Katie Holmes thinks she can dance!

via USmagazine.com

Your favorite girl next door is putting on her dancing shoes for charity. On June 23rd Katie Holmes will team up with the show “So You Think You Can Dance,” and (hopefully) wow the judges! A lot is on the line—her efforts will raise money for a new dance scholarship foundation called the “Dizzy Feet Foundation.”

To celebrate the new foundation, Katie will take stage on the show's 100th episode and perform a song-and-dance homage to Judy Garland, choreographed by her friend Tyce Diorio. Katie has been hard at work practicing for her performance--she may have a nice acting resume but dancing and singing is a whole new ball game for her.

Katie is a co-founder of “Dizzy Feet”—an organization that will strive to improve and increase access to dance education in the United States. They have celeb support from other famous performers like Paula Abdul, Jennifer Lopez, and Miley Cyrus. The program will provide dance scholarships to underserved and at-risk youth.

“I think it’s important for children to experience music and dance,” Katie said in a statement. “Every child should have the opportunity to discover what it is they like and have access to the very best in that pursuit.” We agree Katie! The arts are super important and when the economy is in a recession, art programs are usually the first to get cut.

Want to help Katie support the arts? You can save the arts in your very own community by organizing a poetry slam, a benefit concert, or an art show! Tell us what you think—will Katie blow us all away with her moves? Or should she stick to acting? Comment below!

Brad’s pad just got more rad

via themavenreport.com

Brad Pitt’s green building foundation “Make it Right” came out with 14 new designs this week. These sleek, eco-friendly homes will be built among the other 150 houses constructed in the Lower Ninth Ward of New Orleans—the area that was most destroyed by Hurricane Katrina. Even though it happened in 2005 there is still work to do and Brad is on top of it!

The new designs are greener and greater--see for yourself below! Why? Because they are duplex style by request of the residents who want to keep the area somewhat familiar. The organization works hard to work with the locals on the construction and the duplex also offers some eco-friendly benefits--they allow more people to live together with less impact on the environment and are more cost-effective to build.

So you may be thinking—why is Brad investing so much in making these homes as green as can be? Isn’t clean energy more expensive? The answer is yes, but Brad knows it is well worth the price. Because Hurricane Katrina was likely caused by the climate changes due to global warming and cooling, Brad’s eco-architecture is setting a good example.

Brad’s efforts have paid off but even his project is not finished. Believe it or not, there is much left to do in Katrina for the victims of the Hurricane. You can help Brad’s heroic efforts by getting involved in disaster relief and disaster preparedness! Apply for a Disaster Grant today and get on it. Don’t forget to tell us what you think of Brad’s project. Is he really “Making it Right?” Comment below!

via makeitrightnola.org

Quote of the Day: Selena Gomez

via JustJared.com

“I loved biology and botany. I love plants and gardening. That’s from my grandmother -- I loved watching her. I would love to have my own garden someday for sure.”

Selena Gomez talks about her inner science geek during a recent interview with the Mother Nature Network. Who knew the singer/actress also had a green thumb? Selena came clean about her green grievances like her difficulty remembering to turn off the lights. Her solution—post it note reminders! How clever?

Despite the slogan on Selena's shirt, green isn’t as easy as you might think! But learning some simple tips can go a long way. If you are thinking green like Selena get out of your computer chair and get campaigning! Tell us what your favorite summertime green wave is—comment below!

Good Band Alert: Rise Against

via myspace

The punk rock band from Chicago, Rise Against, is changing the way we think of punk rock. They are not exactly following in the footsteps of iconic punk rockers like The Clash or The Sex Pistols with their outrageous, over the top antics. Instead, these guys are all about service! They feed the poor, advocate voting, and are straight edge, animal-loving vegetarians!

The band was recently in Detroit with Alkaline Trio and made a pit stop at a local soup kitchen where they helped prepare and serve meals. They even brought a bunch of their fans to get cookin’ with them! Detroit is one of the poorest cities in the United States and the band's efforts were greatly appreciated.

