YSA blogs

Lady Gaga’s Born This Way Foundation and GYSD

Amy Floryan — Wed, 08 May 2013 19:25:42 +0000

One of the most exciting parts of Global Youth Service Day is collaborating with partners that share the same values. The YSA Team was excited to partner with Lady Gaga’s Born This Way Foundation, whose mission is to build a kinder, braver, safer world. We know that one way to accomplish this mission is through service, and that’s just what BTWF called on the “little monsters” to do. They answered the call to service with creative projects. Check out pix, and visit their website for more.

Youth Advisory Board member of BTWF, Nanzi

“For my Global Youth Service Day project, I collected goods to donate to the LA Youth Network, a local shelter for teens. I went around LA picking up the donations and received over 300 items including books, clothing, hygiene products, and toys.”

Youth Advisory Board member of BTWF, Jeremy (third from the left)

“The Brothers of the Delta Theta Chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Incorporated spent an afternoon at the local YMCA to take part in the community’s Healthy Kids Day activities on Saturday April, 27th as part of Global Youth Service Day. The members spent the day supervising and engaging the youth in various physical activities that were designed to promote physical health, creativity, and an appreciation for the arts.”

Lady Gaga’s Born This Way Foundation and GYSD

The Hunger Warriors Rally to Fight Childhood Hunger

Amy Floryan — Wed, 08 May 2013 14:08:04 +0000

YSA grantees, Rachael Brunson and her 3rd-grade class at Elsa England Elementary School in Round Rock, Texas have spent the semester studying childhood hunger as part of their Semester of Service. These committed 3rd graders, known as the Hunger Warriors, are showing off their moves and taking action! Ms. Brunson and her class have partnered with another elementary school in the Austin area, and together, they will lobby at the State Capitol on Thursday, May 9, 2013 to place a focus on childhood hunger.

“As educators, our job is not only to teach the curriculum set forth by the state, but to inspire students to solve real-world problems,” said Brunson. “When students realize they can make a difference at such a young age, the experience is transformative and they can move on to make society stronger.”

When students take the lead, like the Hunger Warriors, they make a lasting positive impact on the world around them. Through service-learning, students can discover what they really care about and, in the process, achieve academic engagement and life skills. Learn more about how you can bring service-learning into your school with an YSA Grant.

The Hunger Warriors rally to fight childhood hunger as part of their Semester of Service.

Service Can Change Your Life: A Staff reflection

Amy Floryan — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 21:52:30 +0000

My journey in the service world started in 9th grade at an AIDS Walk. It wasn’t long after that I wanted to do more philanthropic work because I loved feeling that I was actually doing something with my life. Participating in community service was also one of the first times I had a sense of dignity and felt that I was doing something that was not merely self-seeking. For the first time I started to spend less time critiquing flaws in the mirror and started to make weak attempts of learning about people different from me by participating in the service projects that my school coordinated.

It's almost more than 10 years since my first "service" event at the annual Atlanta AIDS walk and perhaps it is not so ironic that I work at a non-profit (Youth Service America). My high school and college years were filled with a variety of career developing experiences but out of everything I did, service is the only thing that challenged me to be honest about who I desired to be and what I desired the community around me to look like. I was constantly asking myself and others about what service should look like? How can one be engaged in their communities? How does service create a greater sense of equality for those around me?

It wasn’t until several months ago that I received any answers to some of those questions—I started running with an organization called Back on My Feet. It is a non-profit that works to "create independence and self-sufficiency within the homeless and other underserved populations by engaging them in running as a means to build confidence, strength, and self-esteem. The organization seeks to make a community that embraces equality, respect, discipline, teamwork, and leadership--while also focusing on the desire all humans have to be feel recognized, appreciated, and valued."

Running with Back on My Feet gives me a new sense of dignity because this time there is no dwelling on who is more fortunate than another or who has more power in the relationships that are built. Our running team with Back on My Feet creates a sense of equality that lets both me and my friends experiencing homelessness understand a bit about mutuality by serving each other. It teaches us that service does not discriminate based on power or choice.

