Help support us in educating our youth and creating a sustainable community
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Youth Allies for Sustainability Youth Allies for Sustainability
This program was created in 2006 to provide opportunities for youth to discover their voices, act on their convictions for a more just and sustainable world, and realize their full potential as individuals, community members, and stewards of the earth. The program brings together a diverse group of youth to explore environmental and social issues; train in leadership, sustainability, and cultural competency; and become active and engaged members of the community. Ultimately, participants take action and leadership by organizing youth-led change projects, presenting at conferences and schools, working on grassroots campaigns, and serving on City commissions, task forces, and advisory boards. By offering youth the chance to exercise leadership, build skills and knowledge in the areas that are relevant to their lives, and make a positive difference, we believe we are empowering young people to create a better future for themselves and their communities.
Youth Allies is a partnership with the Santa Fe Mountain Center's Emergence Department.
If you are interested in participating or would like more information about the program, please contact Bianca at bianca@earthcare.org or 505-983-6896.
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YA LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE Article for YA Newsletter |
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YOUTH
ALLIES LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE
Youth Allies
For Sustainability Leadership Institute Opening Camp
by Karen
Rencountre
Youth
Allies for Sustainability Leadership Institute's Opening Camp was a great way to
kick-off the new program year. When I started in August as an AmeriCorps VISTA
Volunteer I knew nothing about the program. After helping with recruitment at
middle and high schools throughout Santa Fe, I was eager to start working with
the youth and building this year's Youth Allies community.
Saturday
morning October 3rd  2009:
Twenty five youth arrived bright and early. The youth were wide eyed staring at
one another and whispering quietly to those they already knew. Some of the youth
seemed to keep one hand on the exit door ready to flea home. We loaded up in the
vans and headed to the Santa Fe Mountain Center. The youth were still a bit
nervous and timid with one another but after a few ice breaker games everybody
seemed to really relax and begin to open doors within themselves to start taking
in the experience of the opening camp and the experience of new friends. We
played, we challenged each other, we supported one another on our personal
challenges and we began to build a family of friends.
At the Santa Fe
Mountain Center the youth were asked to explore their leadership skills on the
high ropes. The group divided in two half's. One half took on the rock climbing
wall while the other explored the high ropes partnership challenge. What was
asked of them was difficult but with each others' help everyone was able to push
themselves to try something new that inspired camaraderie. It was really amazing
to watch each individual unfold in such a delicate manner. After the Santa Fe
Mountain Center we headed to the Oppenheimer Ranch. The vans unloaded
with the sounds of giggling and chatter. Shy smiles were left behind. We all
enjoyed a fabulous dinner made by Christina Selby, Earth Care's beloved
Executive Director and stand-in Chef. She prepared an organic meal of lasagna,
garlic bread, and salad. We began a conversation around where our food comes
from. As we discussed the meaning of "organic" we started to think about how
food is produced - how the land, the crops or animals, and the farmworkers are
treated in the process, and how much food is wasted in the U.S.A. After dinner
we launched into an art project. Each youth made a tree and in that tree they
let their personal life stories unravel in the roots and branches and leaves. We
took the time to share with one another where we have been, where we are, and
what we see for ourselves in the future. By the end of the evening new
friendships had blossomed and along with those friendships seeds of new ideas
and world passion also began to grow. The evening continued with conversation
and games, laughter and insight, and it ended with a well earned sleep.
We approached Sunday morning October 4th, 2009 with a deep understanding
of how busy Saturday had kept us. We settled into the new day with an insightful
film called Suzuki Speaks. This film addressed how connected we are to
every single thing on earth including each other. It also told the story of the
earth and how we are inextricably linked to every living thing on the planet.
After the film the youth spoke about their personal relationship to the earth
and its resources - sharing their intentions and desires to live more
sustainably. After lunch to wake-up our bodies we played a few blood circulating
games of tag. Out of breath and full of giggles the group then headed into some
new activities in two groups. One group learned how to fox walk, which is an
exercise in awareness and movement through the environment. The other group
learned about how to track the movement of other living creatures through the
environment by observing footprints of different animals along the river. It
wasn't long before one group was sneaking up on the other silently in hopes of a
big spook. Again the group filled with giggles testing their new tracking skills
and fox walking skills on one another. We then focused on a self defense
training. The training was at first a bit awkward, questions like "Am I worth
standing up for?" and "Are the things I care about worth standing up for?" came
up within the group. By the end of the training each individual seemed to find
empowerment within themselves as well as feeling empowered as a group. We ended
our day together by gathering in a circle and reflecting on everything we
experienced together.