They are currently touring and volunteering on the road, taking the standard promotional meet & greet a step further during their current summer headlining tour. The band is encouraging community outreach by offering fans a chance to volunteer with them. They are doing everything from working at a soup kitchen, bagging groceries at food banks and making lunches for under privileged kids.

Take action and help the band help America "rise against" poverty. There is so much you can this summer like participate in Do Something 101 and collect school supplies for underprivileged kids. Then sit back with some Baskin Robins ice cream and play Free Rice on your computer (watch out, both are addicting).

Check out the video below of the band’s good deeds in Detroit and wise words about service. You will learn some facts about poverty in the US and catch a sound sample of their tunes. Tell us what you think of this band. Could Rise Against’s attitude and style be the future of punk rock? Comment below!

Whereabouts Unknown - Webisode

Demi Lovato takes on mother nature

via disneydreaming.com

Can you imagine having a tornado rip through your town? Song bird and actress Demi Lovato knows only through stories from her family who survived a natural disaster. The Red Cross helped her family so Demi has agreed to help them—she recently recorded a brand-new PSA for the American Red Cross Disaster Relief.

She is thankful for all The Red Cross did for her family when a tornado struck her relative’s house in Arkansas. The Red Cross has an extensive program for disaster relief. They open evacuation shelters, serve hot meals to evacuees and responders, and help survivors purchase urgently needed items like food and clothing.

Demi stood up against bullies and now she’s taking on natural disasters! It’s nice to know we have Demi and the Red Cross looking out for us, especially because natural disasters killed over 220,000 people in 2008, making it one of the most devastating years on record.

Feel ambitious? Apply for a disaster grant and create your very own project! Each week in 2009 Do Something is giving out $500 to an awesome person with a project idea around the themes of disaster preparedness and emergency response. Create disaster kits and make disaster plans. March is Red Cross month so keep that in mind for next year!

Check out Demi’s PSA and tell us what you think—comment below!

Lady Gaga gets artsy for AIDS

via JustJared.com and lgf.org.uk

It’s official—Lady Gaga has landed and it looks like it won’t be long until she is queen. She took a break from ‘just dancing’ around the UK for the Circus Live Tour on Monday to make a surprise visit to her new charity in Manchester, England. While she has had to call out sick for two shows, Lady G is back and ready to serve the community!

Lady Gaga spent the day at Body Positive North West, a center in Manchester for young people affected by HIV/AIDS. She met 50 or so volunteers who were taking part in "Orange RockCorps"—an event that encourages young people to volunteer. Each volunteer was rewarded with a ticket to GaGa’s gig at the Manchester Apollo on July 13th.

Why did Lady Gaga pick this cause? After all, she could have thrown her support behind any organization in the world (they would be lucky to have her!) "I have a lot of gay and lesbian friends who are confronted by the fears of that sort of lifestyle. I am a very supportive, proactive woman and I really just wanted to paint with them today," she said.

Lady even helped them with a mural of…well…herself! Lady contributed to the massive self-portrait the BPNW volunteers had been working on by painting the words “Love + Art + Kindness” in pink onto it. After she was done letting out her inner painter, Gaga interviewed a young member about his life with HIV.

"They are so vibrant and its art and love and togetherness,” said Gaga of her trip, “It is everything that should be around the very serious thing that is HIV." She’s right—the arts are a key part of a young person’s education and an outlet for creative self expression. They also improve academic achievement -- enhancing test scores, attitudes, social skills, critical and creative thinking.

Help Lady Gaga spread the world about HIV/AIDS by bringing the facts to your school. And tell us what you think of Lady G’s volunteerism. Do you like her charity choice? Do you think her efforts will inspire others to get involved? Comment below!

Quote of the Day: Hayden Panettiere

via seventeen.com

“There are two things that make me really happy: traveling and animals. I would be the happiest human being on the planet if tomorrow I got on a plane to Africa and I worked with chimpanzees or orphaned elephants. I don’t care if I have to live in a hut with no running water. No glamour.”

Traveling the globe, advocating for the apes, and saving the planet—just a few of Hayden’s favorite things. Hayden Panettiere tells all about what makes her happy in the August edition of Seventeen Magazine. We know all about Hayden’s activism abroad like when she went to Japan to swim with the fishies and stop a dolphin-hunting expedition (they still have a warrant out for her arrest!)

