Fusion Arts & Service Camp - Murals

We led an awesome camp for middle school girls last week as part of the Harpeth Hall School Summer Program.  Each day we went to a different place to volunteer utilizing the girl's passion for arts & crafts.

Here's a picture of some of the murals we painted for the YMCA's preschool camp.  100+ children speaking 8+ languages will be coming to the YMCA to learn reading skills and get ready for school.

Corey Burton, a very artistic Y staff person, drew the images, and the girls painted the silhouette posters.  We were thrilled with the way the 11 posters turned out!
The activity led to conversations about the assets of creative activities and support.

Youth as Leaders

There is virtually no limit to what young people can do, no social need they cannot at least do something about. With a broad enough perspective, it’s hard to think of a positive social role teenagers have not at some time filled: from leading crusades, commanding armies, advising kings – being kings – to making scientific discoveries, composing symphonies, and exposing injustices. What youth can do is limited more by social and political convention than by capacity, energy or willingness.

– Dan Conrad and Diane Hedlin

The Rebelution Do Hard Things Tour

This powerful conference is coming to major cities across the USA over the next few months. Each conference is a challenging one-day event for teens by teens who believe that our generation is ready for a change.  I hope you'll consider sending your teens to this event - I believe it will be a life-changing experience.  I think it's $30 to attend the full day event.  Click here to find out more.

teens help disabled neighbors build gardens

Here is a news story from the Chattanooga Y-CAP program's new service-learning program.  They are one of our partners in a statewide service-learning training program for after-school organizations.  It's exciting to see the impact they are making with multiple generations in their city!

At-risk teens help disabled neighbors build gardens
 

If you are a child or youth in Nashville, we need your help and your vision!

The Mayor’s Office and the Task Force of the Child and Youth Master Plan are seeking the input and
creative vision of Nashville’s children and youth to help Nashville become the best city in the United States
for children and youth.

We are seeking all forms of creative writing, essays, poetry, and two-dimensional artwork (drawing, painting,
photography, etc.) to help answer the following question:

If Nashville were the perfect place for you to grow up, what would it look like?

As you consider your answer, think about what kinds of opportunities you might have, what kind of people
would be around you, what kind of support you would have, what role you would play in the community and
anything else that would be part of your ideal Nashville.

Think BIG and DREAM BIG and share your vision for Nashville with us!

Submissions will be included in the Mayor’s Child and Youth Master Plan.

Guidelines*

Writing: all essays, poetry or other creative writing must be limited to a maximum of 500 words.

Artwork: all artwork should be two-dimensional and must be original. This can include original painting, drawing, photography,
digital images etc.

SUBMISSION: Please email all writing and digital artwork or photography submissions to Anderson Williams at awilliams@oasiscenter.org. Writing and artwork can also be dropped off at the Youth Opportunity Center at 1704 Charlotte Ave, Suite 200 with attention to Anderson Williams. If you have questions, email Anderson or call him at 983-6858.

***ALL SUBMISSIONS MUST INCLUDE YOUR NAME, YOUR AGE, YOUR EMAIL AND/OR PHONE NUMBER***

DEADLINE: JUNE 30, 2010

Thanks to Anderson Williams for sharing this post!

Nashville Organizations Nurturing the Most Common Youth Sparks

This information was shared by 145 participants at the 2010 Sparks Symposium in Nashville, TN.  The event was sponsored by Trevecca, Oasis Center, OJJDP, YLLC, STARS and the YMCA Center for Asset Development.  To find out more about research and tools related to SPARKS, visit http://www.ignitesparks.org/.

