David I. Adamiec
age 16
email: dadamiec@snet.net
Kidpacks of America Inc
Westbrook, CT
For the past 5yrs. I have involved hundreds in my community in the assembly of KidPacks, Back-To-School back-packs for abused and neglected children. My organization, Kid-Packs of America,Inc. instructs classrooms of school and church children in mass numbers, showing them the importance of giving to those less fortunate. Having my own organization and my own web-site (both donated) enables me to reach other states and lately other countries in helping children in situations beyond our imagination. Kidpacks are loaded with 6days of new clothing, all toiletries, and for infants all the necessities. Over 40 items fill each pack. Comfort items such as stuffed animals and books and blankets are also included in packs.These are prepared for birth thru teens. Approx. 200 packs yearly have been turned over to Dept.of Child and Family Service. Back to School Packs are collected for and assembled during the summers. Hundreds each year are assembled and delivered to families unable to afford expensive supplies. All items (over 40) are the best merchandise, including a brand new backpack. I work with scouts, so they can earn their Eagle status. I work with organiz. so they can learn the value of volunteerism. I belong to an organization, The Heart of America, and travel and give speeches, to motivate others to give. I love what I do, and exceed my goals yearly.
I know I help children in terrible situations feel a little better at a time when someone really needs to care. I have seen their letters. I have not met one of them. I help children feel equal to others when attending school for the packs that I prepare are the finest stuff. I am proud of what I do, and those who see my web site, or contact my organization through my e-mail are guided to do the same.
Eddie Bergman
age 20
email: ejb228@nyu.edu
Miracle Corners of the World
New York, NY / Arusha, Tanzania
Twenty-year old New York University student Eddie Bergman has gone beyond the traditional in wanting to help young people in Africa, and decided that the best way for him to help the process of global development was by encouraging self-sustainability. He didn't focus on collecting food and clothing, but instead on collecting resources and gathering people who wanted to help create a sustainable project for the young people living in the under-served parts of Arusha, Tanzania (approx. population 100,000) and in other disadvantaged parts of the world.
Eddie wanted to make a difference while in High School and was involved with a number of programs before going to University. In his new school, Eddie launched a group called Miracle Corners of the World and together with a group of mentors, fellow students, friends and volunteers made a number of trips to Tanzania, where they have built the Dr. Herman Wrice Youth Empowerment Village (completed in early 2001). The Village is now home to a computer room and training facility, a playground and basketball courts, as well as a pre-school, which is currently serving 105 students in the community. Following a successful trial program, the Village will soon also have a dental care facility as well, set up in partnership with a Dental Outreach Program.
Miracle Corners of the World, incorporated by Eddie and his teammates as a non-proft organization, has helped to coordinate a number of other projects in the town and neighboring areas, including soccer games and the establishment of the Komalak Village Youth Development League, which assists young people in the process of starting a business.
Russ Ferguson
age 16
email: RussFerguson@HelpingHands.itgo.com
Helping Hands
Charlotte, NC
Helping Hands fulfills the needs of the elderly in my community. That population is growing every day, and many of these people cannot do simple tasks. The aim of Helping Hands is to aid the elderly with households tasks that they cannot hire someone for, yet cannot accomplish themselves. Some examples of this include changing light bulbs, changing batteries in smoke detectors, moving furniture, and retrieving items from an attic or basement. It has definately succeded, Helping Hands has over thirty volunteers and has helped many Senior Citizens in Charlotte. Helping Hands has also been featuren in Charlotte Magazine and has appeared on a local news station. It has positively affected my community by helping Senior Citizens and by Volunteers meeting new people and having fun while doing something important. This is a new and innovative idea because no one else in Charlotte does it.
Lovidy Gerdes, Jeffrey Rodriguez, John Serrano, Jeanine Tunon
ages 18, 19, 19, 19
email:SafeKidsNYC@aol.com
S.A.F.E. K.I.D.S.