Want to follow Hayden’s lead? Then get out of here! Seriously—take a trip with your school or find a summer program online. Traveling is one of the best ways to educate yourself about the world around you. And help Hayden by helping the ASPCA fight animal cruelty by taking a pledge and joining their “Animal Advocacy Brigade.”

Tell us what you think of Hayden’s happy place. Where will she end up next? Could her next adventure be to Africa? Could her next animal be the apes? Comment below!

Brangelina begs for blood diamond ban

via wn.com

Angelina Jolie is on constant watch over our globe so it was only a matter of time before she became involved with the international watchdogs Human Rights Watch. Angelina and Brad are giving their support to HRW to control the violent diamond trade in Africa. For Angie, diamonds are definitely NOT a girl’s best friend--diamond fueled wars have killed over 4 million people.

HRW says that Brangelina has agreed to issue a formal statement from their foundation. The political pair is calling for a ban on any sale or purchase of Marange diamonds until the mining is not based on the violent abuse of residents in that region. They want Zimbabwe's coalition government, President Robert Mugabe's ZANU-PF party formed in February, to stop the abuses and prosecute those responsible.

The Marange diamond fields were discovered in Zimbabwe in 2006 when President Robert Mugabe—infamous for his brutal reign—was still in power. He ordered the military to guard the mines from illegal diggers. The military control over the mines has been bloody and the HRW claims that over 200 people have been killed and children are being forced to labor in the mines.

While the government has denied the allegations against them, HWR put together a report entitled “Diamonds in the Rough,” which details the diamond war going on in the country. Part of their effort is to broaden the definition of “blood diamonds” so that the crimes of the Zimbabwean government will not go unnoticed.

How does this affect us in America? In this case, people in America who are purchasing diamonds from certain companies are indirectly funding a war in Zimbabwe. Hollywood heavy hitters and other glamazons need to follow Brangelina’s example and pay attention to where they buy their bling! No one wants a blood diamond—so teach people about where they get their goods. There are consequences to being an irresponsible consumer.

Amy gets Smart about clean energy

via stylelist.com

Amy Smart believes we have the power to change America. Check out this awesome PSA (below) that she created for Environment America and The Environmental Media Association (EMA) to help spread the word about the American Clean Energy and Security Act aka the Waxman-Markey Bill.

The lovely actress and EMA board member has been advocating for action with other Hollywood hot shots. She knows that the bill is an important step on our long journey towards energy independence and a greener grid. The bill was voted on in the House on Friday and it is heading to the Senate next.

But before it gets through the Senate, Amy and other environmentalists want to see some changes to strengthen the bill: to ensure we are using 20% clean energy by 2020, provide the EPA with the authority to reduce pollution from power plants, and make polluters pay for their pollution.

Her call to action is simple so what are you waiting for? Get on it! Visit environmentamerica.org, send an email or write a letter to Congress demanding that they strengthen the bill, and post this video on your blog (like us!) or your facebook. And why not use this summer to become more energy efficient in your own home?

Tell us what you think of Amy’s action—comment below!

Quote of the Day: Jennifer Aniston

via AP

"I'm trying to be more careful than I have been in the past about the titles of movies that I choose to be in. It's funny -- I kind of noticed something a couple years ago that there seemed to be this strange parallel to the movies I was doing and my life off screen.”

CGG loves that Jennifer Aniston is able to laugh off the overwhelming media attention given to her personal life! She gave a very witty acceptance speech at the Crystal and Lucy Awards. The funny girl was honored for helping to expand the role of women in Hollywood with the 2009 Crystal Award at the Women in Film’s annual Gala in LA.

"The Crystal Awards" were established in 1977 to honor outstanding women who have helped to expand the role of women within the entertainment industry. WIF is a non-profit organization dedicated to helping women within the global entertainment, communications and media industries and to preserving the legacy of women within those industries.

What do you think of Jennifer’s speech? Do you think she deserved the top award this year? Tell us what you think—comment below!