gysd 2011 final report
TRANSCRIPT
State Farm®
Presenting Sponsor: Global Youth Service Day, Semester of Service
Program Sponsor: State Farm Good Neighbor Service-Learning Grants, Youth Service Institute
The Walt Disney Company
Program Sponsor: Disney Friends for Change Grants
UnitedHealth Group
Program Sponsor: UnitedHealth HEROES Grants
Sodexo Foundation
Program Sponsor: Sodexo Lead Organizer Grants, Sodexo Youth Grants, Sodexo School Engagement
Grants
Learn and Serve America (Corporation for National and Community Service)
Program Sponsor: STEMester of Service Grants
Corporation for National and Community Service / Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service
Program Sponsor: MLK-Semester of Service Lead Organizer Grants
National Education Association
Program Sponsor: Youth Leaders for Literacy Grants
Special Olympics
Program Sponsor: Special Olympics Get Into It Grants
National Partner Highlights View a full list of National Partners at www.YSA.org/partners/national
After-School All-Stars
Serving nearly 81,000 children in need on over 450 school sites in 12 different cities from New York City to
Honolulu, After-School All-Stars incorporates academic support, enrichment opportunities, and health
and fitness activities into their after-school programs. For Global Youth Service Day, three of their
chapters (Bay Area, San Diego, and Las Vegas) served as Lead Agencies and another (Columbus)
received a State Farm Good-Neighbor Service-Learning grant. Together, After-School All-Stars chapters
engaged over 1,000 youth on Global Youth Service Day in service projects.
Project Highlights:
After-School All-Stars Las Vegas - After-School All-Stars Las Vegas partnered with Special Olympics of
Nevada and University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) Athletics to celebrate GYSD. UNLV Athletes led a
series of sports stations to teach students about the importance of physical activity and
health/nutrition. Meals for the students were provided by Three Square, a local food bank.
After-School All-Stars San Diego - After-School All-Stars San Diego held projects that included creating
community urban gardens, with the produce donated to a local food bank, cleaning up the coastlines
since the budget cuts have left a number of beaches neglected, helping refugees maintain food stability,
organizing sports and nutrition clinics in low income neighborhoods, interacting with elders, and
starting a literacy program with the collection of books.
Job Corps
Job Corps is a free education and training program that helps young people learn a career, earn a high
school diploma or GED, and find and keep a good job. For eligible young people at least 16 years of age
that qualify as low income, Job Corps provides the all-around skills needed to succeed in a career and in
life. For GYSD, Job Corps organized 8,447 students and 1,507 staff members to volunteer in service
projects, bringing to the total number of participants to 9,939.
Project Highlights:
The Philadelphia Job Corps Life Science Institute (PJCLSI) - Students had the opportunity to collaborate
with other vocational training program students and community volunteers including the Philadelphia
Police Explorers Club, Mastery Charter High School, and Prep Charter High School. Additionally, more
than 40 hospitals, Philadelphia EMS, Office of Emergency Management, government agencies, and other
healthcare entities to actively participate in a drill portraying casualties affected with everything from
heart attacks to blast and gunshot wounds, assisting the hospitals with preparing for actual disasters
that may impact the U.S. in the future. The value of this approach is to identify specific weaknesses for
improvement and to promote continuing efforts to strengthen hospital disaster preparedness.
Weber Basin Job Corps Civilian Conservation Center – Working with Park City, this Job Corps center has
been active in its activities to improve the McCloud Creek watershed for the past 10 years now. Students
have planted over 4,000 trees, spread 1,500 pounds of grass seed and collected numerous amounts of
garbage. Water from this watershed benefits thousands of people throughout the state.
J-Serve
J-Serve is the National Day of Jewish Youth Service. Since 2005, J-Serve has participated in GYSD as part
of their day of service. J-Serve provides teens with the opportunity to fulfill the Jewish values of gemilut
chasidim, acts of loving kindness, tzedakah, just and charitable giving, and tikkum olam, the
responsibility to repair the world. Across the globe, teens joined each other to make their community
and the world a better place. Over 100 events across the United States occurred on GYSD through J-
Serve.
Project Highlights
J-Serve 2011 Baltimore - Jewish teens from all over the Baltimore metropolitan area came together on
April 10, 2011 to address issues they saw in their community. The day of service included seven options
for teens to choose from, directly affecting causes like homelessness, hunger, the environment, children
with special needs, and many more. Over 76 youth participated in this regional event.
NoVA J-Serve 2011 - The NoVA Council BBYO held an overnight event on April 9th and 10th to address the
topics of homelessness and poverty. Teens held a special havdallah service on homelessness, followed
by programming on poverty in Washington, DC. On the morning of April 10th, teens joined the National
Coalition for the Homeless on an Outreach Run, bringing donations to the homeless in Washington, DC.
Over 20 youth participated in this event and engaged numerous other community members in their
fundraising efforts.
H2O for Life
H20 for Life connects schools in the United States with schools in developing countries to complete
WASH (WAter, Sanitation, and Hygiene) in Schools projects. A nonprofit, all-volunteer organization run
by teachers, parents, and students, H20 for Life aims to help students build an allegiance to and an
understanding of their partner school through curriculum and experiential learning while raising funds
for WASH in Schools projects. In 2011, H2O for Life held their Walk for Water events to celebrate Global
Youth Service Day.
Project Highlights
Target Field, Minnesota – Participants in Minnesota turned out to raise awareness of water issues
around the world, despite the two inches of snow on the ground and 40 degree weather. Partners
provided containers of water for participants to carry on their walks so they can experience the hardship
of transporting water manually, something millions of people deal with worldwide.
Sigma Alpha Epsilon
Sigma Alpha Epsilon (SAE) is one of the largest college fraternities by total initiates, with more than
300,000 initiated members and more than 11,800 undergraduates at 224 chapters and 17 colonies in 49
states and provinces at present. Each year, SAE participates in Global Youth Service Day as a part of
their True Gentleman Day of Service. This year, 38 chapters across 21 states participated, engaging
thousands of people in service projects.
Project Highlights
Connecticut Beta Chapter – Sigma Alpha Epsilon led a campus-wide cleanup effort in their community
for Global Youth Service Day. A constant source of complaint from the citizens of Mansfield and the
University of Connecticut is the road that lies about a half mile off campus called Hunting Lodge Road.
This road is home to hundreds of students and families alike, and gets constant usage by students,
faculty and residents. This leaves the road and its sidewalks polluted and covered with garbage after a
long winter of snow and salt. By spearheading the effort, Sigma Alpha Epsilon-Connecticut Beta
improved relations with citizens and served their host community.
Virginia Kappa Colony - The members of the Virginia Kappa Colony partnered with members of Gamma
Phi Beta to host an Easter egg hunt for collegiate faculty children and community families. It allowed
the Colony to reach out to the Williamsburg community and give back to those who have hosted
fraternity members in their city and provided a fun way to serve not only the adults, but the youth as
well.
City Year
City Year is an education-focused nonprofit AmeriCorps organization that unites young people of all
backgrounds for a year of full-time service to keep students in school and on track to graduation. At City
Year’s 21 locations across the United States and at its international affiliates in Johannesburg, South
Africa and London, England, teams of diverse young people called Corps Members serve full-time in
schools for 10 months working to improve student attendance, behavior and course performance in
English and math. In 2011, Chicago, New Hampshire, and San Antonio served as Lead Agencies, and their
approximately 2,000 Corps Members engaged thousands of youth at their sites.
