Fusion Arts & Service Camp - Journals for Girls in the Hospital

On day three of the Fusion Arts & Service Camp we visited the Ronald McDonald House, where we learned about this wonderful home-away-from-home for families with critically ill children in the hospital. After touring the facility, we started decorating our handmade journals for teen girls in the hospital. We used spray glue and glue sticks to cover a composition book with decorative scrapbook paper. Then the girls wrote encouraging quotes on random pages throughout the journal. Some girls added embellishments – a butterfly, a pinwheel, or a heart on the cover or throughout the book. The final step was modge-podging the covers, then we presented our gifts to the volunteer coordinator. We loved this project!!

Fusion Arts & Service Camp - Recycled Paper Bracelets

After touring Ten Thousand Villages, and hearing stories about the wonderful recycled products made by women & children around the world, the Fusion Camp Volunteers set off to make our own recycled jewelry.  These are recycled paper bracelets.  You cut strips from old magazines, cover one side with modge podge, and roll them up around a coffee stirring stick.  The girls were proud of their creations, and each left with plans to give their bracelet to someone as a gesture of encouragement.

We used these activities to talk about cultural competence, as well as equality and social justice - 2 of the 40 Developmental Assets.

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.

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
 

The Earth Book

We haven't read this book yet, but I enjoyed  reading Character Counts' review of the resource:

The Earth Book by Todd Parr is a powerful tool for kids intent on “going green.” With its colorful array of primary pictures, this hardcover offers 10 suggestions, complemented by explanations to validate the tips, about how kids can help the earth.  Read their full review here.

Responsibility is one of the 40 Assets, and environmental responsibility is a great way to start conversations with children.

Kids Zoom Into Action Helping Others

PBS has a great website called Zoom that helps kids find meaningful ways that they can help others.  They have a good variety of categories where kids can find volunteer projects to help animals, the environment, kids, people with disabilities, people who are sick...  It's very creative and kid-friendly - I can't wait to show it to my son!

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.

Resources for Youth Programs

If you want to have a strong youth program, check out Search Institute's resources for integrating Developmental Assets into Youth Development Programs. Here are some of the many tools they offer on their website:

Service-learning — When young people engage in the asset of Service to Others, they are more likely to experience more of the other assets over time.

Peer helping — Peer-helping programs can make a big impression and have a significant impact on young people.

Mentoring — In an asset-building organization or community, formal mentoring offers an important strategy for intentionally linking young people and adults…

Creative activities — Art, theater, and music programs can build many Developmental Assets.

Sports and athletics — Young people benefit a lot from sports programs—-particularly those that are balanced and age-appropriate.

Camping — Camping takes young people away from their everyday environment and, at their best, create an asset-rich experience

Helping in Haiti

Since there are so many needs in Haiti we want you to see this resource kit with ideas of projects and things needed. Hope it helps spark some further ideas of how you can involve your youth. Though targeted towards sports, that doesn't mean you HAVE to have a sports team. The ideas still work. The needs are still there.

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Many have donated to Haiti through various aid organizations, but there is more to be done. As youth sports program providers, there is enormous potential to engage young athletes in service-learning projects related to the recovery effort in Haiti.

Up2Us has developed the 'Guide for Youth Sports Teams to Help Haiti', a comprehensive guide to the discussion, research, preparation and action that a service-learning project for Haiti requires. Download, share, and utilize this guide

Random Acts of Kindness Week (February 15 - 21)

Random Acts of Kindness Week is a celebration dedicated to reminding everyone of the positive benefits and effects of kindness. Kindness is good for both the giver and the person receiving the kind gesture. A compliment.....help provided.....a favor done.....it makes each person feel special. When someone does a generous deed for another, a series of Kind Acts is set in motion and Kindness repeats across the community. Performing acts of kindness not only benefits the receiver of kindness but the doer as well. In fact, practicing kind acts has been proven to benefit both one's mental and physical health.

Download resources at: www.actsofkindness.org/be-inspired
Teacher resources are available at: www.actsofkindness.org/classroom

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

Global Exchange's National Valentine’s Day of Action: 3,500 for Fair Trade!