A Parent's Perspective: Creating a Culture of Service for Your Kids

Amy Floryan — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 18:46:48 +0000

"Good thoughts, good words, good deeds.”

From the age of three, YSA grantees Carishma and Darius Chinoy have practiced serving each other and the community around them. Their mother, Marissa Sequeira, has created a culture of service in their home where volunteering for a Habitat for Humanity build or painting a neighbor’s kitchen is the ebb and flow of their daily lives.

Whether finding ways to serve each other at home or through the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts, the family's service began at home, together, and grew to impact their community, country, and world. Both Carishma and Darius credit their mother and grandmother as role models and beautiful examples of people who are constantly finding ways to serve others. Mrs. Sequeira and her mother were both members of the organization, Girl Guides in India, and through their experience clearly saw the effects of how one person can positively impact their family, community and country through service.

When asked about how can parents best engage their kids in service, Mrs. Sequeira encouraged other parents to be “more than a chauffeur” in the lives of their children.

“You have the option to drive your kids to their activities and barely speak to them, or actually be part of what they are doing. For instance, both of my children are part of the high school band. Instead of waiting for them in the car, I started selling concessions during their games. What they do is important to me. I want my life to show that through my actions.”

Additionally she gave perspective in regards to being from an affluent society in the Metro-Atlanta. “It is not easy to cultivate a culture of service in an affluent society, but that is why you begin with a culture of service within your own home. When I am gone, my kids will hold onto those truths and actions I was able to pass on.”

Darius and Carishma shared that they strongly believe that you cannot engage teenagers in service by mandatory requirements or guilt, but rather by effectively sharing how the individual teen is part of a much bigger picture. This allows the teen to understand why they are engaging in service, and offers a sense of ownership, dignity, and something that is fun.

Needless to say, their family is a beautiful example of creating a family ethos and an environment to practice a culture of service. The Chinoys reflect the famous words of Mother Teresa, “What can you do to promote world peace? Go home and love your family.”

18-year-old Carishma Chinoy is recently earned her Girl Scouts Gold Award, one of the Girl Scouts' highest honors. As a National Child Awareness Month Ambassador, Carishma is creating a documentary about the refugee experience, and is working to raise awareness about, and support for, refugees in the Atlanta area. 16-year-old Darius Chinoy, along with his teacher, are engaged in a Semester of Service focused on teen driver safety, as part of a State Farm Good Neighbor Student Achievement Grant. Darius recently created this Public Service Announcement to encourage his peers not to text and drive.

YSA Grants Manager Kiran Thadhani works with both teens.

A Message from YSA's Chairman Regarding Recent Action Against Former Employee

Michelle Pendoley — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 13:09:16 +0000

Dear YSA Partners and Friends:

For more than 25 years, YSA (Youth Service America) has been a leader in the youth service movement, providing funding and resources to engage young people in more than 100 countries in addressing the issues that are most important to them. I am humbled by the scope and power of our work, and grateful for the many partners that join us in our mission. Out of respect for you, our loyal supporters, and in the spirit of full transparency, I write to you to share a painful chapter in YSA’s history.

In the summer of 2009, YSA learned that a former employee had been channeling YSA funds to personal accounts. We now know that the individual, a trusted chief financial officer, embezzled at least $1 million over the course of at least eight years.

Upon YSA staff learning of this crime, law enforcement officials, our attorneys, and YSA’s Board of Directors were immediately informed. With the help of forensic accountants, board, and staff, we assessed the damage, and were grateful to quickly confirm that none of our programs had suffered. Significant impact instead was felt in YSA’s overhead, and by extension, in our ability to grow our organization and the youth service movement at the time.

In the aftermath, YSA immediately committed to improving our system of staff and financial accountability. We implemented a new financial oversight system and transitioned to a new accounting system; hired an outside CFO; replaced our outside auditors; and hired a new Vice President of Operations who joined YSA with a track record of managing large-scale youth programs. Finally, we required each current and new staff member to be subject to background checks.

