When Youth Service America was founded 20 years ago, few could imagine today’s landscape of young people volunteering at record rates; service-learning permeating American education from elementary schools to universities; a strong Federal investment that has engaged more than 500,000 AmeriCorps members, millions of students in Learn & Serve America programs; National Youth Service Day morphing from an American event into a global phenomenon engaging millions of young people in more than 100 countries; and communities, governments, and corporations finally realizing that if you do not have a youth engagement strategy, you really have no sustainable strategy at all.

Youth Service America Quarterly

Youth Service America is building a global culture of engaged youth who are committed to a lifetime of service, learning, leadership, and achievement.

Volume 5 Number 1 Spring 2007

Spring Edition 2007

IN THE NUMBERS:

• 55 organizations from across the United States and Canada were selected at Lead Agencies for National & Global Youth Service Day 2007 engaging more than 150,000 youth and adults. The organizations range from non-profit organizations such as City Year and United way; to universities like Wayne State and the University of Nebraska; and state commissions in Illinois, Montana, and Nebraska.
• 200 people attended the Youth Service Institute in New Orleans in December 2006.
• We have 116 National Partners supporting N & GYSD so far, 5 National Partners are holding signature events in collaboration with N & GYSD, and 10 National Partners are providing their own grants for N & GYSD service projects.
• We’ve had 13,860 hits to the National Youth Council blog in past 5 months and have 12 National Youth Council Members
• There has been a 3,000 members’ increase in the Advocacy subscription list. Members are informed about and encouraged to use advocacy resources and action alerts in preparation for National & Global Youth Service Day.
• 49 states have projects listed on the N & GYSD US map. More than 200 projects are registered.
• There are more than 200 organizations from more than 83 countries registered so far for this year's Global Youth Service Day celebrations.
• Since November 2006, the Grants Department at YSA has awarded 100 State Farm Good Neighbor Service-Learning grants, 3 Harris Wofford Award winners, 10 Aiken Able-to-Serve grants, 73 Disney Minnie Grants, 11 Lion in the House grants, 23 Red, White & Green, 15 Capital One, and 16 YouthRising grants for a total of approximately $201,800 and 551 grants.

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YOUTH SERVICE INSTITUTE: BUILDING THE MOVEMENT LAUNCHES IN NEW ORLEANS

The 2006 Youth Service Institute -- sponsored by the U.S. Department of Justice, State Farm Companies Foundation, and the Corporation for National & Community Service -- united approximately 200 colleagues from the service, service-learning, and youth development fields for three days of skill-building and innovation. Participants from all over the United States came together in New Orleans on Dec. 4-7, 2006, to gain tools and strategies to expand their organization's impact and scale for National & Global Youth Service Day and year-round programming.

The two and a half-day Institute featured six plenary sessions, 20 workshops, and three networking sessions.  The Institute focused on four themes: engaging youth effectively, managing for scale, developing inclusively, and promoting sustainability.  Speakers included representatives from national organizations such as Boys and Girls Clubs, the National 4-H Council, NYLC, the National Service-Learning Partnership, and the Constitutional Rights Foundation, as well as state Youth Court representatives, various N & GYSD Lead Agencies, and Gulf area leaders in hurricane relief efforts. 

Overall satisfaction ratings from participants were very high, with 99% of respondents reporting interest in attending next year's Institute.  One participant said the Institute was, “The most positive and forward-looking conference that I have ever attended!!”

To learn more about the Youth Service Institute, please go to: http://www.ysa.org/institute.

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GLOBAL YOUTH SERVICE DAY IS BUILDING STEAM TO BECOME BIGGEST IN 2007

More than 200 organizations from more than 83 countries have registered so far for this year's Global Youth Service Day celebrations. Some exciting plans for GYSD 2007 include:

• In Zambia, Bonpaul – Youth in Action is organizing a clean-up project at local elderly care facilities, and is coordinating an HIV/AIDS sensitization workshop, with the goal of making sure communities and their young citizens are more aware of the dangers of HIV/AIDS and that young people with HIV/AIDS are not stigmatized.
• Young people in Iran are going to coordinate community beautification campaigns in 57 local villages and will learn about the importance of recycling and environmental problems stemming from pollution. These projects will be organized by the Center for Advancement of Rural Women.
• Alumni from the US State Dept's Global Youth Leadership and Service (GYLS) exchange student program are planning orphanage assistance and education work in Afghanistan. The GYLS initiative seeks to build the capacity of its participants to become stronger leaders in their communities through service-learning and civic participation.
• ICC member One World Youth Project (OWYP) is coordinating an MDG Awareness Day to coincide with GYSD 2007. The day will be celebrated by OWYP members in several countries, and is an example of a trend where international organizations mobilize their country chapters around a specific theme in more than one country.
• Inter-American Development Bank celebrates GYSD: At the request of President Luis Alberto Moreno, the Bank’s annual meeting in Ciudad de Guatemala will again include a youth service project within the framework of Global Youth Service Day. President Moreno will participate affirming his support for youth service as a strategy to address socio-economic development. Please visit www.gysd.org and read President Moreno’s endorsement of volunteerism and GYSD.
• In South Africa, GYSD will be led by the National Youth Service Unit within the office of the Presidency. The agency plans to involve 20,000 youth in projects focused on agriculture, safety and security and the environment and departments at the highest level of government as well as national and multi-lateral NGOs have committed their support.
• For more information, please go to: www.GYSD.org.