We loaded up the vans with twenty five new
friendships and a new desire to be young leaders in the world. We headed home to
Santa Fe, said our goodbyes and genuinely looked forward to seeing each other
again. Youth Allies for Sustainability Leadership Institute's opening camp was a
great way to kick off the new year.
Since
the Opening Camp, the Institute has met every month.
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- In October
participants took part in a training in the field about the Ecology of Northern
New Mexico
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- In November
participants took part in a two-day intensive
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- In December
participants learned about their ecological footprints and how to reduce their
impact on the world through sustainable living practices and
techniques.
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YA ORGANIZING PROGRAM AND COMMUNITY IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS Article for YA Newsletter |
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YA
ORGANIZING PROGRAM AND
COMMUNITY IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS
This
year's Youth Allies Organizers are Mexika Calderon, Magaly Campos, Marco Campos,
Camille Chambers, Avree Fe Koffman, Sergio Gonzalez, Amanda Martinez, Sam
Pearson, and Sienna Sanchez
In
September of 2009, the Youth Allies Organizers came together for the Youth
Allies Organizers Opening Camp. To start the new year the group reflected and
created a tribute to Rose Simmons a dear friend and fellow Youth Ally who was
lost when she and four other youth were hit by a drunk driver this summer. After
the group had their heart felt time remembering Rose the group decided to move
forward keeping her in mind and recognizing how she has and will inspire them
through out this next year and their lives.
The Youth Allies
Organizers explored their intentions of becoming a solid group of young leaders.
They supported each others weakness and challenged each others strengths.They
also created a strategic plan for the year including their goals for Peer
Education and Community Improvement Projects. The group took time to
deepen their understanding of organizing as a strategy for social change and
community building through group activities and readings. During the
opening
camp every one spent time outside grounding their vision for the future in the
Northern New Mexico environment as well as taking the time to open their
awareness to how connected everything is from the insects to the flowers to the
trees centering back on to themselves. They opened themselves to the ecosystem
we are living in today. "Last year the Organizers were like a family, but this
year after having the opening camp for the Organizers we are a very close
family." Avree Fe stated when asked how she felt about the Youth Allies
Organizers Opening Camp.
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2009-2010
COMMUNITY IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS
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Food
Not Bombs - In August of
this year, we, the Youth Allies Organizers launched a Santa Fe Chapter of Food
Not Bombs. The project partners with local grocers and growers to divert
food from the waste stream and turn it into healthy meals for the homeless and
people in need. Our Food Not Bombs project also partners with local community
gardens. In our garden plots we grow vegetables and herbs so that participants
and those served learn about local, organic food production and benefit from
eating healthy, pesticide and chemical free produce.
Community
Gardening - We work with
other community members to install youth-led garden plots throughout the City.
Some of our garden plots contribute food to our Food Not Bombs project. Other
plots are designed to help heal the land by revegetating, improving soil
fertility, retaining moisture, and creating habitat for wildlife. We also
educate ourselves and others about native plants and their edible and medicinal
uses.
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Consumer
Consciousness - We create
educational materials and do actions like Buy Nothing Day that bring
attention to the unjust and inhumane practices of corporations so that people
can make more conscious consumer choices and feel good about how they vote with
their dollars. In particular we are raising awareness about the labor,
environmental, and animal treatment practices of corporations and promoting
local, just, and human alternatives.
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Climate
Change Action - Though all of our
projects promote local, sustainable, and low-carbon solutions we have a project
that explicitly raises consciousness about the urgent need to address climate
change and CO2 emissions. In October we co-organized a 350.org community photo,
march, and rally that engaged more than 500 people in an event to raise
awareness about the safe upper limit for CO2 in the atmosphere (350ppm) and urge
world leaders to take action to bring us down from 390ppmp at the UN Climate
Summit. We continue to work to keep Santa Fe connected to the global climate
movement. We also continue to spread awareness about climate change through our
No Idling Project which partners with businesses and schools and reaches out to
Santa Fe residents to ask that we turn off our car engines when we are stopped
for long periods of time to cut down on air pollution in our community and do a
small part to reduce CO2 emissions. We will continue to do Climate Change peer
education throughout this spring as part of the
project.