Youth Volunteer Corps of America
Youth Volunteer Corps (YVC) is a nonprofit promoting a lifetime commitment to service among youth by
providing quality service projects for young people. For over 20 years, YVC has engaged over 240,000
young people from diverse backgrounds in year-round service projects. Based in Kansas City, KS, YVC
has about 50 programs across the United States and Canada. Local Youth Volunteer Corps include four
Lead Agencies (Volunteer Southern Arizona, HandsOn Miami, Volunteer Macon, and the Youth Volunteer
Corps of America main office).
Project Highlights
Volunteer Southern Arizona - The Youth Service and Leadership Coalition partnered with Skrappy's
Youth Center to host 100 youth volunteers on GYSD. Youth volunteers helped improve, clean, organize,
and create art to improve the space that thousands of youth come to a year. All volunteers were
recognized through a celebration held at Skrappy's.
HandsOn Miami – HandsOn Miami's Youth Volunteer Corps and Youth Advisory Council hosted three
service projects throughout Miami-Dade County in celebration of Global Youth Service Day. All these
large scale projects were managed by youth and incorporated environmental or community renewal
elements and benefitted all citizens.
Global Partner Highlights See a full list of Global Partners at www.YSA.org/partners/global
People to People International
Since its creation in 1956, PTPI works to enhance international understanding and friendship through
educational, cultural, and humanitarian activities directly involving people of different countries and
diverse cultures. This year, PTPI Student Chapters from five countries organized 0ver 70 Global Youth
Service Day projects, engaging 7,647 chapter members and young volunteers.
Project Highlights:
• Youth volunteers from the Trbovlje, Slovenia Chapter of People to People International
considered the impact of being an industrial city with heavy industry, and decided to work to
address issues of environmental pollution to counteract the challenges posed by this local
economic activity. They focused their efforts on a city park that serves as a popular hang out
spot for Slovenian youth. These young volunteers cleaned and re-painted frog shaped trash cans
in creative ways that would draw attention to these places for proper garbage disposal.
• Youth volunteers set out to mobilize thousands of people in the Lome community to undertake
community clean up projects and learn about environmental issues. As part of this endeavor,
members of this People to People International Lome, Togo chapter helped highlight the
importance of tree planting as an environmental protection, promoted healthy sanitation
practices, and worked to involve Government officials in the project. This project spread the
word about maintaining clean communities through proper and environmentally friendly
sanitation practices. The work of these youth inspired the attention of local media, including
Television Togolese (TVT), Radio Lome and Togolese Agent for Press (ATOP). A representative of
the Minister of Arts and Culture spoke during the conference and recognized these youth
volunteers for the impact that they are making in the community through their selfless acts of
service.
• The "Kyivites", members of the People to People International Kharkiv, Ukraine Student
Chapter, and the "Futuremakers", members of the University Chapter, decided to organize a
joint project to support children who live at the Board School for orphans. 20 youth volunteered
to help residents of the orphanage clean and decorate their rooms and make some repairs to
furniture. Youth participants also played games and made toys with the younger children, and
as an end of the day celebration, they baked pies together and hosted a tea party.
Peace Corps
Peace Corps volunteers Amy King, of Merrimack, N.H., and Kate Knisley, of Columbus, Ohio, organized a
community environmental service project in Azerbaijan on April 17, 2011 for Global Youth Service Day
(April 15-17). Seventy students collected more than 70 lbs. of trash around a local school and built 20
birdhouses to foster biodiversity and help with pest control. Students also planted flowers and created
re-usable grocery bags to encourage recycling and conservation.
Peace Corps volunteers in the Philippines planted 12,000 mangrove trees and organized a coastal
cleanup with local youth as part of two Global Youth Service Day (April 15-17) activities. More than five
percent of Peace Corps volunteers work primarily in youth development and 13 percent work primarily
on environmental projects. Peace Corps volunteers Leah Eggers of Brooklyn Park, Minn., and Claire Pelley
of Chico, Calif., joined local youth, community members, and other Peace Corps volunteers to plant
12,000 mangrove seedlings and collect trash on the beach in Cebu province. Mangrove trees help
prevent erosion and mitigate tropical storm damage. They will also contribute to the increase of the
local fish population, which greatly benefits the more than 200 fishermen. During the event, volunteers
Eggers and Pelley taught an interactive presentation on protecting marine life, and led activities to
teach students about the environment.
Fundacion Inti Nan, in collaboration with a U.S. Peace Corps Volunteer and a Disney Friends for Change
grant, organized a GYSD project to address the issue of water safety and the importance of native plant
species in San Bernardo a small, indigenous community in the highlands of Ecuador. In this village, 500
families suffer from a lack of water, an abundance of invasive eucalyptus trees, and poor soil fertility.
The community youth decided to organize a tree removal campaign in commemoration of Global Youth
Service Day and for every eucalyptus tree the removed, they planted a native tree species. Volunteers
removed around 100 eucalyptus trees from a specific area in the community and planted 100 native
trees to help reforestation the area. The youth also constructed dry bathrooms using the wood for
infrastructure and wood shards to reduce the bathroom smell and help speed the composting process.
Dry toilets do not need water to function, are environmentally safe and friendly, and allow nutrients in
human feces to return to the soil as fertilizer, which will reduce the community's water toilet
consumption by 65% and increase the use of water for drinking, cooking and washing. The human waste
compost would be used for home and school gardens. Volunteers also built 10 dry bathrooms as a pilot
program for the community. Over 50 youth volunteers participated in this project.
Boy Scouts and Girl Guides/Girl Scouts
The Guias y Scouts (Boy and Girl Scouts) of La Guaria, with the support of a Disney Friends for Change
grant, encouraged their community to mobilize support for a cleaner and greener community. These
youth celebrated GYSD and the 100th Anniversary of the Girl Scouts at their community plaza. They also
celebrated the installation and decoration of La Guaria's first public garbage cans in this community
space and mobilized volunteers to participate in a plaza clean-up. 5 troupe leaders accompanied 18 Boy
and Girl Scouts door to door in their community of 3,000 residents and distributed literature on the
hazards of pollution and burning of trash. The group followed this up by cleaning the plaza and then,
together with the Sport's Committee leaders and youth baseball team players, installed and decorated
the first four of what will be nine public garbage cans in the center of town. These volunteers hosted a
community event in celebration of Earth Day and GYSD to highlight local issues with water quality, the
Scout's garbage project, and to engage the community in healthy recreational activities in a newly
cleaned plaza. Over 50 youth and parents attended the event. The Scouts also planted nearly 60 new
trees in a deforested area behind their town.
Members of the Egyptian Federation of Scouts in Cairo organized a youth initiative campaign to raise
awareness on the importance of donating blood. These youth shared information about local blood
drives with other youth community members and tried to encourage young people to be regular blood
donors.
300 members of the Russian Association of Girl Scouts organized a series of trainings targeting public
awareness toward the problem of still water. In addition, the Girl Scouts organized clean ups of local
ponds, riverbanks, and common recreational areas.
Service for Peace
In honor of Global Youth Service Day, hundreds of Service for Peace volunteers participated in service
projects in their communities.