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THE OUTREACH DEPARTMENT EXPANDED ITS REACH THROUGH PARTNERSHIPS AND CAMPAIGNS

The Youth Service America Outreach Department has been actively seeking strategic partners for National & Global Youth Service Day with new and deeper relationships forged with the March of Dimes Youth Program, Ripple Kids, Rock Corps, the National Library of Medicine Exhibition Program, The Campus Kitchens Project, the National Association of Student Councils, the National League of Cities, Newspaper Association of America, National Geographic Education & Children’s Programs, Peace Child International, and the Earth Charter Initiative.

YSA also joined several important campaigns including:

• the Hands on Network Corporate Service Council (CSC); a coalition of organizations committed to increasing the number of Americans who volunteer by 10%;
• the We Are Family Campaign which seeks to promote cultural diversity and acceptance; and
• the Brookings Institution International Volunteering Campaign which seeks to double the number of Americans who volunteer abroad every year.

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REACHING OUT, REACHING IN: THE YSA NATIONAL YOUTH COUNCIL PRESSES ON TO PROMOTE YOUTH VOICE

If you ask Branson Heinz, one of the 12 National Youth Council (NYC) members, about the YSA National Youth Council, he’ll tell you, “Being connected to an organization of youth who inspire and challenge other youth from all over the world to stand up, create, and motivate has profoundly affected my life. Each council member has done incredible projects on their own, but each seeks through YSA to unite as a group to do even more. Each of us knows we are only a small piece of the puzzle but we're important to the whole, and most importantly we motivate each other to make a difference!”
The past 4 months have been an exciting time for the NYC, a new blog, and a presence on social networking web sites such as Facebook and MySpace have expanded the reach of the NYC. Fulfilling its purpose of serving as advisors to YSA, the National Youth Council has been actively involved in the planning and outreach for numerous staff projects. The NYC also deepened its relationship with staff through monthly skill-building workshops on topics such as N & GYSD, Communications & Outreach, and Grant Management. The NYC has even connected with YSA’s CEO via pod-cast. The NYC has also been active in advising organizations and individuals that are interested in youth voice, youth leadership, and youth councils and welcomes opportunities to do so.
Several of the NYC members have also been honored recently, including Daniel Feldman of Linwood NJ with the Prudential Spirit of Community Award, Hannah Nemer of Mendota Heights MN with the President’s Volunteer Service Award, and Tara Suri of Scarsdale NY with the Nestle Very Best in Youth award.

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THE YSA YOUTH VENTURE PROGRAM LAUNCHES 36 MORE YOUTH CREATED, YOUTH LED SOCIAL VENTURES

The YSA Youth Venture program is a partnership between Youth Service America and Youth Venture designed to help youth, between the ages of 12 to 20, create sustainable, youth led and run, social entrepreneurships. Starting with a pilot program for NYSD 2004, the program has become a huge success, attracting young innovative leaders. YSA Youth Ventures engage the community, media, and elected officials, to create large scale social change. Today, there are more than 150 YSA Youth Venture teams, over 500 young leaders, who are making every day National & Global Youth Service Day.

YSA Youth Ventures are a diverse group of youth from different communities across the country, addressing various issues of concern through innovative means. YSA Youth Ventures are creating change in 35 states, plus the District of Columbia, from Hawaii to Rhode Island. YSA Youth Ventures are making a difference in their communities:

• The Healthy Life Campaign, led by Michael (17) was created to act upon the alarming trend of childhood obesity in the United States by educating the Cupertino, CA youth population—and ultimately, residents of the California Bay Area and the state of California itself—about the importance of maintaining a healthy, active lifestyle.
• RamonLew (New York, NY), led by Jamila (17), Eric (17), Yolanda (16), Herman (17), Philip (15), Jason (15), Dashawn (14), and Reggie (15) was created to provide hands-on experiential learning for youth who have not been successful in traditional classroom-based settings. RamonLew plans on selling jewelry, clothing, footwear, accessories, artwork and original postcards for very affordable prices. The Venture will also redesign some of the donated clothing like jeans and they will allow the team to gain experience in fashion designing. The RamonLew thrift shop will provide low-income, at-risk youth in the community with an opportunity to benefit from learning entrepreneurship and help emotionally challenged youth develop leadership skills, increase their critical thinking skills and self-esteem due to the hands on training involved. 
• Youth Empowered Solutions (YES!), from Elkins, WVled by Lydia (12), Leah (15), Ben (15) and Duston (18) was launched to create a Youth Recreation Center and Skateboard Park that will serve the youth of Randolph County and the surrounding region. Specifically, the members of YES! are working to acquire land and/or buildings to house a Youth Recreation Center and Skateboard Park.  While these facilities are the long-term goal, youth are acquiring leadership and organizational skills and taking incremental steps that include locating space where they can begin to build Youth Empowered Solutions from the ground up with a strong youth-driven foundation. Potential programming opportunities include development of youth entrepreneurship opportunities that could contribute to the sustainability of the organization and the facilities they want to build.

