The Youth Legacy Foundation Newsletter
In This Issue
Youth Spotlight: Hope Hoffman
Up Next
Mission

The Youth Legacy Foundation engages youth with disabilities in humanitarian, charitable, and service activities to empower them to lead exemplary lives and create their legacies in the community while making a difference and changing the world. 
Quick Links

 

The Youth Legacy Foundation is getting ready for spring activities and hopes you are having a great 2015 so far! 

T-shirts: We just ordered T-shirts and will be sending them to those who donated $50 or more (unless you opted to donate yours to a youth). We will be both selling and giving them away selectively (e.g. active youth/volunteers or as prizes). Our T-shirts are white with our logo in black, and we hope they will help share messages around empowerment of youth with disabilities. If you would like to order one, please reply to this email.

ReelAbilities Film Festival: We are on the advisory board and will be working to include youth with disabilities in this amazing disability film festival this year - a partnership of several groups, including Partnership Resources (PRI) and Twin Cities Public Television (TPT). The Call for Entries is open until April 30. For more information, click here to visit PRI's website...

Disability Viewpoints: We have been involved with this award-winning community television show for several years, and currently, two youth are co-hosting and utilizing it as a platform to discuss issues that youth with disabilities care about. If you would like to get involved with us, we would love your participation. For more on Disability Viewpoints, click here to visit their website....

Ignite Afterschool/STEM Conference: We were invited to submit a proposal to present at this large Minnesota conference at the U of MN. We hope to be selected to have the opportunity to speak about inclusion of youth with disabilities in quality after school and STEM programming to expand access to personal and professional development opportunities. We would present information, such as data on employment and post-secondary education, and address barriers that limit participation, access, and the opportunity to learn, grow, and contribute to the community. 

Make sure you follow us on Facebook, where we are super active, thanks to a group of volunteers that share a variety of information from many sources. It is motivational, informative, and thought-provoking. Plus a lot of fun!  
Youth Spotlight: Hope Hoffman
 
We are very proud of youth leader, Hope Hoffman, who recently spoke at the Family Voices of Minnesota gala. She started her own organization: "Camogurl." Check out her video on her website by clicking here. She's brilliant and powerful!
Thank You 

 

Thank you for your support. We as a community need to work together to include and empower youth with disabilities, who are marginalized from opportunities that promote their success and ability to contribute to the community. YLF believes in the abilities of youth with disabilities and we look forward to a 2015 full of progress and achievement, with your help. We hope you will stay in touch and do what you can to support our mission. Again, thanks so much!

We are an all volunteer organization and all gifts support youth projects. We are using the following fundraising page for this campaign. Please click here to make a gift to support our work across the community, and help expand this platform for empowerment of youth with disabilities. With your involvement, we can do more! Watch our PSA by clicking here...

Accomplishments

 

Some of our accomplishments in the past year include: 

Advisory board of the ReelAbilities disability film festival

Invited to speak at the Afterschools and STEM conference to promote inclusion of youth with disabilities in Minnesota.

Volunteered at the Job Skills Competition, where students from several districts competed in areas such as online job applications, problems solving, interviewing, and more.

Youth leaders attended and represented at events, such as a conference and gala

Youth leader co-hosts the Disability Viewpoints television show, which won awards

Completed, purchased, and released our public service announcement (PSA), which was a collaborative project with CTV-15 and the University of MN's Research and Training Center on Community Living

Joint public policy event in collaboration with Arc Greater Twin Cities on February 11 

Attended Safe Schools Rally and helped pass anti-bullying bill

Participating in 100 Strong Who Care through Minneapolis Public Schools

Cosponsored and emceed disability community rally with Arc MN, MN Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities, Advocating Change Together, Direct Support Professional Association of Minnesota, Minnesota Association of Centers for Independent Living, Minnesota Brain Injury Alliance, Minnesota State Council on Disability, People First of Minnesota, Self Advocates Minnesota

Serving on a committee with the MN State Council on Disability to plan activities for the 25th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) in 2015 

Helped to host a job fair with the Minneapolis Community Transition Interagency Committee (MCTIC)

And more!! In previous years, we have been incredibly active and productive, and
you can click here for more past accomplishments (highlights)...

Up Next
 
We connect with organizations, schools, and initiatives to promote empowerment and inclusion of youth with disabilities. 

For example: 

Recently, we joined community members and leaders at the Green Central School in Minneapolis for 100 Strong Who Care - a program designed to prepare Minneapolis Public School students for higher education and career opportunities. 

We are involved with the Arc Greater Twin Cities Self-Advocacy Committee and Partnership Resources, Inc. (PRI)'s ReelAbilities Film Festival, as well as the Minneapolis Community Transition Interagency Committee (MCTIC). We have connections with Gillette Children's Speciality Healthcare, Minnesota Association for Children's Mental Health (MACMH), and the National Alliance for Mental Illness (NAMI-MN), and many other groups. We promote their good work and opportunities, and share our messages around inclusion and empowerment of youth with disabilities. Through collaboration, we can better serve the youth in our community. Stay tuned for more updates!