In Kenya, 30 volunteers lead 150 community members in Community Family Day and the creation of a
community garden at Kawangware Children’s Home. The Project focused on Children’s Garden Home
and School in Dagoretti which established a partnership with Service for Peace-Kenya. Among those who
joined included a field agriculturalist, who provided some tips on the creation of a community garden,
as well as how to plant and maintain the crops in good conditions. Mathare Youth Sports Association
(MYSA) donated the tools for the gardening and young volunteers of Rotaract donated their time to
support the project. “The community garden project allows vulnerable communities cultivate their own
food to improve their nutrition and food security,” Becky Gitonga, the director of Service For Peace in
Kenya, explained. To culminate the three days of community service, Service For Peace members and
volunteers joined in the Sunday service at the Children’s Garden Home and School.
In Brazil, with the support of Service for Peace Brazil, Disney Friends of Change, and their partners,
youth participants took on the issues of hunger and poverty. Through the successful development of an
organic vegetable garden, 14 young volunteers helped improve the lives of 200 community residents,
including their own caregivers and families. This group of young people, which included ten youth not
traditionally asked to serve, was empowered by the opportunity to actively experience how it can play
principal roles in transforming circumstances. The youths’ efforts were recognized by the Mayor of
Gama who intends to be a continued supporter of this initiative.
“The community is very excited with the new organic vegetable garden and it wants the project
[to] continue with the support of Service For Peace and its partners, they know they need
support to overcome the poverty and they are very hopeful about the national and international
support; after the event their self [esteem] went up and they are very proud of their children
who are taking responsibility”. – Service for Peace Brazil Disney Friends for Change Project
Organizer
In Honduras, community volunteers in the Community of Peace of Nuevas Flores collected garbage and
educated community members on the importance of keeping their community clean.
Service for Peace Guatemala hosted free therapy sessions for caregivers of children with special needs.
The event was organized by Service for Peace and student volunteers who are studying physical therapy
at the Mariano Gálvez University in Guatemala.
In Nicaragua, Service for Peace volunteers planted trees and created a community vegetable garden at
Martha Susana Gutiérrez Primary School in the Comarca Samaria community and Villa Carlos Fonseca
municipality.
Watch President Clinton’s GYSD keynote at
www.YSA.org/GYSD/2011/clinton
Watch Miss America on Fox & Friends at
www.YSA.org/GYSD/2011/missamerica
and NY1 WPIX-TV at http://bit.ly/MissAmericaGYSD2011
Global Youth Service Day stories appeared in the following media outlets:
Magazines
Alaska Business Monthly
Atlanta Journal Constitution
Business Week (NY)
Children and Young People Now
Enterprise (Salt Lake City, UT)
Flagpole (Athens, GA)
Journal: Colts Neck (Navesink, NJ)
MPLS St. Paul (MN)
NEA Today
San Diego Family Magazine
The OC Gazette
TIME for Kids
Toledo Area Parent (OH)
Treasure Valley Family (Boise, ID)
USA Today
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Bulletin (Norwich, CT)
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Centre (PA)
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Radio
929 Dave Radio
KSKA 91.1 (Alaska)
WCSM radio (Grand Lake)
Television
10:00 Report (Great Falls, MT)
11 news on KHSL (Chico/Redding, CA)
12 News at 5 PM (Clarksburg/Weston, WV)
12 News this Morning (Milwaukee, WI)
13 News at Noon (Norfolk/Portsmouth, VA)
2 news at 5 (Dayton, OH)
6:00 News ABC 4 (Charleston SC)
6:30 weekend Report on KHSL (Chico/Redding, CA)
7 Eyewitness News (Jackson TN)
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7:00 News ABC 4 (Charleston SC)
8 News Now at 11pm (Las Vegas, NV)
8 News Now Weekend Edition (Las Vegas, NV)
ABC 22
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ABC News Channel 2 (Dayton, OH)
Action News at 5 am (Las Vegas, NV)
ADA Evening News
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Channel 27 News at 5 (Madison, WI)
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Channel 27 News at 6:30 (Madison, WI)
ChicagoLand News at 10
CLTV Late Night News (Chicago, IL)
CW 11 Morning News (New York, NY)
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Eyewitness News at 10 (Duluth/Superior, MN)
Eyewitness News at 5 (Duluth/Superior, MN)
Eyewitness News at 6 (Duluth/Superior, MN)
Fox & Friends (National)
Fox 13 News at 5 (Memphis, TN)
Fox 16 News (Little Rock, AR)
Fox 2 News Morning (Detroit, MI)
Fox 21 News (Duluth/Superior, MN)
Fox 21 News at 6 (Duluth/Superior, MN)
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GMA News
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In Business Las Vegas
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KTHV-TV
Live in Las Vegas
Local 8 at 5:30 AM (San Diego, CA)
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NBC News Channel 11 Early Edition (Yuma/ El Centro,
AZ)
NBC News Channel 11 Evening Report (Yuma/ El Centro,
AZ)
NBC News Channel 11 Nightside (Yuma/ El Centro, AZ)
NCN News (Chico/Redding, CA)
News 10 (Albany, NY)
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News 3 Your Source
News 4 at Ten (Tucson, AZ)
News 6 at Six (Duluth/Superior, MN)
News 8 Daybreak (Dallas, TX)
News Channel 5 (Great Falls, MT)
News Channel 5 at 6 (Great Falls, MT)
News Ten at 5 (Albany, NY)
Northland's News Center (MN)
NY1 - New York City
Our Blue Ridge (Roanoke/ Lynchburg, VA)
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The 10:00 News (Butte/Bozeman MT)
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Trib Live News (Pittsburgh, PA)
Wake Up on KHSL (Chico/Redding, CA)
WD TV Channel 5 News
WDTN (NBC) Channel 2 News
WNEM 5 News at 5 (Flint/Saginaw/Bay City, MI)
WPIX (New York, NY)
WPXI (Pittsburgh, PA)
Today's THV
WNEM 5 News at Noon (Flint/Saginaw/Bay City, MI)
WNEM 5 Wake Up (Flint/Saginaw/Bay City, MI)
News 7 Sunday Morning (Roanoke/Lynchburg, VA)
Scale
Total number of youth volunteers – 13,096
Diversity
Race/Ethnicity
African-American – 26%
Asian American – 5%
Latino/Hispanic – 14%
Native American – 2%
Caucasian – 48%
Other/Not Reported – 5%
Gender
Male – 41%
Female – 59%
Age
Ages 5-12 – 38%
Ages 13-18 – 43%
Ages 19-25 – 12%
Ages 26+ – 7%
Youth not traditionally asked to serve
Low-Income – 52%
Youth with Disabilities – 5%
Youth in Foster Care – 2%
Youth in Justice System – 2%
Other – 15%
Impact on Youth
Through the State Farm Good Neighbor Grant projects:
49% of students increased their attendance.
77% of students increased their motivation.
84% of students increased their knowledge of a community issue.
76% of students improved their communication skills.
72% of students increased their problem-solving skills.
84% of students increased their teamwork skills.
75% of students increased their responsibility.
Lincoln IB World School - Fort Collins, CO: Students demonstrated teamwork each day because they
were in groups that were in charge of a particular vegetable seedling start. They showed their great
responsibility for the plants in coming in at different times during the day to check on them, Each time I
ran into someone in the community and talked about the project, they mentioned that they were proud
to have students actively engaged in solving community problems.