For more information about the YSA Youth Venture Program and the other ventures happening, please visit www.youthventure.org/ysa.

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GOVERNMENT RELATIONS AT YSA ADVOCATES FOR SERVICE-LEARNING

Youth Service America continues to work as a member of Service-Learning United to advocate on matters of policy and funding for service-learning. The coalition maintains ongoing efforts to restore funding for Learn and Serve America, working with its national network of service-learning advocates and colleagues in Voices for National Service. YSA drafted a document on the coalition’s behalf for submission to the Commission on No Child Left Behind, recommending a series up improvements to more fully incorporate service-learning.  The group has also recently secured funding from the Kellogg Foundation to support state-based service-learning coalitions. Finally, YSA spearheaded an effort to examine the content of the Summer of Service legislation and provide comments to its co-sponsors. YSA has enthusiastically endorsed the bill and is pleased to work with Senator Dodd (D-CT) to publicly roll out the bill in connection with National & Global Youth Service Day.

YSA’s other advocacy achievements include:

• YSA is working with other members of Voices for National Service to provide recommendations to Congress on the reauthorization of the National and Community Service Trust Act.
• Senator Evan Bayh (D-IN) published several opinion articles in Indiana newspapers promoting participation in National & Global Youth Service Day.
• YSA is a participant in the newly formed coalition United Voices for Education, convened by Peter Yarrow of Peter, Paul, and Mary.  The coalition plans to advocate for the “education of the whole child” – meeting the academic as well as the social and emotional needs of students.  The coalition has included service-learning in its charter as a strategy to improve the conditions for learning.

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CMT ONE COUNTRY IS PARTNERING WITH YOUTH SERVICE AMERICA FOR NATIONAL & GLOBAL YOUTH SERVICE DAY 2007

“The Power of One,” the latest campaign by CMT’s (Country Music Television) pro-social initiative, CMT One Country, urges CMT viewers to get involved in their community through civic participation and volunteerism.  CMT One Country is reaching out to CMT fans to let them know about the opportunity to get involved with National & Global Youth Service Day (April 20-22, 2007) events all over the country. CMT One Country also rewards volunteers for making a difference in their communities by giving them the opportunity to win rewards from CMT.  If you want to learn more about CMT One Country and how you can win rewards for the good work you already do, go to www.CMTONECOUNTRY.com. 

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THE GRANTS DEPARTMENT CONTINUES TO EXPAND IN ALL AREAS

Not only has the department witnessed an increase in the quantity of grants programs offered, applications have also gone up as well as the diversity of applicants. To help facilitate the ever-expanding grants programs, a record six grant review sessions have been held since November, which train outside reviewers to evaluate and score grant applications. As a result, almost 100 people have taken part. In addition, as the grant programs increase, so does the opportunity to engage new audiences around important issues. Through the YouthRising grant program, youth who are considered at-risk for gang involvement were involved in service, while the Lion in the House Community Service Grants targeted the issues of pediatric cancer. Future developments include an online Grant Management Software program that will allow applicants to apply online, as well as have the ability to enlist grant evaluators and reviewers remotely.

We would also like to highlight the contributions from our sponsors of GYSD:

• Thanks to the The Walt Disney Company, organizations around the world are being selected to receive $500 grants to organize projects engaging 5 to 14 year old children as volunteers. The Walt Disney Company is also contributing $2,000 to a National Lead Agency in China, India, and Russia to support their planning efforts. The National Lead Agency selected in India is the People's Institute for Development and Training; and in Russia, the Russian Volunteer Development Center of IAVE in partnership with Sozidaniye Foundation will continue to lead the activities in their country. We are still seeking a National Lead Agency in China.
• We are also delighted to share with you the very important news that the State Farm Companies Foundation is now supporting Global Youth Service Day through $2,000 planning grants to four organizations in Canada. Volunteer Canada, a long time and very successful National Lead Agency will be the main convener, along with three Local Organizations that will organize events in Alberta, Ontario, and New Brunswick.

For more information, visit www.YSA.org/awards.

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