Youth Workin' It

Consultancy and Resources for Youth Workers and Organizations Worldwide

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr Day: A Youth Answering ‘Life’s Most Urgent Question’

By Leave a Comment

Image Courtesy of ThePoliticalCat www.kaliamo.blogspot.com

It’s Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day here in the United States. This day remembers the life and sacrifice of Dr. King. His message of racial equality and non-violence changed the landscape of America.

While there is still a long way to go, there was progress made as a direct result of his actions. You can watch Dr. King’s iconic ‘I Have a Dream’ speech here.

Dr. King once said “Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, ‘What are you doing for others?'” In honor of Dr. King’s life, today our Spotlight on Youth celebrates Olivia Stinson who started PEN (Peers Engaged & Networking) Pals Book Club.

After attending her church’s Christmas celebration for children and youth of incarcerated parents, she decided she wanted to do something more. PEN Pals Book Club provides peer mentoring and connections for youth with incarcerated parents and other teens. They also provide educational workshops and literature.

Connect with us by:

  1. Signing up to receive our posts via email
  2. Following us on Twitter
  3. Liking us on Facebook
  4. Signing up to our RSS feed

 

Top Posts of 2011 – #8 Columbus Day 1492 ways to get youth involved in volunteering and charity

By 1 Comment

Originally Posted:  October 10, 2011

In 1492, Columbus sailed the ocean blue… that’s how the little rhyme goes right?  And just to be clear we’re not talking about this Chris Columbus but rather, this one.  Today is Columbus Day in the US and just like on Labor Day we’re going to celebrate by spotlighting some incredible youth and their accomplishments in making the world a better place.

One Goal

  • To make a difference

Four Teens

  • Shannon McNamara – When Shannon was 15 she visited Africa and discovered ‘book famine.’  Share provides books and educational programs for girls in Africa.
  • Alex Epstein – Co-founded New York 2 New Orleans when he was 17.  NY2NO’s goal is to make a difference in the lives of disadvantaged teens in both NYC and NOLA.
  • Matt Pierce – While a Senior in high school the BP Oil Spill happened in the gulf of Mexico.  Matt wanted to make a difference and started Teenagers Care to show that teenagers care about the environment  and can make a difference through philanthropic efforts.
  • Craig Kielburger – When Craig was 12 he read about Iqbal Masih who died standing up for Children’s Rights and joined 11 of his other 7 grade friends to start a network of children helping children.  Free the Children builds schools and school rooms to help educate children around the world.

Nine Steps – tips and steps to guide youth when starting their own non-profit from Idealist.org.  If you are in the UK you will want to check out the user-friendly website of the Charity Commission.

Tips:

  • All non-profits are local- even the international ones
  • Local supporters are necessary- non-profits are not started in isolation
  • Non-profits can be and should be business-like- by keeping good records
  • Sometimes starting a non-profit isn’t the best way to serve- you can start doing good work sooner by partnering with organizations that are already serving the community
  • Plan for the long term- you need a clear plan for how to create a sustainable organization if you want to make lasting change to big problems
  • You need a board of directors
  • You need governing documents or bylaws
  • You need 501c3 (in the US) or charitable status (in the UK)
  • You need a clear and specific mission and vision
* In the UK you also need around 5,000 GBP through your organization to apply for charitable status.

Two Ways you can help

  • Do- do something, anything! Volunteer your time, send out info, tweet about it, FB your friends, send a text, raise some money- moo-lah, dosh, pesos…
  • Donate- find a charity you love to support and give it financial backing.  Charities and non-profits need money to do the good work they are there for.

1, 4, 9, 2 – see what I did there?  Now, how can you use 1, 4, 9, 2 to get your youth involved in making a difference? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

You can connect with us by:

  1. Signing up to receive our posts via email
  2. Following us on Twitter
  3. Liking us on Facebook
  4. Signing up to our RSS feed

 

Top Posts of 2011 – #11 Labor Day- Celebrating Hardworking Youth

By 1 Comment

Originally Posted: September 5, 2011

Today is Labor Day in the US.  Labor Day has its roots in celebrating achievements made by workers unions and thus rewards hardworking employees with a day of rest (unless of course you work in retail).  Labor Day is also celebrated in six other countries and International Worker’s Day is celebrated on or around May 1st by over 80 countries. Please feel free to read this post today, then again in October, March, May and June to celebrate those Labor Day’s as well!