Impact on Community
Total volunteer hours contributed = 199,378
Total number of people served = 86,185
Success Story
Project: VISION, Inc. - Chicago, IL: “Youth enhanced not only their own knowledge about tobacco use in
the community; they were able to promote awareness for these issues in the community. Many youth
were surprised by the lack of knowledge about the harms of tobacco use among their peers and even
adults in the community. Also the Operation Storefront activity opened their eyes to how inappropriate
advertising of tobacco products can indeed affect youth in the community. By speaking with local store
owners and urging them to be more responsible for tobacco product placement and marketing, youth
were able to build communication and well as problem solving skills. In addition, teamwork was an
essential part of the implementation of the final photovoice gallery project. Teams of 4-5 youth worked
together to compose and shoot meaningful photos, edit photos, create captions, as well as create
educational fliers and posters to help educated the community.”
Lead Agency & MLK Lead Organizer Overview
2011
Number of GYSD Volunteers 124,357
Age 5-12 30%
Age 13-18 42%
Age 19-25 19%
Age 26+ 9%
Male 45%
Female 55%
African-American 20%
Asian-American / Pacific Islander 3.5%
Caucasian 59%
Latino/Hispanic 12%
Native American 3.5%
Other Race/Ethnicity 2%
Youth from Low Income Families 28%
Youth in foster care !%
Youth in justice system 2%
Youth with disabilities 2%
Other youth not traditionally asked to serve 3%
Agree or Strongly Agree:
Content / knowledge learned 90%
Increased engagement in learning 79%
Strengthened workforce skills 85%
Improved personal development (social,
emotional, behavioral)
84%
Increased commitment to civic engagement 48%
Total Hours Served 668,023
Average Hours Per Volunteer 5.3
Number of People Benefited 564,453
Number of Media Stories (print, radio, TV) 371
Number of Elected Officials Engaged 914
Number of Partner Organizations 3,736
Lead Agency Highlights
Among the 92 Lead Agencies and Lead Organizers were several state service commissions, national
service programs, and Cities of Service. They included:
Oregon Volunteers
Oregon Volunteers launched two mini-grant programs, Fostering Inclusion and Community. Fostering
Inclusion supported projects that are inclusive of people of all abilities, and Community was a program
open to any youth or community organizations wanting to develop GYSD projects.
Montana Governor’s Office of Community Service
The Montana Governor’s Office of Community Service also had multiple mini-grants available.
Montana’s focused on encouraging more service projects in rural areas.
Serve Nebraska
With a number of mini-grants for youth-led projects and their youth council, Serve Nebraska ensured
youth voice was prominent in their GYSD. In addition to working with AmeriCorps members across the
state, Serve Nebraska engaged the extensive network of HandsOn affiliates in the state to bring the
opportunity to serve to more communities.
Iowa Commission on Volunteer Service
Iowa’s service commission distributed mini-grants to young project organizers to plan and implement
service events across the state on GYSD. The commission engaged over 2,000 youth this year in
beautification projects, food drives, and other community-specific projects.
Michigan Community Service Commission
The Michigan Community Service Commission coordinated statewide service projects with the help of
their Service-Learning Youth Council. In addition to working with organizers for Earth Day projects to
focus on the environment, they again participated in Adopt-A-River campaign, cleaning rivers and
waterways in various parts of Michigan.
Louisiana Serve Commission
The state service commission for Louisiana awarded six grants to three school districts and three
nonprofits partnering with public schools to organize service projects on GYSD. Applicants were asked
to focus on the environment for the day. In addition to working at the state level, LSC has reached out to
Baton Rouge’s Chief Service Officer, Blythe Daigle, to promote the opportunity with her network.
America Reads Mississippi
America Reads Mississippi engaged their 89 Junior Citizens Corps Clubs in service projects on GYSD.
While their primary focus was emergency preparedness and community safety, the Clubs also worked
on projects promoting literacy, the environment, and other community issues.
City Year New Hampshire
Corps members in New Hampshire worked with all of their school sites in Manchester on GYSD to serve
by preparing renovation projects at various sites and conducting food drives. All projects were
developed by students working alongside AmeriCorps members as team leaders.
Minnesota Alliance With Youth
The AmeriCorps Promise Fellows hosted by Minnesota Alliance With Youth organized their GYSD kick off
celebration at the Mall of America Best Buy Rotunda. The event included on-site service projects and an
award ceremony sponsored by Delta Dental, honoring outstanding youth leadership in service.
True North AmeriCorps
YMCA’s True North AmeriCorps, the City of Duluth, the Minnesota Education Corps, and the Duluth
Public Schools Office of Service Learning teamed up to celebrate Global Youth Service Day. The signature
project was the beautification of Enger Park. Youth picked up trash, brushed trails, raked leaves,
removed buckthorn, and were trained to spot emerald ash borer and gypsy moths.
City of Little Rock
Little Rock’s GYSD kick off event was a youth forum, held at the Clinton Presidential Library, followed by
service projects. Organized by the Clinton Presidential Foundation, the Alliance for a Healthier
Generation, and a number of schools, nonprofits, and businesses, the event engaged 3,000 attendees.
NYC Service
NYC Service, the mayor’s office on volunteerism, partnered with Up2Us to host the Service Through
Sports summit on April 16. The summit gathered student athletic teams and provided youth
participants with leadership development and service-learning training through hands on service
projects.
MLK Day – Semester of Service Lead Organizer Highlights
Neighborhood Leadership Institute – Cleveland, OH
Students from Neighborhood Leadership Institute after-school programs in Cleveland, Ohio hosted 15
“fireside chats” in neighborhood centers throughout Cleveland on MLK Day. These community dialogues
were led by youth, and engaged community members of all ages. As part of each dialogue, participants
identified the top challenges in each neighborhood and designed a plan for students to lead efforts to
address these issues throughout their Semester of Service.
YMCA of Greater Cincinnati
On MLK Day, students from around Cincinnati led a service project in Fountain Square, packing food
bags for youth in after-school programs who need food at home over the weekends when they are not at
school or in after-school programs. The next day, the YMCA of Greater Cincinnati hosted a youth
leadership forum for students from 5 area high schools to kick-off a Semester of Service utilizing Fulfill
the Dream, a leadership development curriculum that uses media, movement, and music to develop
leadership, relationship, and citizenship skills. Each student participating the program developed and
implemented a culminating service project for Global Youth Service Day.
Ohio Family, Career, and Community Leaders of America
Ohio FCCLA chapters kicked off a Semester of Service focused on childhood obesity. The Anna High
School FCCLA chapter organized a fitness event for their school and community while the Fort Loramie
FCCLA chapter organized a “Drink MILK on MLK Day,” in partnership with the National Dairy Council and
the National Football League’s “Fuel Up to Play 60” campaign.
Program Overview
UnitedHealth HEROES is a service-learning, health literacy initiative designed to encourage young
people, working through educators and youth leaders, to create and implement local hands-on
programs to address the issue of childhood obesity.
Program History
Microfinance grants of up to $1,000 each were awarded to programs that demonstrated a clear
understanding of the health risks associated with childhood obesity; proposed creative solutions to
combating obesity in their schools and communities; and could be easily implemented, scaled and
measured.
• 2008-2009: 100 grants were awarded to schools and youth-focused, community center-based
programs in 15 states.
• 2009-2010: 261 grants were offered and awarded in 35 states plus the District of Columbia.