Brooklyn, NY
S.A.F.E. K.I.D.S. (Safe Alternatives For Empowering Kids In Disadvantaged Situations) is a non-profit organization hoping to get a 501(c)3. It is a youth center founded by 4 teenagers and is located in the Williamsburg area of Brooklyn, New York. Jeffrey Rodriguez and Lovidy Gerdes both saw the lack of youth centers in the neighborhood. A neighborhood in which drug dealers are the biggest influence on the streets. The same streets in which many young and innocent kids hang out. They took it upon themselves to fullfill their dreams of a youth center created for the purpose of offering a safe place providing an alternative to bad influences.
S.A.F.E. K.I.D.S. focuses on reaching out to low income, inner city youth who do not have the opportunities to overcome the delinquent behavior on the streets. Through leadership training and community awareness S.A.F.E. K.I.D.S. teaches them what is needed to succeed as an individual as well as a community.
We address the social problems in our neighborhood through an annual street festival planned and organized by the youth. This block party involves 6-8 months of preparation in which the youth of our youth center and community are involved in all the decision making. They also plan various events that show off their talents and many skills they have learned throughout the year. Whether it be a dance routine or a play, they get their time to shine and voice their opinions on stage. We at S.A.F.E. K.I.D.S. try to prevent the youth from being bored so they won't have to try drugs or join a gang. We believe that our annual street festival has directly made a difference because the first year it was held, we had to look for the performances and it was hard to find young people who were willing to dedicate themselves to the time and demands of making the street festival a success. Now, for our third street festival, we have so many young people wanting to be a part of the team. From coming up with performances to helping us organize the day, we have tons of kids, parents, and community members that would love to get involved.
Our annual street festival is one example of how we bring communities together to work on a short-term goal. The youth performers come from all over the five boroughs. This creates a unity among different communities on this one day. The parents of these youth usually come to see their kids perform and they mingle with the parents of our neighborhood. They all share one thing on this day, pride for our youth.
Almost miraculously, there is never a single incident of violence that occurs among over 1,000 people who attend our street festival. Our entire community comes together, in one place, at one time, without violence. This is a monumental demonstration of the success of S.A.F.E. K.I.D.S. in building our community.
We also have a magazine called "YShine?". Which stands for Youth Shine but at the same time it says: why should they shine? This is an amazing magazine that contributes to our fight against the many social problems in our community. The magazine is written completely by the youth and edited by the youth. The illustrations, comics, crossword puzzles and fun pages are also put together by the youth. The magazine features youth that are standing out in their communities and at the same time adults who the youth find impressive. The youth go out and interview people, then come back and write up stories on their research. By being in charge of this magazine, the youth learn responsibility as well as work towards the goal of putting out a successful magazine. It also gives the youth and the adults role models to read about. Each staff at S.A.F.E. K.I.D.S. has had a role model while growing up and we feel that positive role models are important to becoming a successful person. The magazine gives people the opportunity to see and understand that youth can take on responsibility and achieve their goals.
We use all of these activities as a beginning to solving the problems in the neighborhood. Our kids at the center are well aware of many problems out there, they get a chance to see other youth doing good things and at the same time get a chance to see how much potential they themselves have. This makes their self esteem higher and so far we have only had success. Since the police precinct is aware of our center, they tend to have more police officers around our center which in turn, deflects drug dealers and problems from our center.
Thus, throughout the year, kids are kept busy, interested, and occupied by positive activities. S.A.F.E. K.I.D.S. helps households build a bridge over the gap between parents and their children, and provides a haven from the problems of the community that face the youth. Youth at our center face only positive role models, self-esteem boosters, and fun educational activities.
Shundrea Green
age 23
email: Dreag41@hotmail.com
Youth Working for Positive Change
Des Moines, Iowa
Youth Working for Positive Change is a 6 year old non-profit organization whose youth are dedicated to making positive change within their community. Youth members range in ages from 12 to 17 and we are an affliate of Des Moines Citizens for Community Improvement, a 26 year old organization.
YWPC has worked on many issues that concern young people in our area. Some of our focus has been on education, abandoned houses, neighborhood clean ups,and the lack of youth activities.
The members decide on the issues they would like to work on, and run their own meetings. YWPC holds their general meetings twice a month, and may have additional planning meetings to discuss targets.