While our internal reactions were swift, the case itself has been under investigation for nearly four years. On the advice of the U.S. Attorneys’ office, YSA has not discussed details related to the case, lest we jeopardize ongoing investigations. Recently, the perpetrator pleaded guilty, and will be sentenced in federal court in the near future. The change in the status of the investigation now allows us to speak openly about the ordeal, and how we recovered from it.

And recover we did: We concluded fiscal years 2010, 2011, and 2012 with a strong report from our new external auditors. Today, in 2013, YSA holds a ‘Four-Star Rating’ from Charity Navigator, based on our financial and fundraising practices. And to our great joy, YSA has been able to expand its work, and now offers more service and service-learning opportunities than ever before.

Thanks to everyone’s efforts and support—including our board, staff, sponsors, and our legal counsel—YSA has emerged even stronger. The process gave us the opportunity to look inward, to begin anew, and to reaffirm our shared commitment to our mission, to sound financial operations, and to each other.

YSA continues to be an amazing organization, and I still am in awe of how diligently our board and staff responded to address the situation. I have always praised YSA as being a strong shepherd of public trust and funding, and that will continue. Thank you once again for your support.

Sincerely,

Kenneth G. Bartels, Chairman
YSA (Youth Service America)

Members of the media may contact YSA's Director of Communications, Michelle Pendoley, at 202-650-5064 or mpendoley@YSA.org.

A Mile in Someone Else's Shoes

Amy Floryan — Fri, 12 Apr 2013 19:32:30 +0000

It’s been an enlightening experience this semester at Youth Service America where the people are inspired and the energy is contagious. It is through my internship here that I became inspired to attend this year’s ACC (Atlantic Coast Conference) Leadership Symposium. Each school in the ACC mobilized students to visit Boston College and participate in the conference which encourages community development through collaboration among young change agents.

Student representatives participated in a simulation, conducted by LIFT—a nonprofit that helps those affected by poverty—where individuals took on a new identity and navigated through the social service system. I was assigned the identity of a financially burdened single mother with two sick kids.

Volunteers in the simulation were stationed around the room at tables that represented various social service centers. All within an hour, I was turned down from a job, declined healthcare, and forced to wait in line at City Hall three separate times. Not too long into the simulation, I began to feel emotionally invested in the identity that I was assigned. Navigating my way through the social service system was exasperating, and something I thought I would never have to experience—especially as a white middle-class male.

People who face poverty are fighting a constant battle every day. We like to hear stories of those who “pull themselves up by their bootstraps,” but these are stories for a reason; they are too far and few in between. The reality is, when you’re so deeply entrenched in a hole, pulling yourself out is nearly impossible. With the inefficient resources provided by the social service system those in poverty are at an automatic disadvantage.

As Global Youth Service Day approaches, I’m thankful that I can now fully understand the importance of participating in service that engages those less fortunate. I was constantly told as a child that one single person has the power to change the world; it’s only now that I’m starting to believe it.

Kevin Hollander is a Junior Marketing and Psychology major at the University of Maryland College Park. He is an active Terp leader, participating in several organization, specifically Peer Leadership Council and Terpthon.

Meet Daniel

Amy Floryan — Fri, 29 Mar 2013 04:00:00 +0000

I first met Daniel in the fall, when I visited his 3rd-grade class at Elsa England Elementary School in Round Rock, Texas. With their teacher, Rachael Brunson, the class had just started a Semester of Service, a program built into their everyday lessons, during which they would learn about, and take action against, childhood hunger. From the start, Daniel stood back in a way that I’ve seen so many students.

This video was taken in March, five months into the Semester of Service. I asked Daniel if he wanted to talk to me about what he’d been learning. He was cautious, as if he were trying to give a “right” answer. I told him to ignore the camera, and just talk with me. He relaxed, and a few minutes in, something “clicked.” This is what you see in this two-minute clip.

This video is about Daniel and his compassion and his conviction—he’s a great kid. But so much led up to this moment, so this video is also about Ms. Brunson, and all the teachers like her, who are teaching their students lessons they will carry for life. Teachers who use service-learning intentionally and patiently build the practice into the curriculum and into their classroom culture. Every day, their students look up out of their textbooks to examine their world and reflect on how to connect their learning with things going on beyond the classroom walls. Over the course of a semester, entire classrooms have the same moment of passionate realization that Daniel did here.