Global Exchange invites K-6 teachers to teach their Fair Trade cocoa curriculum during the National Valentine's Day of Action. Their goal is to educate at least 3,500 children about Fair Trade, and help thousands of kids in cocoa farming communities.

Global Exchange's Fair Trade curriculum features ready-to-use lesson plans based on inquiry- and experiential-based learning. It satisfies state teaching standards in every discipline. Kids learn they have the power to make a global impact AND it's fun!

Best of all, it is the culmination of a service-learning project where students from Evergreen State College's Master in Teaching program authored the lesson plans.

PART 1 (Book): Global Exchange's Fair Trade Chocolate Book
PART 2 (Unit): Setting a Higher Bar: Global Exchange's Fair Trade Cocoa Unit for Kids

Find more info here.

Hooray for Davidson County's New Horizon of Volunteer Leadership!

Ten cities were selected to receive $200,000 two-year grants, funded by the Rockefeller Foundation, to hire a Chief Service Officer - a senior city official dedicated to developing and implementing a citywide plan to increase volunteerism and target volunteers to address their city's greatest needs.

Due to the extraordinary response from cities to the first request for proposals - 50 cities applied to receive one of the ten grants - the mayors and Dr. Rodin announced that there will be a second competition in the coming months to award similar grants to an additional ten cities.

Cities of Service is a bipartisan coalition of Mayors from across the country, representing more than 38 million Americans in 80 cities, dedicated to engaging more Americans in service and channeling volunteers towards each city's most pressing challenges.

The cities selected to receive leadership grants are Chicago, IL; Detroit, MI; Los Angeles, CA; Nashville-Davidson, TN; Newark, NJ; Omaha, NE; Philadelphia, PA; Sacramento, CA; Savannah, GA; Seattle, WA.

Learn more at: www.citiesofservice.org

(Article reposted from HCHY newsletter)

Kids Care Clubs are a great way to get KIDS excited about helping others!

Kids Care Clubs are groups of young people (ages 5-13) who work together to help others in their communities and around the world. Clubs are formed in schools, faith based organizations, and community-based organizations. Any existing group (such as a Scout Troup or an after-school organization) can sign up to be a Kids Care Club. There are more than 80,000 children in Kids Care Clubs around the world.

What kind of support do Kids Care Clubs get?
Clubs receive a monthly e-newsletter with grant opportunities and project ideas. These projects include step-by-step instructions, compassion and issues education, meeting activities, additional resources related to the project and information on possible partners. These projects are centered on issues such as literacy, hunger, poverty, the sick, and the elderly or seasons of service such as Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Earth Day and Veterans Day. I love their latest idea that helps kids plan PLAYATHONs to raise money for orphanages in Haiti.

Find out more at www.kidscare.org.

TN Service-Learning Conference

February 9-10, 2010
Register NOW!

Registration is now open for the First Annual Tennessee Service-Learning Conference to be held on Feb. 9-10, 2010, at the Embassy Suites Murfreesboro - Hotel & Conference Center. Visit www.volunteertennessee.net to sign up today!

This conference will provide the opportunity for K-12 community-based and school-based youth and practitioners across the state to connect with service-learning leaders through general sessions, workshops, exhibits and networking opportunities. We have secured nationally renowned author and trainer Cathy Berger Kaye (author of The Complete Guide to Service-Learning) as the conference's featured speaker.

State Farm Insurance, a signature sponsor of the conference, is offering youth scholarships for the event (free registration) and you may apply for these online. Otherwise, cost for the conference is $75 for adults and $40 for youth.

Course Code 9395 training for educators might be offered through attendance at the conference. If you are interested in receiving more information about this, please contact Meredith Freeman.

Should you need additional information about the conference, please contact Meredith Freeman, Volunteer Tennessee's Deputy Director, at 615-741-9242 or meredith.freeman@tn.gov.