In the past YWPC has had many victories, which include, but are not limited to, the tearing down of an abandoned greenhouse, organizing a youth night at the miniature golf course, our annual Hidden Heroes Banquet, where we recognize non-traditional youth. Also YWPC, has attended thier own youth retreat which consisited of on going trainings. Now we are working on education issues, the problem of high minority drop out rates, and also scholarship legislation that will enable low income youth to attend college based on the amount of community service they have completed.
There are several new ideas that come to the table every meeting. One of the most recent that we will be taking action on is, working with the Iowa Juvenile Justice System to send thier non-violent offenders to YWPC as a part of thier probabtion. This will build membership for YWPC, and also expose these youth to positive activity.
Rachel Harrison
age 22
email: rachelavery@yahoo.com
Introduction of the Alternatives to Violence Project to Ghana
Adelphi, MD
Communities need to be reminded that violence happens in many forms and is not located "out there" but also in ourselves. Alternatives to Violence Project (AVP) workshops allow participants to examine their response to violence and experiment with their own alternatives. AVP is well-suited to many cultures because it was developed by cross-cultural collaboration between Quakers and inmates, and it uses participants' life experiences as a basis for learning new approaches. I organized an international volunteer delegation (1 Dutch, 1 Togolese, 1 Nigerian, and me) to introduce AVP to Ghana. In teams, we led four 20-hour workshops there in August 2000.
Several participants said the workshops changed their thinking about marriage. Some said they were able to use AVP communication techniques to great effect immediately. A combination of participants of different ages, genders, and positions in the community created a unique forum, allowing communication breakthroughs. Of the 33 who participated, 19 completed all three levels, including training for facilitators. They now have monthly meetings to practice facilitation and hone the cultural effectiveness of workshop materials. Leadership in Ghana does not usually include young people, so the fact that facilitator trainees chose a 20-year old as one of their leaders is significant. I support emerging Ghanaian AVP leadership by email. I am organizing another delegation for summer 2001, in which Ghanaians will apprentice internationals to lead workshops. I speak to groups ages 10 to adult about my experience in Ghana. My Maryland co-AVPers are enriched by comparing Ghanaian issues with ours.
Brandon Keefe
age 15
web: www.BookEnds.org
BookEnds, a project of Community Partners
West Hills, CA
When I was 8 years old I went with my mom to Hollygrove, a residential treatment center for abused and neglected children in Hollywood. At the Board of Director's meeting the adults were trying to figure out how they could build a library for the children without any books or money. I thought about the need and had an idea to help out. I knew that I had extra books at home and that my friends did too. I returned to my elementary school and organized a used children's book drive with the help of my classmates and teachers. Four months later I surprised my mom with 847 books to start the Hollygrove library.
Over the next four years I organized book drives to donate 2,500 books to Hollygrove through the efforts of 1,800 elementary student volunteers. Community organizations joined in our effort and provided shelving and tables and chairs to transform an old meeting room into a library. Volunteers organized the books and now sit down with the Hollygrove children to teach them how to read.
The mission of BookEnds is to recycle children's books teaching students the value of community service as we work to develop libraries in our neediest schools and youth organizations. Critical to our success is our partnership with community organizations that provide the resources to turn a child with a new book into a reader. Our recipients include schools and youth organizations throughout the Nation and overseas.
More than 32,000 students have volunteered for BookEnds, donating more than 106,000 books to develop 40 libraries for 62,000 needy recipients. Many people now help us with BookEnd. I continue to speak to students about the importance of the BookEnds' program, motivating them to take on the challenge of organizing book drives in their communities and increasing the awareness of the need for books for school children throughout our nation and the world.
"I accept this award on behalf of every volunteer who has ever worked for BookEnds, putting their time, effort and heart into improving children's literacy. The grant monies will enable us to put at least 6,000 books onto the shelves of needy children giving them the tools to learn to read! I believe that the Global Youth Action Network is able to inspire and motivate people to build up the courage to act in the face of adversity."