Animal Welfare
• Audubon Society
• Happy Tales
• Humane Association
• Love at First Sight
• Nashville Zoo
• Saddle Up
• Walden’s Puddle

Athletics
• Centennial Sportsplex
• Church sports leagues
• Community Centers
• Community Sports Leagues
• D1
• Metro Parks and Recreation
• YMCA

Creative Arts
• Art Embrace
• Barefoot Republic Camp
• Cheekwood Botanical Gardens
• Country Music Hall of Fame
• Express at Fellowship Bible Church
• Frist Center for Visual Arts
• JAM camp “School of Rock” – Brentwood
• Kids on the Block
• Nashville Public Library
• Nashville School of the Arts
Centennial Park Arts center
• Salama Urban Ministries
• The Village Cultural Arts Center
• Yeah – Murfreesboro
• W.O. Smith Music School
• Youth Speaks


Helping, Caring
• Boy Scouts
• Girl Scouts
• Habitat for Humanity
• Hands on Nashville
• Hands on Nashville Day
• Metro Parks
• Oasis Center
• Volunteer Tennessee
• Peace Corps

Leading
• Boy Scouts
• Church Leadership Teams
• Community Centers
• Girl Scouts
• Junior Achievement
• Metro Public Health
• Oasis Leadership Teams
• Oasis Youth Action Teams
• STARS
• Student Government
• TLT

Living a quality life ( joy, tolerance, caring…)
• Community Nashville
• Community Nashville/Building Bridges
• Kids on the Block
• Mosque, church, temple...
• Oasis Center
• Scarrit Bennet Center
• Special Olympics
• STARS
• TIRRC


Learning (languages, sciences, history…)
• 4-H
• Adventure Science Center
• Astronomy – Ted McWilliams
• Cohn Adult Center – Community Education
• ESL Classes
• Home Economics – Beverly James
• Junior Achievement (business)
• Language/reading – Carmen Sparkman
• Nashville Public Library
• Parthenon
• Scarritt Bennett
• Schools
• Summer Day Camps
• The Bridge
• Time To Rise
• UT Extension Service
• Warner Park Nature Center
• Y-CAP
• Youth in Government
• Youth Life Learning Center
• Youth Speaks

Reading
• Book ‘em
• Book club at school or community center
• Facebook – if used correctly
• Good Reads (website)
• Nashville Public Library
• Nashville READS
• Rep your voice
• TOTAL


Nature, ecology, environment
• Adventure Science Museum
• Cheekwood Botanical Garden
• Cumberland River Compact
• Dyer Observatory
• Farmer’s Market
• Harpeth River Watershed Assoc
• Kids For A Clean Environment
• Metro Beautification Committee
• Metro Parks: Shelby, Beaman, Bells Bend...
• Nashville Greenways
• Percy Warner Park
• Radnor Lake
• Shelby Park
• Sierra Club
• Team Green
• The Nature Center
• Truth & Reconciliation Project
• Urban Gardens
• Warner Parks

Spirituality, religion
• Churches, synagogues, mosques, temples...
• Good News Clubs
• Inner city ministry
• Pathfinders
• Salama Urban Ministries
• Walking daily with Jesus
• Young Life
• Youth Life Learning Center
• Youth retreats

Edited by Susan Ragsdale and Ann Saylor at the YMCA Center for Asset Development

Student Video Challenge Promotes Healthy Schools

Is your school making healthy changes? The Alliance for a Healthier Generation wants to hear about it!

They are inviting YOU to submit a short video sharing what your school is doing to get students eating healthier and moving more. Pick up a camera, gather your friends and share with us the healthy changes your school has made.

You could win up to $5000 for your school and a trip to NYC!

Find out more:  http://www.healthiergeneration.org/schools.aspx

BE BIG IN YOUR COMMUNITY - CONTEST ENTRY FORM

YOUR BIG IDEA COULD WIN A $25,000 GRANT!

If you have a BIG Idea that demonstrates Clifford’s BIG IDEAS and helps make your community a better place, tell us! The BE BIG Fund will help bring the winning BIG idea to life with help from Clifford and our friends at HandsOn Network.

Clifford’s Big Ideas!