Today I’d like to spotlight a hard working young person.  He is now 16, but when he started Hoops of Hope he was only 9.  According to his biography, Austin Gutwein learned that over 15 million children are orphaned by HIV/AIDS and that 12 million of them live in sub-Saharan Africa.  Austin didn’t get discouraged by the enormity of the task, he decided to do what he could do.  Austin could shoot free-throws.  He was sponsored to shoot “2,057 free throws representing the 2,057 children who would lose their parents during a school day.”  What started with a 9 year old shooting free throws has grown and now has provided more than $2,000,000 to help orphaned children in Africa.  In the last seven years Hoops of Hope has done amazing things including building schools and medical centers and providing bikes, backpacks and medical caregiver packs.

Pearl S. Buck, an American Novelist, once said

The young do not know enough to be prudent, and therefore they attempt the impossible — and achieve it, generation after generation.

Austin is in a long list of young people throughout history who have achieved seemingly impossible things for themselves, their families, their countries and for the good of others.  To learn more about how to support Hoops of Hope by holding your own event check out this page.  Don’t want to hold your own event?  Join another event in the US or overseas.

Do you know a young person who is doing something great? It doesn’t have to be as high-profile as Hoops of Hope, maybe they are volunteering at the Senior Center around the corner or helping their younger brothers and sisters with their homework. Share their story in the comments below.

 

 

You can also connect with us by:

  1. Signing up to receive our posts via email
  2. Following us on Twitter
  3. Liking us on Facebook
  4. Signing up to our RSS feed

 

Thanksgiving Day – Youth Fighting Hunger Around The World

By Leave a Comment

Thanksgiving youth workIt’s Thanksgiving Day in the US and Americans all around the world are celebrating with a huge feast (yes, yes, you can start all the American eating/food jokes now). I love spending the day with friends and family, being thankful and enjoying all the traditions that come with this holiday.

But there are people all around the world – both Americans and non-Americans – who are hungry today. Who don’t know where their next meal is going to come from. Today we put a Spotlight on Youth who have been impacted by and made an impact on famine.

World Vision provides an opportunity for youth around the world to raise money to help end famine. The 30-Hour Famine is a weekend of activities and fasting to learn more about famine and to raise money to make a difference.

Take a few minutes to read about where hunger exists around the world. You can also read about a group of youth who raised over $5000 for Haiti.

World Vision can be found around the globe through their international offices. No matter where your youth are, you can participate in a 30-hour famine of your own. Do you think the youth in your program might like to get passionate about famine this Thanksgiving? Learn more about famine and plan your own 30-hour famine.

Question: How do the youth in your programs help the hungry? We’d love to hear about the impact they’re making in the comments below.

You can also connect with us by:

  1. Signing up to receive our posts via email
  2. Following us on Twitter
  3. Liking us on Facebook
  4. Signing up to our RSS feed

 

Veteran’s Day: Child Soldiers

By Leave a Comment

Child soldiersIt’s Veteran’s Day in the US, Remembrance or Poppy Day in the UK and Armistice Day throughout the Commonwealth. We usually spend this day remembering all the men and women who have willingly given their lives to serve in the Military.

However, there are soldiers all around the world who are not serving willingly. They’re recruited, drugged and forced into ‘military’ service.

They are child soldiers.

Despite the fact that one of the articles of the UNCRC is that children cannot become soldiers until they are 18 years old, children are serving in armed conflicts even now.

Today’s Spotlight on Youth is on former child soldier Ishmael Beah. His book ‘A Long Way Gone – Memoirs of a Boy Soldier’ came out a few years ago, but children are still being used as soldiers today all across the world. Here is an interview with him on The Hour in Canada.

 

Ishmael was able to forgive, overcome and move forward. Despite being a little older than the youth we usually spotlight, the story of his own youth is so compelling that it has to be shared. He has become a role model and advocate for youth all over the world.  If you’re interested in his book, you can preview a chapter or buy it from Amazon.

Ishmael was fortunate: UNICEF was able to arrange his release, but many other children and young people are still child soldiers today. You can learn more about child soldiers from Amnesty International and War Child.

Question: What could the youth in your program do to help raise awareness of child soldiers this Veteran’s Day weekend? Create a conversation in the comments below.

You can also connect with us by:

  1. Signing up to receive our posts via email
  2. Following us on Twitter
  3. Liking us on Facebook
  4. Signing up to our RSS feed