9/11 Service-Learning Grants

For those of you already thinking ahead to next year!


YSA's Youth Council is partnering with State Farm to support youth across the United States in learning about, remembering, and honoring the 10th anniversary of 9/11 through a 9/11 service-learning project.

Available to youth ages 5-25 and teachers/educators who work with youth ages 5-25, YSA will award 10-20 $500 or $1,000 grants to youth-led projects that address important community needs while helping youth - many of who have no first hand memory of the event - remember and honor the 9/11 victims and their families, understand the significance of the event, and commit to sustaining our democracy through service.

Projects will need to address one of YSA's 9 for 9/11 - 9 lessons from the event and related ideas for service-learning projects. Grant applicants can also suggest a 10th lesson. (YSA will select one of these proposed lessons to become the 10th lesson for 9/11, to coincide with the 10th anniversary of 9/11.)

-One-day or limited-duration projects that take place primarily on 9/11 are eligible to apply for $500.
-Projects that take place over an extended period of time (approximately 70 hours) as part of a summer Semester of Service (culminating on 9/11) or a fall Semester of Service (beginning on 9/11) are eligible to apply for $1,000.


Tentative Program Timeline:

Application Deadline: Friday, June 17
Notification: early July
Grant implementation: approximately July through September 11 (Summer of Service); September 11th for one-day projects; or September 11 through MLK Day of Service - January 16, 2012 (fall Semester of Service)
Progress Report Due: Thursday, September 1
Final Report Due: Friday, September 23 for summer or 9/11 Day of Service-only projects; February 1 for fall Semester of Service projects.



Application Process:

To begin the application, take this eligibility quiz. (http://www.cybergrants.com/pls/cybergrants/quiz.display_question?x_gm_id=3187&x_quiz_id=4133&x_order_by=1%20)
Applicants who have already taken the eligibility quiz and started their application can access their application here. (http://www.cybergrants.com/ysa/10for9-11/application)
If you have questions during the application process, please contact grants@ysa.org

Nominations Now Open for PARADE's All America High School Service Team Awards

"PARADE Magazine and generationOn are seeking nominations for The All America High School Service Team, to recognize students who have made exemplary contributions in the service areas of: health, education, environment, economics or community. These students show service as a solution to solve community problems and the power of stories to inspire others to action.

All nominees will receive acknowledgement and thanks in the form of an auto-reply.Everyone should feel good about being nominated or self-nominating. All nominees are appreciated and are winners in the sense that they are helping people and making a difference. The top 50 finalists, 10 per issue category, will receive certificates. The top 15 (3 per issue category), will receive a two-day paid trip to Washington, D.C. to receive their award and special recognition."


For more information, please see Parade's website

Shout-Out Video!

Give KARE 11 Sunrise a "Shout-out!" Submit your school's "Shout-out" video 30 seconds or less to their Facebook wall. We will air some of the videos during Sunrise over the coming weeks! Details in the link...

JUNIORS: In the Quiet of Summer, Start Your Essays

Do you serve at a High School this year? Has your attention been focused on Seniors preparing for college? Don't forget about the juniors! In preparation for their senior year, help your students get a jump start on their college admissions essay. The less hurried months before the onslaught of a highly pressured fall offer the chance for students to think, reflect and connect with a writing topic that can then be developed into 500 words of polished prose.

So how can you teach your students to use the summer before senior year to their best advantage?