• 2010-2011: 333 grants were offered and awarded in 50 states plus the District of Columbia.
Scale
Through this program:
• 39,309 youth volunteers were engaged.
• 179,697 people were served.
• 515,361 volunteer hours were contributed.
Impact
94% of grantees submitted post-project summaries. Through the HEROES project:
• 49% of students increased their attendance.
• 81% of students increased their motivation.
• 69% of students increased their knowledge of childhood obesity.
• 67% of students improved their communication skills.
• 64% of students increased their problem-solving skills.
• 69% of students increased their teamwork skills.
• 80% of students increased their responsibility.
Media
“HEROES” generated more than 600 media placements via television, radio, print, and online media as
well as social networking and blogs.
• Miss America 2011 highlighted a NY-based grantee on the national morning show, “Fox and
Friends.
• ESPN highlighted the program at University of Florida.
Sodexo Lead Organizer Highlights
HandsOn Newton
HandsOn Newton worked with 3 higher education institutions in Covington and Atlanta. GYSD activities
included a meal-packaging program at Emory University; reflection and discussion with Emory faculty
about engaging students in this issue; and kicking off community gardening program for the summer
Washington & Jefferson College
W&J hired 7 students to serve as hunger task force student leaders to lead a new task force to educate
and engage peers in trainings and service projects. At least 100 W&J students served at one of 6 sites:
the Greater Washington County Foodbank, 3 smaller pantry projects, and 2 city mission food kitchen the
week of GYSD.
Earth Care
On GYSD, Earth Care worked with City of Santa Fe and Santa Fe Public Schools and Roots and Shoots at a
project at the Santa Fe Community Farm, which donates all food to local schools and food banks.
They also organized a celebration at elementary school, distributing information about childhood
hunger and helping students plant seedlings to start home gardens.
Sodexo Youth Grants
Program Overview
Sodexo Youth Grants is a service and hunger initiative designed to encourage young people, working
through educators, youth leaders, and Sodexo employees to create and implement local hands-on
programs to address an established food insecurity need in the applicant's school or community.
Offered through all 50 states, 25 grants were awarded at $500.
Sodexo Youth Grants delivered the following measurable results:
Scale
Through this program:
• 1,233 youth volunteers were engaged.
• 17,745 people were served.
Impact
88% of grantees submitted post-project summaries. Through the Sodexo Youth Grants projects:
• 19,208 food items collected and donated.
• 4,609 individuals received emergency food from community kitchens or food banks.
• 4,159 individuals received nutrition education.
• 15 community gardens were created.
• 27 immigrant or refugee individuals received assistance or services.
• 49 orphaned, homeless, or street youth received assistance or services.
• 165 items collected and donated (clothes, household supplies, toiletries, etc.)
• 238 individuals received financial literacy training and/or services.
Media
• Sodexo Youth Grants generated 29 media hits in national and regional publications including
The Washington Post, The Hartford Courant, The Omaha Star, Health and Medicine Week, The
Daily Record, Capital Business, and Earth Times.
• Sodexo Youth Grants had 35,889,344 media impressions and nearly 35 million readers were
reached. Coverage included print and online media as well as social networking such as blogs,
Facebook and Twitter
Disney Friends for Change funds youth-led community projects that create environmental changes
around issues of waste, habitat, climate, and water. The projects which are organized as part of Global
Youth Service Day – the largest service event in the world – serve as vehicles for young people to take on
leadership roles in conservation efforts, bring creativity and innovation to solving problems, and sustain
their volunteer participation to solve problems. Through the Disney-YSA partnership this year Friends
for Change awarded 60 $500 grants to projects in 28 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean,
Africa, Eastern and Western Europe, South East Asia, and the United States.
Scale
Through this program:
• 8,289 youth volunteers were engaged.
• 111,443 people were served.
Impact on Community
Through Disney Friends for Change projects:
• 184 sites were cleaned, beautified, and/or painted
• 265 murals were painted
• 117 energy audits performed
• 45 structures were weatherized
• 287 acres of national or state parks, or other public lands, were cleaned
• 10,709 trees were planted
• 1,231 animals were protected
• 127 acres of wilderness preserved, protected, or created
• 12 rain gardens were built
• 6,034 square miles of rivers, lakes, or other waterways were cleaned or improved
• 279 tons of materials were collected and/or recycled
• 32,774 individuals were educated or trained in environmentally-conscious practices
Sustainability
• 96% of respondents stated that their project would continue, be repeated or replicated.
Impact on Youth
Grantees were asked to describe major impacts of the service experience on the young volunteers. A
review of these narrative responses point to a number of key outcomes: increase in knowledge about
environmental and conservation issues; acquisition of job readiness skills (teamwork, goal-setting,
communication, partnership development, initiative); and increased awareness and confidence about
their own capacity to create change. Sample excerpts include:
• The project leaders and other youth gained relevant skills from our project including teamwork
and taking initiative. The project coordinator is 11 years old and before our project, many youth
of Tanzania thought that children under 18 years old can not make an initiatives like that. From
this project, children under 18 years old saw that they can think and realize a big initiative that
can save even the entire country of Tanzania, they created a confidence in them that will even
help Tanzania in future years. – Cyunya, Tanzania
• I feel that many of the participating students were able to see the benefits of forming
relationships among community organizations. The students experienced the value of
networking with individuals within organizations that are involved on projects together; that
communication is very important and that a teamwork approach to implementing projects is
much more effective than trying to do many things on your own. –Belene, Bulgaria
• The whole experience was great! I had never been part of anything like it before, maybe because
we youth never sort of bothered to do something instead of complaining about things. I
discovered that we can do so much more as a team that has a goal. It was a massive change
from the usually pessimistic me and the belief and encouragement from everyone involved got
us all to believe in ourselves in being able to make a difference. –Shenika from Moratuwa, Sri
Lanka
• As a volunteer on the project, I realized how important greenery is to city life for both the people
& environment. I understand how difficult it can be to maintain green growth in a city, and what
measures have to be taken to promote healthy trees & plants. The appreciation I have for
keeping green trees & plants healthy in urban areas is much greater! –Elizabeth from
Cincinnati, OH
The STEMester of Service program was evaluated by RMC Research. In the 2010-2011 academic year, a
total of 1,054 STEMester students and 349 comparison students in grades 6-8 completed matched pre-
and post-surveys.
STEMester student respondents came from 25 schools located in 10 different states plus Washington,
D.C.: Arizona, California, Colorado, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Louisiana, Michigan, New York, and
Washington. Comparison student respondents came from 11 schools located in Washington, D.C. and
the six states of Arizona, California, Colorado, Georgia, Illinois, and Washington.
Key findings of RMC’s evaluation include:
STEMester service-learning students had statistically significant higher gains in academic
engagement, 21st century skills, interest in STEM courses and skills, and interest in STEM
careers than the comparison group. Comparison student scores decreased over time in the five
outcome areas related to academic engagement, academic competence, 21st
century skills, interest in
STEM courses and skills, and interest in STEM careers, while scores for service-learning students
increased over time in all seven outcome areas. Effect sizes were fairly small overall, but still relatively
large for the field of service-learning.
Teachers reported that service-learning impacted students in all measured outcome areas.
Perceived impacts were highest for students’ increased ability to work with others from diverse
backgrounds, to be engaged in school, to possess greater leadership skills, and to collaborate with
others. Fewer impacts were seen in the areas of improved school attendance and academic
performance.