Share * Play Fair * Have Respect
Work Together * Be Responsible
Be Truthful * Be Kind * Believe In Yourself
Be a Good Friend * Help Others
• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

BIG Awards! One (1) Grand Prize honoree, Ten (10) first place honorees and Nineteen (19) second place honorees will be selected. The grand prize entry will be honored with a $25,000 community grant, the first place honorees will each be honored with a $2,500 community grant and the second place honorees will each be honored with a $1,315.79 community grant (via HandsOn Network affiliate organizations or designees) from the BE BIG Fund to be used towards implementing the winning proposals.

Deadline for entry:  June 30, 2010

Youth Leadership at the Big Tent Conference

Do you know a young person who's interested in helping shape the future of the Big Tent conference?  They are currently seeking youth (ages 14-21) to serve on our National Youth Advisory Panel. The Panel’s role is to assist and provide input to the Youth Involvement Committee on

• providing opportunities for youth to gather and build relationships with adults and other youth;
• providing opportunities for youth to share their experiences and engage in asset-building activities;
• providing opportunities for youth to learn outside of learning sessions and to take learning from the conference back to their home communities.

For more information, go to www.BigTentConference.com/nyp.

Y-I Love Myself Youth Health Summit

Corey Burton at the YMCA of Middle Tennessee planned this educational event for Valentine's Day, so it's titled with a love theme.  It's a very creative and active way to engage youth around health and wellness, so we thought you'd like to see their agenda.  The ideas could easily be adapted for a classroom or an after-school activity period.
Health Department “Nashville Moves”=> A special guest talked about small things youth can do to make large impacts on their health and well being. In addition, he spoke to them about youth obesity and how it effects them not only physically but mentally in the areas of confidence etc.


“Get in where you fit in.” => Corey Burton led this portion of the event, and at this session, they led the youth through a “Spin Class,” and took them on a tour of our facility. They gave youth pedometers before the tour, and talked to them about needing to live more active lives, and the purpose of the tour and the pedometers was to show how easy it is to log steps and to walk off calories etc. 


Nutrition Plannery=> We had an individual from Second Harvest that showed our youth how to make Parfaits. They loved this exercise. She provided the yogurt, granola, and a number of fruit options and showed them how to make these. In addition, she spoke to them about nutrition; showing them the impact of not living active lives with nutrition being an integral part of their diets.


Lunch=> “Lettuce Eat” At this, we provided youth with lunch. The only option was the salad, which we provided all the essentials to dressing up the salads. We had baked chicken, various healthier dressings, and other veggies that you could put in the salads. Going off of the fact that we left the event with no leftovers, we believe that the youth enjoyed the healthy lunch.


Vision Board=> All of the youth went through the vision board exercise. This exercise was aimed at encouraging youth to think about, plan for, and envision his/her future. We all know that this sort of preparation and thought helps bring these goals and dreams a reality.

Great Book for Teens and Preteens - and Anyone Who Works with Them.

I read "Do Hard Things" last week, and zoomed through it with hungry eyes. Written by 2 teenagers, it's a look at how young people can do great things and make a huge impact on the world.

It empowers youth to lead with an energy unlike anything I've ever read. It inspires youth to be their best and give their best to important causes. It pushes youth to ponder and pursue their dreams. It invites youth to rally together to shut down teen apathy or indifference, and set a standard for this generation and beyond.

As I finished the book, I wanted to put this tool in the hands of every youth worker and educator I know, so they can get it into the hearts/minds of every teenager they know. It's that good!

It is written from a faith-based perspective, so it's a perfect fit for faith-based schools and youth groups. If you do not work with a faith-based group, you should still take a look at the resource, because you can still use the ideas, principles and stories.

Happy reading!

Ann

Teaching Friendship Skills

My friend Julie volunteers as a Girl Scout Troop Leader. She just shared a great idea for teaching children about friendship skills.