(From Volunteer Tennessee)

Lions Quest Service-Learning Training, 10/12-13

The National Dropout Prevention Center identifies service-learning as an effective dropout prevention strategy. When students and teachers are engaged in the educational process together, students improve grades, improve their attendance and increase positive lifestyle changes. These workshops provide a comprehensive experiential approach focusing on ethical, social and intellectual skill development of students.

Through service-learning, students develop positive values like trustworthiness and responsibility, commitment to a task and to those who are involved in it, collaboration and team-building, punctuality and respect for the quality of work done while serving the community.

Training spaces remain for the Franklin K-5 training. The registration fee is $35 per person. This includes breakfast, lunch and your curriculum materials valued at more than $500.

Visit www.volunteertennessee.net for a Lions Quest registration form or contact Meredith Freeman, Deputy Director of Service-Learning, at 615-741-9242 or meredith.freeman@tn.gov.

Skills for Growing (grades K-5)
October 12-13 Franklin, TN

Free Service-Learning Training - Innovation Spotlight Series

Youth Service California and the National Service-Learning Partnership invite you to participate in the Innovation Spotlight Series for Community-Based Service-Learning. This series focuses on the value and utility of service-learning in community organizations and faith-based groups who want to engage youth more effectively through service. This is an entirely free, online series running through September and will remain available online into the future. Here's how to engage in this series:

1) Visit www.nslpconnections.org and join the Affinity Group for Community-Based Service-Learning. Create a profile to join this online community.

2) At the Affinity Group, you will see links to two YouTube videos to start the series:
Community-Based Service-Learning and Youth Development http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RU0hDxLmq_E

Faith-Based Service-Learninghttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EfpeVyAaC-o
It is highly recommended to watch the Community-Based video first and then the Faith-Based video as the Faith-Based video builds on the first.

3) After you have watched these, please view the PowerPoint presentations, which you can download, use, and share with your colleagues--they can be found in the Documents section of the Affinity Group main page.

4) After watching the videos and PowerPoints (or whenever you feel moved), please take part in the discussions happening at the Affinity Group main page and at Youth Service California™s Blog (http://yscal.org/blog/). Questions will be posted periodically and feel free to pose your own!

5) Finally, as a capstone to the Innovation Series, we will host a Webinar on 9/21/09 at 2 PM Eastern Time, during which we will discuss the issues brought forth during the month and consider visions for the future. To participate on this day, follow these steps on Sept. 21st:
1. Go to https://aed.webex.com/aed/j.php?ED=116063397&UID=1050438242
2. Enter your name and email address.
3. Enter the meeting password: spotlight
4. Click "Join".In addition, Youth Service California will archive all this information at its website:http://yscal.org/cm/Service-Learning/Community.html

For any questions or concerns, contact Brian Seilstad at bseilstad@yscal.org or 510-302-0553.

(Thanks to Christina Kwon at SLYPN for sending this info our way!)

Duration and Intensity in Service-Learning

This quarterly issue of the National Youth Leadership Council's Generator Newsletter focuses on "duration and intensity," in service-learning - part of the standards for quality service-learning. While there is no magic number of hours that results in optimal service-learning, longer and more in-depth experiences tend to result in greater gains for all involved. Learn about the research that supports this standard, read about a powerful middle school environmental program, and learn how to move your program from direct service to advocacy.

You can download this issue free here.

100 Ways You Can Change the World

Check out Youth Service America's webpage with 100 Ways You Can Change the World. After almost every idea, they have posted a link where readers can further explore that area of volunteerism. There is something in their list for every age, every personality, every city size, and every timeframe. Very cool!

DoSomething Clubs - Empowering Youth to Make a Difference

I've been watching DoSomething grow for about a decade. They do a fantastic job of empowering youth to make a difference in their communities in bold, relevant, and creative ways. If your young people want to connect to a national movement of youth, check out Do Something Clubs.

The Clubs program launched in 2006 and already has over 500 clubs in 43 states, Puerto Rico and Canada! Click here to learn about starting a club at your school or community organization . It's free and they have so many resources available online! Joining also gives you access to $200-$500 grants for club projects.

Find out more at http://www.dosomething.org/.