STEMester students identified science, math, writing, and reading as areas in which they
acquired the most skills and experiences as a result of participating in service-learning. Science
and mathematics topped the list of areas in which students believed they had developed the most skills.
As the quality of service-learning programs increased, as reported by students, so did students’
ratings in all outcome areas. Higher student ratings of service-learning quality were associated with
increased ratings in all outcome areas being measured. The strongest relationships were between
student ratings of program quality and civic dispositions, 21st
century skills, and STEM measures.
Students’ ratings of academic engagement increased when teachers said they linked service-
learning with the curriculum, engaged students in meaningful service, provided youth voice,
and promoted an understanding of diversity and respect among all participants. Students also
had higher ratings of interest in STEM courses and skills as teacher ratings of youth voice increased, and
had higher ratings of interest in STEM careers when teacher ratings of promotion of diversity were
elevated.
Teacher ratings of duration and intensity were significantly related to student ratings of
academic engagement, civic dispositions, interest in STEM courses and skills, and interest in
STEM careers. As service-learning duration and intensity increased, so did students’ ratings for these
four outcome areas.
Community partners reported positive impacts on their organizations as a result of working
with schools that implemented service-learning projects. The partnerships were perceived to have
resulted in sustained or continued relationships with schools and a heightened public profile for the
organization within the community.
Community partners and teachers agreed that service-learning projects had positive impacts
on communities. Both groups reported that service-learning activities were beneficial for individuals,
community organizations, and communities as a whole. Teachers added that service-learning activities
positively changed the way community members view young people.
During the 2010-2011 academic year, STEMester students contributed a combined total of 45,274
hours of service. According to the Independent Sector, an organization which establishes the value of
volunteer time for nonprofit and governmental organizations, the current national average rate of value
is $21.36 an hour. By this measure, STEMester students contributed $967,053 worth of time to their
respective communities.
EASTERN EUROPE
In their first year serving as the Regional Partner for Eastern
Europe, the Future Leaders Exchange (FLEX) program
alumni office in Moscow, Russia expanded the scale of Global
Youth Service Day in the region, inviting new partner
organizations and U.S. Government alumni to take part in
the GYSD campaign. The FLEX Alumni Office hosted a series
of webinars and put together online training materials for
potential project leaders to ensure that they had sufficient
training and the opportunity to share their ideas and develop their projects with American Councils staff
members.
FLEX Alumni Coordinators were required to organize a minimum of one GYSD in their region for the 2011
campaign. The coordinators were encouraged to work with other U.S. Government alumni, regional
partners, and U.S. Embassies, and the FLEX City Representative community of over 100 Eurasian FLEX
alumni volunteers to organize larger events involving more youth. In addition, the FLEX Alumni Office
reached out to alumni of different U.S. Government sponsored exchange programs to support their
project ideas and give them logistical support, trainings, and promotional materials to implement their
events.
The FLEX Alumni Program also offered FLEX alumni matching grants up to $500 to hold GYSD projects.
FLEX alumni organized outstanding events with youth in their communities for GYSD 2011 with the
financial backing of the grants program and with regular FLEX Alumni Program funds.
The Future Leaders Exchange (FLEX) program is a program of the American Councils for International
Education, an organization that advances scholarly research and cross-border learning through the
design and implementation of educational programs since 1974. American Councils is a leading
American education and international training organization, administering over 30 exchange and
training programs, including U.S. government and non-U.S. national fellowship programs. The
organization develops partnership programs between individuals and institutions in the U.S. and the
countries of Eurasia and E. Europe, consults on project design and education innovation programs, and
actively contributes to the development of Eurasian language and area studies in the U.S. With
additional representation in over 30 countries, American Councils strives to expand dialog among
students, scholars, educators and professionals for the advancement of learning and mutual respect.
WESTERN EUROPE
2011 marks the UN International Year of Youth and the European Year of
Volunteering. The Foundation for Democratic Youth utilized these two
campaigns to launch the European Youth Service Day Initiative as part of
Global Youth Service Day 2011 celebrations. By launching European Youth
Service Day, DIA piloted a campaign that aims to create a better cohesion
among the different youth service organizations and events in the region, as
well as an annual European tradition.
!
DIA identified key Country Partners in various countries in Western Europe
and shared their experience and GYSD successes dating back to 2006 through the dissemination of a
biweekly newsletter to all key stakeholders and GYSD participants. The newsletter provided written
guidelines on all major topics including volunteer recruitment, communication, and GYSD project
registration. Additionally, DIA provided a high level of continued support through regular online
communication via Skype and email in order to provide partners with the highest level of coordination
support. !
!
On Global Youth Service Day 2011, the Foundation for Democratic Youth reported the most successful
GYSD in Hungarian GYSD history. DIA coordinated 211 projects throughout Hungary and engaged 31,000
Hungarian youth as service leaders and volunteers. GYSD projects focused mostly on the following
issues: environment protection and sustainability, healthy lifestyle, spring cleaning of parks, public
places, playgrounds, inside/outside renovation of buildings, planting, gardening, visiting the elderly,
children, and animal shelters. All of these projects were designed and executed by young people, with a
special emphasis placed on the emotional and professional training of the volunteers and preparations
for the post-project reflection and evaluations. DIA organized a central event in the capitol city
Budapest, hosting a running gala for visually impaired or otherwise disabled young people. With over
150 youth volunteers coordinating the event, the Gala aimed to provide an opportunity for young people
not traditionally asked to participate in sporting events the chance to do so and to provide the youth
volunteers the experience of working alongside peers with disabilities. The event was widely promoted
youth volunteerism. In the words of Harrison Amevi, “I am important to my country because I am a
good citizen.” The official GYSD launch ended with Nana Ama Agyeiwaa, winner of the 2010 Ghana's
Most Beautiful (cultural reality show) and Millennium Development Goals Ambassador, inspiring the
crowd to take action with the statistics and information she provided on Ghana’s environment and
steps the youth could take in volunteering to promote environmental sustainability and strengthen the
nation.
The official launch was followed by a clean-up exercise in a rural community in the outskirt of Kumasi,
Ghana – Pakyi No. 2. Along with Nana Ama Agyeiwaa, the children cleaned the town around their school
and engaged in a competition to see who could collect the most trash. These young people felt great
about volunteering in their community and one of Ghana’s leading news stations, TV3 was there to
highlight such positive youth-led development
At YPWC’s northern site, Global Youth Service Day celebration activities took place in Kinkangu of the
Bunkpurugu/Yunyoo District. Young people were trained to control bushfires, initiated a clean-up
campaign and learned to nurse seeds and transplant seedlings. On the 15th
of April 2011, the youth of the
community gathered with the community leaders and YPWC Youth Action Ambassadors (YAAs) at the
Kingkangu Junior High School to engage in dialogue about community environmental issues. The youth
were excited about the chance to interact with the adults and expressed their general views about the
community. There was a collective training on bushfire prevention and the importance of countering the
growing deforestation and desertification problems. Mr. Gazeri Dujing, a community leader, concluded
the meeting by telling a story of unity’s ability to provoke development in a community. It told of birds
that decided to sing an African chant in unison (instead of their individual songs) so that farmers would
provide food for them. The Honorable Assemblyman Laar Sambian closed the first day’s activities by
expressing his gratitude for the charge young people took in helping to sustain their environment.
