Nominate a Youth Leader or Young Educator for the
2012 Harris Wofford Awards

The Harris Wofford Awards, presented by YSA and proudly sponsored by State Farm, were established in 2002 to honor former Senator Harris Wofford. This award is the highest honor YSA gives each year and recognizes those who do extraordinary work towards achieving Senator Wofford's vision of "making service and service-learning the common expectation and common experience of every young person in America."  

The Harris Wofford Youth Award will be given to a young person (ages 5 -25) who is a legal resident of the U.S. who demonstrates exemplary commitment and action to involve his or her peers in service, youth voice, service-learning, or civic engagement activities. The recipient will receive a $500 award for him/herself and $500 to give to a nonprofit of his or her choice to support program activities as well as travel to the Youth Service Institute. www.YSA.org/grants/harris-wofford-award-youth 

The Harris Wofford Young Educator Award recognizes an extraordinary young teacher and his/her achievements and contributions towards enhancing the practice of high-quality service-learning. The recipient will receive a $500 award for him/herself and $500 for his/her service-learning program as well as travel to the Youth Service Institute. www.YSA.org/grants/harris-wofford-award-educator      

The 2012 Harris Wofford Awards will be presented at the 9th Annual Youth Service Institute on October 17-19, 2012 in Houston, TX.  

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

National Conference on Volunteering and Service Convenes Next Week in Chicago

The National Conference on Volunteering and Service is the largest gathering of its kind, bringing together more than 5,000 service leaders to learn and cultivate new ideas for service, discuss the challenges we all face, and work together to create solutions through the power of people. If you're joining us in Chicago, come see YSA at Booth #504 in the Exhibit Hall. If you're not able to come to Chicago, you can still watch these plenary sessions live:  

Opening Session: A New Generation of Service

4:00 PM - 5:30 PM EDT on Jun 18th, 2012  

Civics and Service: Helping Drive Economies Through Action

11:30 AM - 1:00 PM EDT on Jun 19th, 2012

Celebrating the Power of Service in Education

5:30 PM - 7:00 PM EDT on Jun 19th, 2012

Closing Session: How Citizen Service Strengthens Communities

11:30 AM - 1:00 PM EDT on Jun 20th, 2012 

RSVP for any of these sessions via LiveStream (scroll down and click on "Upcoming Events"):  http://bit.ly/MKMruK  

Father's Day Service Project Idea: DoSomething.org's I Heart Dad Campaign

1 in 3 U.S adults has high blood pressure and doesn't know it. A simple blood pressure test can greatly reduce their risk of heart disease. Tell 5 friends to get their dad's blood pressure tested, and you'll qualify for a $4,000 scholarship

Men are 24% less likely than women to visit the doctor. Sign up, then take your dad to a local drug store or pharmacy (think CVS, Walgreens, Walmart, Rite Aid) to test his blood pressure. Give the gift of a healthy heart! Send us a pic of your dad getting his blood pressure tested, and you'll DOUBLE your chances of winning a $4,000 scholarship! Learn more at: http://bit.ly/Mu4Y1b 

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  

World Summit Youth Award

Deadline: July 16

World Summit Youth Award is seeking nominations for the 2012 Youth Award. This award recognizes young people under the age of 30 from UN member states working to tackle issues in six categories: Fight Poverty, Hunger and Disease;  Education for All;  Power 2 Women;  Create your Culture;  Go Green; and Pursue Truth. The jury will honor up to three winners and two runners-up per category. Finalists will be invited to attend and be honored at the 18th World Congress on Information Technology in Montréal, Canada, from October 22-24.  http://bit.ly/M28wrv        

Resources & Trainings

Ready-Set-Go Resource Guide: Increasing Capacity to Engage Youth & Family Volunteers

Download this guide from generationOn for ideas, best practices, and strategies on building your organization's capacity to engage youth and family volunteers. These concrete strategies are the result of a five-city Ready-Set-Go! pilot and bring together the expertise of more than 20 volunteer managers.  http://bit.ly/M8MCky      

The American Family Assets Study

A groundbreaking national study released today by Search Institute shows how critical outcomes like academic performance, civic engagement, and healthy lifestyles are directly linked to  family strengths. The American Family Assets study creates a new portrait of America's families that focuses on family relationships, rather than family structure. It introduces a new, research-based framework of Family Assets made up of relationships, interactions, opportunities, and values that help families thrive.  http://bit.ly/LI5I3s  

People to People International's Global Youth Forum

November 7-11, 2012 - Chicago, IL 

Have you ever been troubled by a problem in your community, school, or world? Have you wanted to do something to help, but have not known where to start? Then People to People International's 2012 Global Youth Forum (GYF) is for you! The GYF brings together young achievers from around the world to dialogue, share ideas, and develop friendships as they delve in to the conference theme, Serve the World, Save the World. When you leave the GYF, you will be equipped and inspired to create and carry out sustainable service projects at home and abroad. Let us show you that YOU have the power to change the world at the 2012 GYF! Register by June 29 to take advantage of early-bird pricing. http://bit.ly/LXBnuV   

Father's Day Gift Idea: A Good Man; Rediscovering My Father Sargent Shriver

In this intimate portrait of an extraordinary father-son relationship, Mark K. Shriver discovers the moral principles that guided his legendary father Sargent "Sarge" Shriver - founder of the Peace Corps and architect of President Johnson's War on Poverty. Mark discovers notes and letters from Sarge; hears personal stories from friends and family that zero in on the three guiding principles of Sarge's life-faith, hope, and love-and recounts moments with Sarge that now take on new value and poignancy. In the process, Mark discovers much about himself, as a father, as a husband, and as a social justice advocate. A Good Man is an inspirational and deeply personal story about a son discovering the true meaning of his father's legacy. http://on.fb.me/KFfh08  

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 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

My Chemical Romance - "Sing"

My Chemical Romance - SING (Live Acoustic at 98.7FM Penthouse)

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The Editor