She gave the girls construction paper and markers and asked them to decorate a heart. She let the girls spend a bit of time decorating, so they grew attached to their artwork. Then she told everyone to crumple their work into a ball. The girls were very sad, but with a little encouragement they followed Julie's direction. Then Julie told the girls to uncrumple their hearts, and smooth out the pictures. She asked the girls:

What did you think about your hearts before you crumpled them?
How easy was it to crumple them?
How easy was it to uncrumple them?
How did the pictures change from the crumpling?

This activity parallels our hearts and our friendships. It's so easy to 'crumple' a friendship by saying unkind words or taking thoughtless actions. It only takes a few minutes, and sometimes it doesn't feel like a big deal to hurt someone in a small way.

But 'uncrumpling' or restoring a friendship is never easy. You can say "I'm sorry" and try to make ammends, but the unkindness makes a lasting mark on our hearts and our friendships. Rebuilding trust is very difficult to do.

What can you do to protect your friendships? How can you guard your words and your actions to avoid hurting the people around you? Make a pledge to do those things today - remember the power of your actions to bless or hurt those around you.

Creating Games that Promote Health & Wellness

Want a great service-learning project, competition or activity for a computer class, a nutrition class or an after-school program?

The "Apps for Kids" program at the USDA is seeking innovative and creative tools and games to deliver nutrition and health concepts in a fun and engaging way.

They are offering $40,000 in prizes to create fun and engaging software tools and games that encourage children directly or through their parents to make more nutritious food choices and be more physically active.

Contest ends June 30, 2010.

Find out more at www.appsforhealthykids.com.

A Special Invitation For You

Youth Worker Symposium - "Igniting the Hidden Strengths of Young People"
April 21, 2010
8:30 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Trevecca Nazarene University Boone Center
Nashville, Tennessee

Guest Speaker: Mary Ackerman, Director of External Relations, Special Assistant to the President, from Search Institute will educate and motivate us all with the latest research on what helps youth thrive.


SPARKS Matter

Learn what SPARKS are and why they matter as Mary Ackerman from Search Institute shares key findings from the institute's latest research on thriving youth. A short introduction to the Developmental Assets will serve as an entry to the goal of understanding strength-based human development as demonstrated by SPARKS. Participants will explore the power of youth being able to name their spark, identify adults who support them, the importance of providing opportunities for youth to practice sparks, and the role sparks play in giving youth their voice.

In the afternoon, symposium attendees will engage in SPARK conversations and delve more deeply into the practicalities of putting SPARKS information to work within program activities, engaging parents as partners, and more! Search Institute says, “This is probably the most practical tool we have for youth workers. . . . Spark conversations and engagement start the process for strong relationships that lead to development of the assets.”

Contact Susan Ragsdale with any questions at 262.9676. Share this invitation with friends and colleagues.

What Works for Programs for Older Youth

A new Child Trends fact sheet, What Works for Older Youth During the Transition to Adulthood, examines the role that programs for older youth can play in promoting positive development and subsequent self-sufficiency in adulthood. It synthesizes the findings from 31 rigorous evaluations of programs; all of the programs evaluated youth outcomes during the transition to adulthood (ages 18 to 25), but programs varied in the ages of targeted youth.

Among the findings:

• Education and career programs can be effective, especially for low-income youth and for youth targeted from younger ages.
  
• Specific intervention strategies, such as mentoring, case management, and providing child care for young parents, are associated with program success across youth outcomes.
  
• Substance use and reproductive health programs have not consistently been found to be effective for this age group.

Reprinted from childtrends.org

Choosing Children's Activities

MVParents just posted a thought-provoking article titled "Demanding Activities: When Are They Too Much?" Here are some excerpts of the article...

Whether your child is involved in sports, music, the arts, or another activity, there often comes a time when she finds herself involved in an activity that demands a great deal of time and money. In our “go-go-go” society, there are a growing number of activities that now require kids to give almost all of their free time to participate. How do you know when this is the right thing to do?

Consider these ideas:

Talk with your child about what’s important and what he wants to do. Some kids want to do ballet, debate, volunteering, or a musical group that requires intensive training and activity. Other kids don’t. Discuss these issues together.