On the second day 16th
April 2011, a sanitation training was lead by YPWC Youth Action Ambassadors and
Action on Rural Child Development (ACRD) volunteer members and given to community members of all
ages. Immediately following, a clean-up Campaign took place at the Kingkangu Community Maternity
Centre and the local market.
YPWC’s Global Youth Service Day activities culminated with an educational, interactive exercise led by
YPWC Project Officer Matthew Nyannube Yosah and volunteers of YPWC. Young people were taught to
nurse seeds and transplant seedlings, with the additional help of Mr. Gazeri Dujing who is proficient in
nursing, transplanting and grafting of mango trees. Having participated in such activities, participants
were compelled to make promises to practice such environmental care on their own. These promises
emerged from the lessons of unity, practices of sanitation, and the knowledge about the importance of
stopping bushfires by not burning plants, bushes and cutting of trees without replacing new ones – all
acquired during GYSD.
Young People We Care is a registered youth-led, non-profit organization that advocates for sustainable
development, the realization of the Millennium Development Goals and the promotion of a culture of
peace and universal human rights for all. YPWC strives to provide a 'youthful voice' that seeks to
address the numerous challenges facing leaders of tomorrow by effectively using young resourceful
minds to influence the course of global policy formulation and development in a consistent and
harmonized manner. The mission of Young People We Care is to educate and inform youth about global
issues, inspire youth to take action, and identify and build sustainable partnerships aimed at youth
development. YPWC links a network of some 400 affiliate groups in 22 countries.
ASIA
In celebration of Global Youth Service Day 2011, the People’s Institute for
Development and Training (PIDT) incorporated GYSD service projects into the
year-long campaign celebration the International Year of Youth and as a lead up
to the International Decade of Volunteering. PIDT hosted a large public rally to
promote the perspectives and involvement of youth as contributors to national
policy and changemakers in addressing climate change. PIDT also organized a
large event called Volunteer Voices in collaboration with the United Nations
Volunteers and Team India ( IYV+10) to help lend a voice to young volunteers who
are creating projects and programs that have sustainable impacts on their
communities.
As the Regional Partner for Asia, PIDT participated in the International
Association for Volunteer Efforts (IAVE) World Conference on Volunteering in
Singapore in January of 2011 and led a workshop which highlighted Global Youth Service Day as a
benchmark day of service.
People’s Institute for Development and Training (PIDT) is an organization that works towards capacity
building of those who are marginalized and it has a rich history in grassroots action with communities
of the underprivileged in the rural areas of Chhatisgarh, Jharkhand, West Bengal and Uttar Pradesh and
urban areas of New Delhi in India. PIDT actively engages youth as community leaders and directly
operates a school for 600 underprivileged children, as well as about 20 non-formal school centers
catering to poor and school drop outs. PIDT aims to develop an inclusive, egalitarian, co-operative and
analytical society where the social, developmental and environmental needs of all concerned are
adequately met.
YUVA Unstoppable celebrated Global Youth Service Day by hosting
an environmental film festival to educate Ahmedabad youth about
the need for environmental conservation and government policies
that promote sustainable development. YUVA Unstoppable also
organized a “Random Acts of Kindness” campaign to encourage
young volunteers throughout the Region to initiate their own service
projects to make their communities better places.
YUVA Unstoppable is a Premier Volunteer Movement with a work-force of 100,000 youngsters providing
man-power and resource support to 300+ NGOs and Municipal Schools across 32 cities of India. The
mission of YUVA Unstoppable is to make Young People kinder by providing them a platform to volunteer
in NGOs, Slums and Municipal Schools. Till date, YUVA Unstoppable has put-in more than 600,000
volunteer hours in service.
and well attended by local celebrities and dignitaries, including international opera singer Erika
Miklosa, who is also one of the Ambassadors of the European Year of Volunteering 2011.
DIA estimates that approximately 60,000 Hungarians benefited from the GYSD service projects carried
out during the weekend of Global Youth Service Day. This number takes into account the individuals who
were directly impacted by the projects, such as the children in a foster home or the citizens of a village
that was cleaned up, and the people who were reached through personal stories, such as the parents or
classmates of volunteers.
The Foundation for Democratic Youth (DIA) is a non-profit organization, whose mission is to create
opportunities for youth to develop democratic values and skills through experiential learning. In order
to achieve this, DIA is developing young people’s citizenship skills through community-based learning
in Hungary. DIA is currently implementing a variety of programs including the creation of a nation-wide
network of more than 200 volunteer youth groups, grant funding for volunteer youth groups, and
school-based programs promoting the culture of active citizenship through developing active
citizenship, and entrepreneurship skills.
MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA
As GYSD Regional Partner for the Middle East and North Africa, AVS held a
three day Youth Forum as part of its IAVE Regional Volunteer Conference for
the Arab Nations, held March 27-29 in Beirut, Lebanon. 21 youth leaders from
key youth organizations participated from nine different Arab countries:
Algeria, Egypt, Iraq, Lebanon, Mauritania, Palestine, Saudi Arabia, Syria,
and Yemen, including five organizing youth from Lebanon. The Forum
included discussions on the state of youth volunteering in the region,
training on what is volunteering, why volunteer, rights and responsibilities
of a volunteer, and how to plan and develop a volunteer project, as well as
training in how to use social media to engage volunteers and promote
volunteer opportunities. Participants were given special training related to Global Youth Service Day
and encouraged to involve their peers and networks in GYSD projects this year and beyond. The youth
also participated in a tree-planting project two weeks prior to GYSD. The Conference and its Youth
Forum had been scheduled for September 2010 which would have allowed more opportunity for
participants to organize GYSD in their own countries. The postponement of the conference meant that
participants had only two weeks after the end of the Forum to work on GYSD. Participants from Algeria,
Yemen, and Palestine, however did manage to do some projects. And the Forum participants, inspired
by GYSD, decided that they will launch GYSD-inspired campaign focused on youth volunteering in the
region in late July (which they call Shama’a, meaning “Candle”) rather than wait until GYSD next year.
As the Regional Partner for the Middle East and North Africa, AVS participated in the International
Association for Volunteer Efforts (IAVE) World Conference on Volunteering in Singapore in January of
2011 and led a workshop which highlighted Global Youth Service Day as a benchmark day of service.
The Association for Volunteer Services was established in 1998 to promote, facilitate, and improve
volunteering and community service throughout Lebanon and beyond. It has always been concerned
with the development of youth volunteering in the region. In 2006, AVS published the book Learning to
CARE: Education, Volunteering, and Community Service to help schools develop effective service
programs. In 2009, AVS released an Arabic edition of the book and this year hosted a training program
for country teams from 7 countries of the region: Mauritania, Tunisia, Yemen, Saudi Arabia, Syria,
Jordan, and Lebanon. AVS has been the Country Partner for Lebanon since 2001 and this is their second
year serving as the Regional Partner for the Middle East and North Africa.
LATIN AMERICA
As a Regional Partner for Latin America, Un Techo para
mi País mobilized volunteers and communities in six
countries to construct transitional houses for 613
marginalized beneficiary families living in conditions of
extreme poverty. Volunteers in Costa Rica, Mexico,
Uruguay, Honduras, Haiti, and Argentina were recruited
from local universities and received training from local
offices of Un Techo para mi País. Un Techo para mi País' headquarters, based in Chile, coordinated each
of the constructions with local branches.
