Happy International youth Day!

YSA invites you to join us in celebrating International Youth Day 2012!  On this International Youth Day, YSA recognizes the thousands of young people who led 2012 Global Youth Service Day projects in 107 countries, our 2012 GYSD Regional Partners & Country Partners, and our partnership with Disney.

In 2012, YSA's partnership with Disney expanded to reach more young people than ever before and for the first time, YSA ran the Disney Friends for Change Grants program in three languages--English, Spanish and Portuguese. The diversity of projects mirror the diversity of cultures and youth interests around the word, yet they all have one thing in common: young people taking the lead in improving their communities. Read more about YSA and Disney: Finding Friends for Change Around the Globe! 

YSA's partners are also celebrating International Youth Day by hosting conversations on Twitter:  

IDB Youth wants to have a conversation with young social innovators and agents of change. Join IDB Youth in celebrating International Youth Day 2012 on Twitter by sharing your ideas, opinions, thoughts with @BIDJuventud on August 13, 2012, from 10am to 11am EST. www.iadb.org/IDBinnovators  

In honor of International Youth Day, CIPE (@cipeglobal) and Atlas Corps (@atlascorps) invite you to join them for a week of Twitter chats starting August 13, 2012 on the theme of "Building a Better World: Partnering with Youth." They'll will be bringing together young thinkers, reformers, activists, and entrepreneurs from around the world to discuss how young people can participate in the development of democracy and become effective agents for political and economic change. http://www.atlascorps.org/blog/?p=1200   

Connect with YSA

YSA Funding Partners

News From the Field

Register Your 9/11 National Day of Service & Remembrance Projects 

It's time to register your service projects into the national database for the 9/11 Day Observance.
If you're planning a project for 9/11, or want to list other opportunities around that time, please take a moment to register your project on All For Good and VolunteerMatch. Please include '9/11' in the project headline and description (and/or keywords). This will ensure that your opportunity will be included on the new 911day.org site when it launches in mid-August. Millions of people are expected to visit the site, and we want them to volunteer with you! 

Support the Campaign for a Presidential Youth Council

In July, U.S. Congressman John B. Larson -- Chairman of the House Democratic Caucus and fourth-ranking Democrat in the House of Representatives -- introduced H.J.Res 115, a bi-partisan resolution calling for the establishment of a Presidential Youth Council. Now we need your help. Ask your Member of Congress to sign on as a co-sponsor and show that Representative Larson is not alone in supporting the Presidential Youth Council. Take action now and show the President and the nation that you support the call for a Presidential Youth Council. http://bit.ly/NmAq1c  

Call for Nominations: Youth Leadership Institute National Youth Ambassadors

Grants & Awards 

National Child Awareness Month Youth Ambassador Program

Organizations in the states listed below are invited to nominate young people, ages 16 to 22, for the National Child Awareness Month Youth Ambassador program. The program challenges youth to create large-scale service projects, and includes training in Washington, D.C.; a $1,000 grant; and ongoing project support. For more information or to nominate a young person, visit www.YSA.org/grants/NCAM  

YSA is seeking applications from young leaders in 12 states to fill open spots for the program: Alabama, Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Michigan, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont, Wisconsin, and Wyoming. If you are interested in applying, please e-mail outreach@ysa.org. 

Gladys Marinelli Coccia Award

Deadline: September 30

YSA is accepting nominations for the Gladys Marinelli Coccia Award, recognizing two exceptional young people, ages 13 to 22, who are actively engaged in social entrepreneurship and in leading sustainable social change. Social entrepreneurs apply business practices to achieve positive social change and measure their success through their social impact. Two honorees will be selected to receive $2,000 to support their social enterprise and receive resources and technical assistance from YSA. Nominees must be between the ages 13 and 22 at the time of nomination and be located in United States. One of the two honorees will be selected from the Washington, D.C. or West Virginia region. www.YSA.org/grants/coccia-awards    

Year Up Paid Internship Program

Deadline: August 31

Year Up is a one-year, intensive training program that provides low-income young adults with a combination of hands-on skill development, college credits, and corporate internships. Year Up is currently recruiting for its competitive year-long program, which provides youth a paid internship, earning up to $280 per week while learning technical, financial, and professional skills. Participants are placed in six-month corporate internships with Fortune 500 companies. The program is open to people ages 18-24 with a high school diploma or a GED. Year Up sites are located in Atlanta, Baltimore, Boston, Chicago, DC, New York City, Providence, Puget Sound, and the San Francisco Bay Area.  http://bit.ly/MlMwKr  

DoSomething.org Seed Grants

Deadline: Ongoing

Are you working to start a community action project or program with your friends? Do you need money to put your ideas into action? A $500 Do Something Seed Grant is given out every week to help young people just like YOU! These grants can be used towards project ideas and programs that are just getting started, or to jump-start your program and realize your ideas for the first time. These grants can also be used towards projects that are already developed and sustainable, towards the next steps of your project and organization to help you as you look to expand your project and grow your impact. http://bit.ly/PQYfTr     

   

Resources & Trainings

Lights On Afterschool Event Planning Guide

On October 18, more than 1 million people will gather at some 7,500 sites across the country and at U.S. military bases worldwide to rally in support of the afterschool programs that help working families, keep kids safe and inspire them to learn. The Event Planning Guide includes a planning timeline and checklist, event ideas, sample materials, and ways to use your Lights On Afterschool event to make afterschool an election issue in the weeks leading up to the 2012 elections. http://bit.ly/RjjxEx   

Webinar: generationOn Schools Orientation

Thursday, August 16 at 4:00pm Eastern

Get started with generationOn Schools by participating in a free 30-minute Orientation webinar. Get an overview of the generationOn Schools program, learn how to access teaching resources and become a member of an international community of service-learning educators. http://bit.ly/S5LArm  

"Youth Civic Engagement Field Internationally: Assessment and Strategic Directions"

Against the backdrop of growing youth unemployment rates and youth disaffection with limited social and civic opportunities worldwide and growing interest in the field of youth service, Innovations in Civic Participation - secretariat of IANYS - convened a conference in Bellagio, Italy this past March.  This conference brought together leaders in the field of youth service to reflect on the opportunities and needs for global leadership on youth service, as well as to consider how the existing IANYS network can be leveraged to help strengthen leadership in the field of youth service.   
The details of the conference can be found in this report: http://bit.ly/ME0wdG 

Social Media SparkNotes: Quick Tips, Infographics Style

Craig Van Korlaar, social entrepreneur and founder of Top NonProfits, has provided yet another great blog post to geek out on. In this case, it's a "two-fer": social media and infographics in one.  In this appealing visual that's easily printable and sharable, Van Korlaar lays out the ground rules of social media for nonprofits for everyone from newbies to seasoned experts. Check out how prominently "understanding your audience" is featured. Clearly, it's a critical first step in any successful social media strategy, but it's one that's often ignored or glossed-over in guides and best practices. Before putting any of great tips to work, it's essential to know who you are trying to reach and why. http://bit.ly/PI8J0N  

Service Calendars

Conferences & Events

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  

24th Annual National Service-Learning Conference 

March 13-15, 2013 - Denver, CO 

Seasons of Service

August 2012 
International Youth Day - August 12  

September 2012
Hunger Action Month - September
International Literacy Day - September 8
National Day of Service and Remembrance - September 11
National Hispanic Heritage Month - September 15-October 15
Constitution Day - September 17
International Day of Peace - September 21 

Song of the Week

Jack Johnson - "Good People"

  

 

     

"

The Editor