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Issue #36 | February 2021
Hello Changemakers - from all of us here at United Way Youth Venture/Changemaking and the Portrait of a Graduate team. We hope you are enjoying February Vacation Week!

There is a lot to share this month as there are several exciting announcements, including:

  • UWYV Scholarship Applications are now being accepted, due on or before March 12
  • Changemaker Camps, Infusing Changemaking into Remote Learning, starts March 2
  • Changemaker Family Session: Mindful Cooking, March 4
  • Portrait of a Graduate Student Art Show at Fitchburg Art Museum, March 10 - April 12, deadline for student artwork extended
  • Healthy Minds, Well-Being for Well-Doing, Virtual Youth Conference, April 14

We are still looking for volunteers and presenters for the Healthy Minds Virtual Conference! Click here to access the flyer for more information and a link to complete volunteer or RFP form.

As always, we appreciate you and thank you for your continued support! And please click the icons just below to follow us on social media! Thank you!

~the United Way Youth Venture Team!
Scholarship applications are now being accepted.

Each year the UWYV staff are proud to support outstanding Venturers by awarding $1,000 and $2,000 scholarships to graduating seniors and current college students who exemplify leadership and changemaking.

Students can self nominate or be nominated by another.


Applications are due before March 12, 2021.

Copy the link below to share this opportunity.
Next Changemaker Camp!

Infusing Changemaking into Remote Learning

Educators--and in particular, teachers:

We know you are working hard every day to spark the interest and attention of your students, while checking off progress toward curriculum standards. You are carefully gauging student understanding at the same time you are observing their well-being. And still, there are many times when you feel that solid connection with students just isn't there.

If this description resonates for you, then our second Changemaker Camp offering of the year might be just want you need to power through the spring semester!

Sign up for our three-part Infusing Changemaking into Remote Learning Changemaker Camp, where we will support each other, develop and test concrete ways to build teacher-student connection, elevate student ownership over their learning in your class, and increase empathy. A fourth optional session is available for peer-to-peer feedback on new lesson ideas, techniques, etc. on March 23.

This Changemaker Camp meets on Tuesdays: March 2, 9, and 16 from 4:00 to 5:30 PM via Zoom. Pre-registration is required. Free to any participating Changemaker school/district staff. Click the graphic above to access the flyer for more information!

MARCH 4
6-7 PM

Changemaker
Family Session:
Mindful Cooking

Gather your loved ones for a fun evening preparing a simple, but delicious and healthy meal.

Bonus! Learn mindfulness techniques along the way with youth mental health expert, Kyrah Altman, co-founder of LEAD, Inc.
Healthy Minds: Well-Being for Well-Doing is a North Central MA-wide effort to bring health and real-world skill building opportunity to our students! On Wednesday, April 14—that’s three days before April vacation!—we are hosting a free virtual field trip for students in grades 2 through 12. The event is scheduled conveniently on what is an asynchronous learning day for most schools, from 10-2 after morning meetings have concluded and before the school day wraps up. Our hope is that this event will be a nice compliment to a school week where student and teacher energy is flagging before vacation begins.

Registration for this event will open on March 15, but in the meantime, feel free to contact us with questions and ideas.

Click the graphic above to access the flyer filled with additional information, including facilitator and volunteer opportunities!
Calling Student Artists & Classroom Project Inspiration!

Young and aspiring art students of all ages are invited to submit original pieces of artwork (any kinds as long as it can be photographed or digitized) representing their vision of what school should be like in order for ALL students to thrive in college, career, and our community.

Accepted pieces will be displayed on the virtual community gallery of the Fitchburg Art Museum from March 10 to April 12 as part of a Portrait of a Graduate North Central Mass show! Awards will be designated for outstanding works.

What could be cooler than students having their works displayed in an art museum?

Sneak peak at some of the artwork that has already been submitted

Well, believe it or not, this art show is part of a body of qualitative research of what young people in North Central MA want from their school experience. We are partnered with Inspire to Change, a St. Paul-based organization specializing in coaching, facilitation, and research, with a particularly unique ability to extract meaningful knowledge from arts-based methods. This art show is a vehicle to help us understand what students of all ages envision for their ideal learning experience.



All submissions are due in digitized form by February 24.
What are Changemaker Camps?

Short-term, intensive bursts of focused learning and reflection on a target challenge area.

Combine collective passion and wisdom to redesign your own mindsets, relationships, curriculum, and/or systems.

Who are Changemaker Camps for?

Any employee of a partnering Changemaker school or district may participate for free. All previous Changemakers regardless of current affiliation are also welcome to join.

Professional development credits will be awarded upon completion of any multi-part Changemaker Camp (4.5 to 6 CEUs).

Interested in writing for the official UWYV blog? Our audience wants to hear from YOU!

The Venturer Voice blog seeks students, Champions, Allies and community contributors to write pieces for our official blog!