Art and
Revolution - We use art to
help raise people's consciousness about issues in our community and the world.
In the past we have done mural projects and hosted Art & Social Change
slams. This year we are working to create an artist collective that will hold at
least 4 free community art events featuring change-inspiring art made by local
youth visual and performance artists.
Seamrippers: Waste Reduction through
Repurposing - Through this
project we are raising awareness about the use of sweatshops and unfair labor
practices in the process of clothing manufacturing. In order to help people opt
out of this often inhuman system we are teaching people how to sew and make
their own clothing and cloth goods from recycled textiles.
Waste Reduction at
School - We are trying to
help Capital High School create model waste reduction strategies throughout the
school including paper use reduction, recycling, alternatives to styrofoam, and
energy saving. We hope to influence the whole district and are planning a couple
district wide actions to raise awareness about school produced waste and
strategies for change.
Youth Voices for
Change - We work with
Youth Media Project to produce radio segments about sustainability and social
change from a youth perspective that air on KSFR local radio. Our most recent
show was about Buy Nothing Day and alternatives to sweatshop products.
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YA Network Announcements and Resources |
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YA Network Announcements and Resources
Sustainability
Commission Youth Advisory Board seeks new members:
We are currently seeking youth to serve on the nine-person Youth Advisory Board
to the City of Santa Fe's Sustainability Commission - help make our community
more sustainable by developing and implementing policies alongside local leaders
and public officials.
Mayor's Youth Advisory Board seeks new
members: Work with other youth to bring youth issues and solutions to the
City's attention through this board.
To take advantage of these
opportunities contact Youth Allies Program Director at
This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
or
505-699-1025.
UPCOMING YOUTH ACTION NETWORK MEETINGS - OPEN TO ALL
YOUTH:
Monday, January 18th MARTIN LUTHER KING DAY, 11-2PM, Earth
Care office. Come learn about social action and civil rights (and learn some
really practical skills while you're at it. If you've ever been stopped by the
police - you're going to want to come to this training).
Saturday,
January 30th, 11-3PM, Earth Care office. Get active with other youth by
helping prepare and serve a Food Not Bombs meal for the hungry and help with
other community-improvement projects.
UPCOMING YOUTH
GRANTS
Service
Nation Home Depot Grants for projects that take place on Martin Luther Kind
Day this January 18th.
Amount: $500
Deadline:January 7,
2010
Application:Online Form
Disney Grants for
youth-led environmental service projects that help the environment and engage
children 5-18 as leaders in their communities.
Amount: $500
Deadline:
January 29, 2010
Application: YSA website
Get Ur Good On
Grants for Young Volunteers fund projects that take place during Global
Youth Service Day, April 23-25, 2010 and address critical community needs such
as poverty, education, and environmental sustainability.
Amount:
$500
Deadline: February 22, 2010
Application: Get Ur Good On website
Do Something Awards
provide money for sustainable community action projects led by today's most
innovative young leaders (under 25 years old). Do you have a sustainable
community action project, program or organization that you want to grow? Do you
need money to put your ideas into action? We give out a $500 Do Something Grant
every week to help young people just like YOU!
Amount: $500
Deadline: None
- awards are given every week. You will hear back within a
month.
Application: Do Something website
NEED HELP
FINDING MONEY FOR COLLEGE?
Money
doesn't grow on trees (well it kinda does but you know what we mean). College
tuition costs are rising. And somehow, you have to pay for college. Your only
hope in paying for a higher education is with scholarships. Checkout these links
they may help you find the funding you need to continue your education.
Fastweb - Use Fastweb as a resource to help stay updated with
current scholarship funding as well as upcoming opportunities.
Free Scholarship Search - Search for scholarships for
free.
Green Scholarship Blog - Find scholarships related to your
environmental work.
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