October 3, 2024 | Volume 31, No. 39 | Published Weekly Since 1994 | |
Celebrate Lights On Afterschool on Oct. 24 | |
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Join more than 8,000 communities and 1 million Americans in celebrating afterschool programs for this year's Lights On Afterschool on October 24!
This nationwide event, organized by the Afterschool Alliance, calls attention to the importance of afterschool programs and the resources required to keep the lights on and the doors open. YSA is proud to be a Lights On Afterschool partner.
We encourage you to hold a Lights On Afterschool celebration to showcase the great things happening in your program and help call attention to this important issue. All who register to be part of Lights On Afterschool will receive free posters and planning tips, and events will be promoted to the media and the public.
Everything you need to plan a successful event, from case studies to sample materials, is available in the Lights On Afterschool Planning Kit.
To learn more about Lights On Afterschool, register an event, access event planning tools, or find out what’s going on in your area, visit afterschoolalliance.org.
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While we're on the topic of supporting afterschool programs, are you ready to elevate your afterschool program to new heights this school year? Thanks to the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation, YSA is offering an exclusive opportunity for afterschool professionals to enhance their skills in engaging youth in meaningful service-learning projects.
Here's what you can expect from this opportunity:
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$150 Registration Fee Covered for an Online Service-Learning Course through Arizona State University's Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College
- $100 Stipend for Professional’s Time
- $200 Project Implementation Grant
Whether you're new to incorporating service or looking to enhance your existing programs, this opportunity is tailor-made for you! Let YSA help you enrich the lives of your students while making a difference in your community.
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The Asheville Citizen Times: Ways to Support Hurricane Victims | People are encouraged to contribute through donations as the need for assistance remains critical. While there may be a time when physical goods are necessary, immediate support is best provided through financial contributions in the early stages of recovery. | | | |
NBC News: Here's How to Help Victims of Hurricane Helene | The Federal Emergency Management Agency says cash donations to organizations on the ground are the most effective. FEMA recommends visiting National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster to find a list of trusted organizations and additional information about how to help. | | | |
Next week is National Voter Education Week (October 7-11), a nonpartisan voter education campaign that equips voters with the tools and information they need to cast their ballots with confidence. | |
National Voter Education Week | National Voter Education Week (NVEW) is an open-source, nonpartisan voter education campaign. During this week of interactive education, voters have the opportunity to find their polling location, understand their ballot, make a plan to vote, and inspire others to get involved. | | | |
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Check out our ServiceVote Youth Voter Education Toolkit for voter education ideas you can use next week and beyond!
When young people take on the role of educating their peers, they contribute to a more informed electorate and help break down the barriers of misinformation and apathy. In fact, research by CIRCLE at Tufts University shows that youth who engage in discussions about civic topics are 25% more likely to vote.
By providing accessible voter education tools, hosting peer-led workshops, and engaging in meaningful conversations, young leaders can inspire their peers to take ownership of their civic responsibilities and participate in shaping their futures.
National Voter Education Week offers a perfect opportunity to amplify these efforts!
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Kid Kindness Grants - Deadline: November 1 | Students ages 5-18 can apply for grants of up to $250 for individuals, $500 for small groups of 2-4 kids, or $800 for groups of 5+ kids to identify problems in their schools, neighborhoods, and communities, and find creative ways to solve these problems through kindness. Groups can include a group of friends, a school club, a classroom, a scout troop, a sports team, etc. | | | |
Stephen J. Brady Stop Hunger Scholarship - Deadline: Nov. 5 | This scholarship program rewards students who help end hunger in their communities. Students from kindergarten through graduate school (ages 5-25) are eligible to apply for a $10,000 scholarship and receive a $5,000 grant for the hunger-related charity of their choice. National winners are recognized at the Sodexo Charity Classic Presented by PepsiCo, which will take place on May 5 - 7, in Frisco, Texas. | | | |
Everyday Young Hero: Sainath and Sai Sahana Manikandan | |
When Sainath and Sai Sahana Manikandan (17, 15 | Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates) were traveling throughout their country, they were shocked to see heaps of plastic and other waste littering roadways, parks, and beaches. At the launch of Drop It Youth, a program to support youth champions of environmental sustainability, Sainath and Sai Sahana learned more about the impact of plastic on marine life and how it negatively affects the food chain for both animals and humans. Inspired to start change, the siblings and environmentalists created the PEPC Campaign in 2018.
The PEPC (Paper, E-waste, Plastic, and Cans) Campaign aims to inform the public of the importance of the 6 Rs—Rethink, Refuse, Reduce, Reuse, Repair, and Recycle—and put an end to single-use plastics. Sainath and Sai Sahana began spreading awareness by talking with their friends and peers in each of their school’s classrooms and during their extracurricular activities. Emphasizing that supporting the environment can be done one step at a time, Sainath and Sai Sahana focus on practical solutions including suggesting sustainable swaps, setting up recycling drop-off points, planting saplings, and organizing clean-up events. They are also showing how people can use their passions to make a difference with Sainath creating robots that can remove waste from water surfaces! Empowered by the impact of collective action, Sainath and Sai Sahana hope to motivate their community to heal the environment and love the planet.
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ASU Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College: Engaging K-12 Students Through Service-Learning | YSA and Arizona State University’s Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College have collaborated to design a professional learning course called Designing and Implementing a Service-Learning Experience. The course is available through the ASU Professional Educator Learning Hub, which offers educators more than 100 professional learning courses and resources. | | | |
TIME for Kids Service Stars is back for another school year. All kids can make a positive impact on their communities, and small actions can lead to big change. How will you make a difference, in your own way? Let the themed missions and Service Stars profiles on this page inspire you. This month's mission is to Fight Hunger. | | | |
SERVICE SONGS OF THE WEEK | |
"Light of a Clear Blue Morning" - The Wailin' Jennys | |
"This Little Light Of Mine" - Sweet Honey in the Rock | |
"Shimmer" - Shawn Mullins | |
"Bright Idea" - Mother Mother | |
"Fill A Heart" - Tori Kelly | |
| Which song is your favorite? | | | |
Michael Minks, Editor-in-Chief, #820 | | | | |
