| America's Promise Bulletin - November 19, 2020
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Young Community Gamechangers Awarded Power of Youth Grants
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| This year has brought about drastic changes for young people across the country—from disruptions to learning, to a loss of employment opportunities, to widespread unrest in response to racism and injustice. The silver lining, however, is that young people are rising to the occasion, demonstrating once again that they are capable of leading the way in developing solutions to the most pressing issues our communities face.
Each year, through a grant from the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation, America’s Promise provides financial support to young people who are spearheading service projects in their communities through the Power of Youth Challenge. This year, we awarded Power of Youth grants to 150 young people from across the country who shared innovative ideas to mitigate the negative impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic or address other important issues in their community.
Below is a spotlight on a few of this year’s exceptional projects:
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U Matter, Reina C., Rockville, Md.
In collaboration with Caring Connections, a local crisis support organization, Reina distributes care packages to young girls from low-income communities who struggle with mental health challenges. Each care package includes tie-dye sweatshirts, mental health resources, and support notes from peers. Each recipient has the option to send an anonymous note to the next recipient, creating a community of hope and connection.
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Project Falcon, Rayan G., San Jose, Calif.
Small businesses in communities across the country struggled in March to transition their customer outreach to a virtual setting. In Rayan G.’s California community, that trend has only continued. To help small business owners reach new audiences, Rayan has worked with other students who have experience in web design to create free websites for organizations in his area.
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Sewing Masks for First Responders of COVID-19, Kiana K., Morton Grove, Mich.
Kiana K. wanted to find a way to support essential healthcare workers as they risk their well-being to care for others. Kiana combined her love of sewing with her desire to help those who put others first. Thus began her initiative of making reusable masks that fit over N95 respiratory masks to extend the amount of time they can be safely worn. Kiana is distributing the masks throughout her community while adhering to social distancing guidelines.
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Young People Call for Change in Open Letters to Decision Makers
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"The most frustrating part of being a high school student is having a voice that goes unheard," writes Olivea Doyle in a new letter-writing series hosted by America's Promise and The 74. The series builds on an August virtual youth town hall, during which middle and high school students from across the country shared their insights on remote and hybrid learning, mental and emotional health during a pandemic, and the need to talk about race and racism in schools. Now, through this letter-writing series, young people are sharing their perspectives directly with adult leaders and are calling for specific policy and practice changes related to the issues that remain top-of-mind for them this school year.
Last week, young people’s letters focused on ways that school and community leaders can address systemic racism in schools and other youth-serving systems. During the August town hall, numerous students noted that although solutions may vary, the need to talk about race and racism in schools is universally present. Check out this highlight reel for more of their insights on the topic.
This week, the letters highlight the various ways that adult leaders can listen to young people and use their perspectives to inform decision-making. Here is a preview of what some letter-writers had to say:
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“Considering how this generation has grown up in a completely different environment than previous ones and that there is an effective way to ensure that the youth representatives are responsible and knowledgeable, I find no flaw in adding a youth seat on community boards or committees so that local/city leaders can give young people a voice in decision-making.”
—Nicole Zhong, 14, Ann Arbor, Michigan
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“Students are the foundation of schools, so it’s critical that we have a seat at the table. One way my district is providing space for student voice is by adding student representatives to its board of education. I’m currently running to fill one of these positions because I know I have a powerful voice and will communicate with my peers about what they believe needs to change.”
—Azariah “Z” Estes, 16, St. Louis, Missouri
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“The most frustrating part of being a high school student is having a voice that goes unheard. In 2020, youth play such a vital role in society and in social movements. As students, the formative high school years are a chance to mature intellectually, to soak up the information around us, and learn to use our voices to shape the environment around us. This should begin with encouragement from schools to enhance these social skills.”
—Olivea Doyle, 17, New Bedford, Massachusetts
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| Help youth be heard! CLICK TO TWEET the post below:
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Young People Elevate the Need to Focus on Equity in Addressing Pandemic
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Over the past several months, America’s Promise has interviewed dozens of young people to learn how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected their learning and their lives. One recurring theme from these conversations has been the need to address the disparate effects of the pandemic. As Kahlil shared:
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"The biggest thing that came out of COVID for me is just seeing how different the worlds that people live in are, especially along the lines of class and race. For some people COVID was a vacation, and for other people it was a pandemic, and I think that’s the difference that I saw, and it motivated me to do more work for that second group.”
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Young people have also reinforced the need for adult leaders and mentors to learn from the experiences of young people. As we heard from Jamal:
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“It’s not only your job to teach, it’s also your job to learn. It’s not only your job to be a mentor, it’s also your job to be a mentee. During these unique times, young people have a unique perspective, so take this time to learn and challenge your young people but also take this time to challenge yourself and don’t be afraid to follow us because we are also leaders.”
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We invite you to explore more interviews and learn more about the issues that are top-of mind for young people during this unprecedented year.
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More From America’s Promise:
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America’s Promise Alliance is the driving force behind a nationwide movement to improve the lives and futures of America’s youth. If you would like to help make the promise of America real for every child, consider donating below.
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