We know from the research that high-quality service-learning programs—those of duration and intensity—lead to improved academic engagement. But as I spoke to Daniel, I realized that his heart, his compassion, and his conviction aren’t qualities easily measured by a test. His empathy and worldview are exceptionally well developed, and he’s already more engaged in his community than many adults. The lessons he’s learned through carefully investigating childhood hunger will stay with him, and his depth of understanding will grow as he does. When Daniel says he’s going to open a food bank, it’s easy to believe that he will. I truly believe that fewer people will be hungry because of Daniel.

Through service-learning, students can discover what they really care about, and we’re building stronger students and stronger communities in the process. They learn that they have the power to take action and to make a difference. With the right teacher committed to the right life lessons, every student can be like Daniel.

Scott Ganskeis the Director of Education at YSA (Youth Service America). In this role, he oversees three national K-12 service-learning programs that emphasize academic achievement, 21st Century skills, and STEM education. He also facilitates workshops at local, state, and national conferences.

Rachael Brunson’s Semester of Service is funded by a Sodexo Foundation School Engagement Grant. To learn more about YSA Grants available to youth, nonprofits, and schools, visit www.YSA.org/grants.

YouTube Video:

How Japanese youth can be more involved in their communities

Thu, 07 Mar 2013 22:46:21 +0000

by Riko Kita

Riko Kita is a student at Aichi Shukutoku University in Japan. Riko joined YSA this Winter for her 2013 NPO Internship Program, in cooperation with Aichi Shukutoku University, Civil Society Consulting Group, and other nonprofit organizations.

In my Japanese class in 2012, I had a professor who specializes in International volunteering. As one of his topics, he talked about the difference between Japanese and American volunteering and presented the results of a questionnaire. He and a Japanese student studying at Michigan University asked 100 college students from Aichi Shukutoku University in Japan and from Michigan University in the States, ”What is your perception of volunteering?” Here is the result of the questionnaire.

American Michigan University students think volunteering is:

a chance to get to know themselves and make a plan for their future
an individual’s responsibility to make a change in their society
enjoying spending time with their family and friends while contributing to other people’s lives

Japanese Aichi Shukutoku University students think volunteering is:

a meaningful activity for each other
a connection with other people , called ”KIZUNA” in Japanese
like sports because sometimes it makes them tired

I think both cultures regard volunteering as a not-for-profit and necessary activity sparing their time, effort and resources to help other people. At the same time, they can change their society and even world through the activity. It becomes an opportunity to improve themselves and to find their interests.

One difference was that more Americans than Japanese seem to regard volunteering as the role of each person to contribute to society. The most interesting thing for me is that an American said “After volunteering, I’m less stressed.” I was so surprised to hear that because I’ve never met such people in Japan. Some of Americans think the purpose of volunteering is not to work but to just enjoy it.

Of course, there are also such people in Japan, but unfortunately, the number is fewer, especially in my experience. I think there are a few reasons for this:

We don’t have experience in volunteering or enough information and opportunities to participate in volunteer activities.
Some people regard volunteering as a boring activity.
It is someone else’s role.

My first experience volunteering was at a festival last year to learn about the importance of international exchange and multicultural societies in Japan. The reason why I had never joined such an activity before was, to tell the truth, I was not interested in doing it. But through this festival, my image of volunteering totally changed and I started to think about how I can get involved in changing our society. It is the truth that most people like me don’t volunteer for such reasons and as the result Japan still needs to solve many social problems. Each of us needs to think about what we can do now. Here are my suggestions to solve such problems of Japan:

To distribute posters and leaflets written about social problems and what needs to solve it.
To create classes in a school about how to organize volunteering activities.
To discuss local problems concerning youth and volunteerism, motivating more young people to be volunteers at a conference.
Join a Japanese organization, IAVE Japan, Volunteer Center Aichi NPO(EXPO2005 Aichi Volunteer Center).

All people who live in this world each have different backgrounds, senses and values. So, if the number of people who start to think and take action increase, our society will become better. Anyone has the power to change the world, even if it is just be smiling and making each other’s days better.