As a family, talk about your values regarding success. Kids do better academically and socially, and behave in ways we value, when they have multiple interests instead of just one.

Talk about the value of pursuing a number of interests that your child gets excited about. For more information, visit www.ignitesparks.com.

If you want your child to be good at something, that pursuit will be demanding in terms of time. That’s true for all people. In order to master a skill, it takes time and practice.

Consider the pros and cons of kids doing demanding activities. Yale University child psychiatrist Dr. Kyle Pruett was interviewed on this subject through the Connecticut Public Broadcasting Network. You can listen to the audio episode on their Web site.

Know what you’re willing to invest financially in an activity. Talk to your child about this. It can be painful when she begins to enjoy and excel at an activity and you find that you’re required to shell out hundreds—if not thousands—of dollars. Ask about the financial aspects of an activity; not only for this season or this year, but in the coming years as well.

Click here to read the rest of the article, which outlines tips for specific age groups.

Empowering Youth - Continuum of Youth Involvement

Anderson Williams, Director of Consulting at the Oasis Center, has done some powerful work around giving youth voice in order to make lasting community changes. I just discovered his Continuum of Youth Involvement. It's a really good way to think about how adults invite youth to participate, vocalize their thoughts, lead, and direct projects and programs. It's a very eye-opening and easy-to-use scale!

Looking for youth leaders to inspire healthy living! (Alliance for a Healthier Generation Youth Advisory Board)

The Alliance for a Healthier Generation is searching for a select group of young people to serve on our Youth Advisory Board (for 2010-2011) and roll up their sleeves for a few hours a month of critical thinking, engaging conversations, good fun, new friendships, and high-profile leadership. Applicants must be between the ages of 8 and 17 years old when membership begins July 2010 and live in the United States. Interested youth can visit empowerme2b.org for more information.

(info copied from the HCHY listserve)

News from Nashville's Mayor's Youth Council

From the Mayor's Youth Council:

As you may know, Mayor Dean and a task force of over 50 local community, government, faith and nonprofit leaders have begun a 5-month process toward developing a citywide Child and Youth Master Plan. The Mayor and the entire task force (which includes several young people) are emphasizing the need to hear from our youth. The first step is the Youth Survey linked here http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/ZYXHKQ3 which was created by and is being supported and analyzed by the Mayor’s Youth Council.

Please share this survey with any and all young people you might be connected with so that we can ensure that their perspectives inform this important process. Hard copy surveys will also be distributed at schools to ensure a representative sample from the District and as well as private schools.

As an additional opportunity and a follow-up to the survey, the Mayor’s Youth Council will also be hosting the Mayor’s Youth Summit on March 26 which will further inform the Child and Youth Master Plan. Youth members of the Master Plan task force are also holding focus groups around town and in schools, a process being led by MLK student and chair of the task force, Jairus Cater.

Please keep an eye out for these opportunities in the next couple of weeks and help us set a new standard for how a city can work WITH its youth to create a new vision and new solutions for our city.

If you have questions, please direct them to the MYC adult support staff Lindsay Wilke: lwilke@oasiscenter.org

End the Word Awareness Day

Special Olympics Project UNIFY and youth leaders around the country are trying to make our schools and our world safer and more just for students with intellectual disabilities. They have named March 3 as End the Word Awareness Day. Go to their website, www.r-word.org, to sign your support and find resources to develop your own efforts and awareness in your organization, community or school.

"As we consider concepts of safety, equity, and justice", says Anderson Williams, "this campaign represents a powerful national, youth-led effort for all of these ideals in our schools and communities. We can make a real difference by simply choosing not to use the r-word ourselves."

Anderson Williams shared several brief videos that demonstrate the importance of this issue and the power of young people to change it:

1. A student video created in response to the use of the r-word on the O’Reilly Factor which was sent to the show and solicited a public apology!
2. An interview with Johnny Knoxville with Eddie Barbanell on why he has chosen to stop using the word