
World Blood Donor Day - June 14
World Refugee Day - June 20
National Summer Learning Day - June 21

July 2012
Park and Recreation Month - July
World Population Day - July 11

August 2012
National Kids Day - August 5
National Night Out - August 7
International Day of Worlds' Indigenous Peoples - August 9
International Youth Day - August 12 

Song of the Week

PBS Digital Studios - "Mister Rogers Remixed: Garden of Your Mind" 

"

The Editor