Semester of Service: A College Perspective

Tue, 26 Feb 2013 20:02:13 +0000

By Aliyah DeVille

My participation in YSA’s (Youth Service America) Semester of Service is what allowed me to become passionate about community outreach. In our Student Voices session with Secretary of Education Arne Duncan we discussed the noticeable difference between ordinary service and truly meaningful service. YSA’s Semester of Service is what introduced me to meaningful service experiences. It transformed my senior year of high school with opportunities that most high school students do not get to experience. In fact, most high school students scramble to make community service hour requirements during their senior year simply so they can graduate. Our session allowed us to voice our concerns about high school students who have been through 12 years of schooling without doing one service project they enjoy. A Semester of Service similar to the program in which I participated, would allow students to get emotionally invested in their community outreach activities and develop a long-lasting passion for service.

For my senior year, I worked with a group of 20 students to combat childhood hunger and homelessness in Montgomery County, Maryland. During the year, we had the pleasure of volunteering with a number of different organizations that worked to help families in these situations. Having a whole year dedicated to one cause allowed me to get emotionally invested in the issue we were working on. I was able to research the topic and talk to people who were directly affected by the issue and create relationships with great service leaders who could motivate me. I think the best way for high school students to get excited about service is to provide them with similar opportunities so that they can get invested in one project that they are excited about. Instead of scrambling to do hours of service here and there during their senior year, students should be involved year round. Starting service projects their freshman year of high school, students can discover issues that make them tick and find what they would be passionate about helping. This will not only lead to more fulfilling and sustainable service results but will also create long lasting leaders of service.

Aliyah DeVille is a freshman at Howard University, majoring in Public Relations. She graduated from the Communications Magnet Program at Montgomery Blair High School and during her senior year was a part of the Superintendent’s Leadership Program in Montgomery County that allowed her to participate in YSA’s Semester of Service.

My Experience with Secretary of Education, Arne Duncan

Tue, 26 Feb 2013 19:58:35 +0000

By Izzy Parilis

Throughout college, I’ve had the opportunity to engage in meaningful service through my service learning classes, Alternative Breaks, and my co-ed service fraternity, Alpha Phi Omega. Serving in Washington, D.C. has given me new insight into empowerment and oppression, as well as the fight for justice. If it wasn’t for my service experiences, I wouldn’t have changed my major, gotten certain jobs and internships, or met hundreds of committed and inspiring individuals. These experiences have shown me that our society needs service to sustain community and build leaders.

A few weeks ago, I had the privilege to participate in a Student Voices panel with Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, Reverend Brenda Girton-Mitchell, Director, Center for Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships and Michael Robbins, Senior Advisor for Nonprofit Partnerships. All of the attending students emphasized that service had been one of the most influential parts of their lives so far. We emphasized the need to recommit to funding service-learning and continue to support national service to provide paradigm-shifting experiences to young people in every school, college and university. We need to be more supportive of teachers and professors who use innovative tactics to increase civic engagement and promote community service, with strong ties to curricular objectives. As a senior ‘Human Services’ major at George Washington University, almost all of my required classes use service-learning as an educational tool. Through my service-learning human development courses, I was not only able to learn about the average human lifecycle, but also develop empathetic relationships with individuals at the organizations where I serve.

The fact is that service-learning not only creates better learning opportunities, but molds students into responsible, thoughtful active citizens committed to justice and social change. This is why need to urge our government, our schools, and our communities to support service.

Izzy Parilis is a senior at George Washington University majoring in Human Services. Her transformative service experiences abroad, as well as experiences volunteering at over 25 local DC area nonprofits have catalyzed her belief in the power of service. Through her servant leadership, she discovered a passion for food justice, urban poverty and faith. As President of her service fraternity, Alpha Phi Omega, and a former service coordinator at GW’s civic engagement office, she has organized over 5,000 hours of service for GWU students. Izzy’s current internship at Youth Service America is bringing her one step closer to her ultimate goal: empowering people of all ages to become active citizens through meaningful service. Follow Izzy on Twitter @isapar