Greg Martayan
age 16
Executive Board of Youth
Encino, CA
The Executive Board of Youth is a project intiated by Greg Martayan, 16, of Los Angeles, California. Greg Martayan is myslef and I am now going to tell you more about EBY. For many years I have held many National Positions, I have advised many and I have met with many officials such as the Former Attorney General Janet Reno and Mrs. Clinton. But what I found lacking in all that I do and with all the organizations that I work with, is that not any of these projects are youth intiated and youth coordinated. I discovered a person who acts and serves as the Director of Inner Relations for EBY. His work as an Eagle Scout proved helpful in our many months of planning for the opening of EBY.
The Executive Board of Youth is a resource center to the nation. It provides the breakdown of LA agencies and it has a breakdown of national service no matter where you are in the United States, we help you find an activity to do. If the person wants to start a program or event, we can help them get it off the ground by suggesting tips and ideas. EBY has proven successful so far.
I serve as the Execuitve Director of the project and so far EBY has been recognized as a great project. It has been featured in an article in Ohio at a conference that I spoke at. EBY has proven helpful to many in the country. Students in Boston used our programming and they fell in love with it. We are here to serve the American youth and adults as best as we can. We are run by youth for youth. Our website can be found at www.ExecutiveBoardofYouth.com.
The Executive Board of Youth hosted an event on May 5th to which over 60 public and private schools and over 60 governement officials were invited. The day was to promote Community Service and youth participation in cultural understanding and poilcy creating. It took place in the Loyal Order of Moose Lodge in Glendale, CA and was covered by ABC and the Glendale News Press as well as others.
Renee Murdock
age 16
email: RM12085@aol.com
Peace Playground/ Library Project
Brooklyn, NY
The Peace Playground/ Library Project is an effort begun by 6 teenagers, all from different high schools in NYC. Our plan is to build a playground and children's library in Sarajevo, Bosnia, a war stricken country, in collaboration with high school students attending the first Bosniak High School. So far we have found a site in Bosnia to build the playground and library and are currently in contact with students from Sarajevo. In March, the two students and a Bosnian architect will be traveling to meet us here in NY to exchange ideas. We are looking foward to their arrival. One goal of ours is to raise enough money for plane tickets and the overall expenses of building the playground.
We hope our contribution and devotion to Bosnia will help future generations to heal mentally and physically after going through traumatic and life changing experiences during the war. After exchanging emails with one of the students in Sarajevo, it has become even more clear how much a project like this will effect children all over Bosnia.
Another goal we have accomplished has been to find organizations willing to help us with our project. We are currently in contact with The Sam Shwartz Company. They are helping us to design the playground by incorporating themes of peace and bridges of cultures in our playground.We are also in contact with the NYC parks department who have been helping us research playgrounds all over the city. Our final goal is to be in Bosnia building the playground one year from now. Not only will this project help rebuild Bosnia but it will form a future connection with teenagers throughout the world.
Emily Nepon
age 21
email: info@selfeducation.org
web: www.SelfEducation.org
The Self-Education Foundation
Philadelphia, PA
We are building a movement across cultures and disciplines to unite homeschoolers and unschoolers; high school, college, and corporate drop-outs; inspired teachers and guidance counselors; prisoners, and philanthropists to build a society where everyone has the freedom and support to learn.
We have a four-tiered strategy:
- Grantmaking. We strategically fund inspired, community-based efforts of self-education and self-advocacy.
- Through our website we are building an online self-educating community, catalyzing meaningful interaction that builds and connects people to learning resources. We aim to break the isolation of people who pursue learning outside of institutions.
- The Self-Education Network supports educational-community-building on a local scale through a network of local organizers.
- We spread the word, and challenge assumptions about self-education through a media campaign using varied tactics: from stickers in city schools, to articles in homeschooling journals and prisoner newsletters, to a full-page ad in the Wall Street Journal.
In our first year, we have focused on creating partnerships with groups we see as key in this movement through two rounds of funding, our newsletter (both a networking and fundraising tool), and attending relevant conferences (such as the NNG conference, the COOL Conference, the LISTEN Conference, etc). We raised $27,000 in our first year and (as of June 30th) we will have given away $14,200 in awards. We created a website, and published a pamphlet called "This Way Out: How to get out of school and get on with your life" (a resource guide for Philadelphia). This spring, we took a step back and redefined our mission, goals, and strategy. As we enter this summer, we are poised to build our structure, raise and grant more money, jump our outreach and networking up another level, and bring on more staff, a board of directors, and local network organizers. We have a database with about 500 names in it, and files full of resources.