Un Techo para mi País' GYSD activities coincided with their annual building campaign which takes place
annually during Holy Week. 4,291 volunteers participated in this campaign.
Un Techo para mi País (UTPMP) was founded in Chile in 1997 by a group of university students. Un
Techo’s mission is to improve the quality of life of impoverished families through transitional houses
and social inclusion programs in a joint effort between university volunteers and the communities. We
denounce the precarious reality of the slums where millions of people live, involving the entire society in
the task of constructing a Latin America that is more united and inclusive, without the injustice of
poverty. Un Techo para mi País invites society to recognize the injustices of poverty and acknowledges
its responsibility to address the lack of opportunities and the poor living conditions of the most
marginalized families in Latin America and the Caribbean.
For the second consecutive year, Corporación Grupo Tayrona served
as the Regional Partner for Latin America and the Caribbean. As a youth
led organization and a GYSD partner since 1999, Corporación Grupo
Tayrona utilized their own experiences coordinating GYSD at the
national level to identify key partners to coordinate GYSD within their
respective countries.
In Colombia, Corporación Grupo Tayrona hosted a huge rally in Bogota to launch Global Youth Service
Day and educate youth and the community at large about the importance of volunteerism and
community service as invaluable tools for personal and professional development, as well as the
positive development of the country. The culmination of Global Youth Service Day 2011 was marked by
the 10th
International Student Summit for Sustainability, hosted by Corporación Grupo Tayrona, which
took place in Bogotá – Colombia from 1st
to 6th
March – 2011. The Summit, a learning and exchange space
for interaction between students and different stakeholders to enhanced understanding, inspired action
and collaborative student-run projects focused on climate change, marked the official culmination of
Global Youth Service Day 2011 in Colombia.
Corporación Grupo Tayrona is an environmental, nonprofit, nonpartisan, nonreligious organization run
by an interdisciplinary team of professionals, youth and children interested in environmental and
educational work on a voluntary basis. The organization aims to build an environmental culture and
sustainable development in Colombia and Latin America through advocacy, social mobilization,
empowerment and citizen participation, in turn promoting coordination and cooperation in various
sectors and actors. Grupo Tayrona has served as a Country Partner for GYSD for the past ten years.
The National Volunteer Center of Peru (CENAVOL), serving as a Regional Partner for the first year,
coordinated Global Youth Service Day activities as part of a larger celebration for the International Year
of Youth. In Peru, CENAVOL organized a national campaign titled the “Institutionalization of the
Celebration of Global Youth Service Day.” The campaign aimed to institutionalize the celebration of
Global Youth Service Day across Peru through dissemination of information about Global Youth Service
Day and trainings on GYSD project planning. CENAVOL mobilized and engaged youth and
representatives from state institutions, civil society, universities and schools, and international
organizations. As part of their efforts, CENAVOL hosted a university volunteer conference at the
Unviersidad Nacional Agraria La Molina on April 14th, 2011, to bring together university youth from
around the country to discuss a national youth volunteer strategy and to network with volunteer service
organizations.
!
On April 17th, CENAVOL volunteers hosted a youth parade in Lima to celebrate the contributions young
people make in Peruvian communities throughout the year. Groups of youth broke into flash mobs and
performed songs and dances. The parade was followed by a youth volunteer fair and exhibition,
organized by Comisión Nacional de Voluntariado (CONVOL) and Ventanilla Municipality. The event
provided a forum for young people to find open volunteer opportunities with local organizations and
showcase their own volunteer service projects that are creating positive developments in their
communities.!
!
As a member of the International Association for Volunteer Efforts (IAVE), CENAVOL mobilized
organizational partners around the region to organize Global Youth Service Day projects in their
countries.!
!
The National Volunteer Center (CENAVOL) civil association is a nonprofit organization that seeks to
contribute to national development through the integration of national volunteerism. CENAVOL
promotes coalition efforts between civil society and the state as a way to contribute to national
development.!
!
!
EAST AND SOUTHERN AFRICA
For the second consecutive year, Kenya Slums Youth Development
Organization was selected to serve as the GYSD Regional Partner for
East Africa. KESYDO is an organization that works to build a society where
slum youth access opportunities to realize their potential and participate
fully in the economy and civic processes with dignity. The organization
promotes youth engagement to develop a system where all youth living in
slums will have an opportunity to basic education, health,
entrepreneurial skills, clean environment, jobs, shelter, food, clothing and special education for those
with disabilities.
During the weekend of Global Youth Service Day, KESYDO in conjunction with Nairobi City Council
through their one stop Youth information centre organized cleanup activities in the eight Districts of
Nairobi and in the three big markets in Nairobi’s Central Business District. During the clean up
exercises, youth volunteers trained by the Ministry of Health also provided free HIV testing services and
over 1,000 youth accessed free HIV counseling and testing services. Through the Cleanup activities,
KESYDO mobilized more than 10,000 young people living in Nairobi and engaged key stakeholders
including local government administration officials, Liverpool VCT, and various local youth groups.
KESYDO also represented GYSD at the 23rd
United Nations governing council meeting that took place on
April 11-15, 2011 with the theme “sustainable development.” Numerous foreign and local dignitaries
from various UN member countries were in attendance and more than 20 youth groups attended and
exhibited their products from all over the world. The meeting was officially opened by His Excellency the
President of Kenya Mwai Kibaki and UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon. More than 3000 people
participated in the meeting and organization exhibition, and KESYDO’s organization and GYSD exhibit
were well received.
WEST AND CENTRAL AFRICA
On March 30, Young People We Care organized a creative arts workshop for
Young People We Care’s Development Education Club of Pakyi No. 2 Islamic
Junior High School The workshop began with questions about youth
volunteerism and the environment. Each student was required to close their
eyes to envision the present environment and jot down one word to describe it.
Words ranged from ‘polluted’, to ‘degradation’ and ‘vegetation’ – but even
included ‘beautiful.’ Some were then asked to stand to act out (without words)
how the environment made them feel. Humorous, yet realist responses were expressed. Each student
then drew pictures of how they could volunteer to preserve their environment. Their last exercise
entailed completing sentences in which the starting lines were given. “I wish…” “I dream…” “I hope…”
“I am…” “I can give…” “My service…” The students unknowingly composed a creative poem that
compelled others to marvel at their visions for the nation’s environment.
On 31st
March, YPWC officially launched Global Youth Service Day on the campus of University of
Education, Winneba – Kumasi Campus and local radio station Mynd FM 103.9 captured the entire event.
Over three hundred young people filled the auditorium to kick off this year’s theme – “Youth
Volunteerism and Environmental Sustainability.” A popular radio talk show host was the mistress of
ceremony and began by introducing the Presidential candidate for Conventions People Party (Papa
Kwesi Nduom), who fantastically began by empowering the youth with his initiatives for youth
engagement in the building of the nation. He has implemented a volunteer programme for young people
to travel to various villages and rural communities to teach young children basic subjects. His speech
was followed by that of a representative of Ghana’s National Youth Council. He represented the needs of
the youth and articulated that it would take a joint effort of stakeholders and young people to
accurately highlight the ways youth could become involved in development issues and thus solicit their
participation. Students from Pakyi No. 2 Islamic Junior High School then performed their original poem
entitled “Inspiration.” Lines included those wishes, dreams and hopes for a better environment through