Cameron Ross
age 16
email: ciao20@hotmail.com
Project R.E.A.D.
Stockton, CA
My project is entitled Project R.E.A.D. (Reading Enriches Academic Development). It was designed to aid children in acquiring and improving literacy skills. San Joaquin County, my community, ranks 47th out of 58 California counties in eighth grade reading levels. This statistic was alarming. I was inspired to establish an ongoing tutoring project for homeless and underprivileged children through teen mentoring. I was also introduced to research showing that there is a strong correlation between books per student in school libraries and students' reading scores. My goals were to raise funds to purchase new books to enhance the school libraries at the two school sites selected and impact the literacy skills of the students. I began by authoring a grant for $1,500 that was approved and then recruited ten teen mentors. The teens were trained in oral reading skills and questioning strategies to motivate children to learn to read and read to learn. The positive effects were considerable. Teens were actively involved in writing a grant proposal and instrumental in the project decisions, designs and implementation. We learned the societal issues of homelessness and were inspired to give back to our community to make a better life for those less fortunate. We enhanced the libraries at the children's homeless school and mentored over 100 children with one on one reading. Through this project the 4-H youth advisor introduced the service learning model and incorporated this process into our activities. I have since contacted other youth organizations to form additional teen mentoring teams.
Carly Rothman
age 16
Kids-for-Kids of New Jersey, Inc.
Princeton, NJ
Kids-for-Kids of New Jersey, Inc., a non-profit organization, provides NEW goods (including backpacks, school supplies, towels, toiletries, clothing, underwear, toys, and more) and services (including parties, field trips, and other activities) for children with AIDS, emotionally, psychologically, and physically abused children, impoverished children, and kids with physical disabilities. We also educate children and teenagers about creative ways that they can take initiative and make positive change in the lives of less fortunate peers. Our teen-run organization has seven chapters at different high schools, as well as several affiliated groups.
Kids-for-Kids was founded in 1995 by Carly Rothman and a friend (who is no longer a member of the organization). Carly was then eleven years-old. To accomplish our mission, we conduct an annual walkathon called Walk-for-Chalk, which raises funds to purchase backpacks and schools supplies, as well as to fund other projects, such as parties and field trips for the children. We conduct drives at schools and community organization to collect other items.
In the 5 1/2 years since its inception, Kids-for-Kids has raised over $56,000 for needy children, and has collected hundreds of towels, toys, toiletries, clothing, and other goods. We have organized over twenty parties and field trips, and have befriended hundreds of needy children from approximately fifteen different facilities. Kids-for-Kids has been ongoing since 1995; altogether, well over 5500 hours have been logged by Carly alone, let alone the chapter coordinators and other members that work diligently to accomplish our goals.
Kimmie Weeks
age 15
Children's Disarmament Campaign
Northfield, MA
Seven years had already passed, and the future of these 20,000 children seemed on a road destruction. From 1989 to 1996 adults seemed incompetent of replacing the rusty guns the children carried with pens. The warlords would hear nothing about taking the guns away for the children because these kids could be easily manipulated, drugged and sent to die. As a child, I knew that this was wrong and I decided that if nobody was willing to give those children a chance to live, I would...and I did.
I established the Children's Disarmament Campaign in 1996. It was my first effort at peace building. In the few weeks after the organization began, 500 youths joined the cause and the fight to take the guns away from children started. With funding from UNICEF we began spending at least 5 hours a day for one month visiting battlefronts to encourage child soldiers to disarm. We also met with the warlords and got them to sign petitions declaring the release of all child soldiers.
It was scary going to the battlefronts, but whenever I went, my heart went out to the thousands of children who had been torn between childhood and a nightmarish adulthood. When I spoke to the child soldiers they would tell the stories of the days when they were children; the days when they were happy- before their families had been killed and they were conscripted.
By the next year, with the consorted effort of several other groups the children and all those fighting in the war were disarmed, and peace was returned to Liberia. My heart jubilated because my project for peace had been successful and the two other organizations, which I had founded, were growing daily.
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