See It: The Community being helped

The community of Cape Three Points is located on the most southern point of Ghana, a small fishing village depending mostly on farming and the sea to survive. The people that inhabit the village are Nyzima and have lived on the same land for many many generations. They are a proud people, holding tight to their culture as the threats of losing it grows around them. The problems facing the community are many: health care, rapid development of coastal lands, threats of displacement from an American oil company and inaccessibility to roads to markets and hopitals. The major issue at hand eventually playing a major role to solving the others issues threatening the village is education, academic as well as vocational. There are no high schools in Cape Three Points or in any of the neighboring villages or towns, making it almost impossible for parents to put their children through higher levels of schooling. Most families are living in severe financial poverty, unable to pay for transportation to the larger towns where schools exsist, let alone pay for fees, books, housing and meals. Not only do the youth face the problem of poverty,last year only one child was able to pass the exam given to all middle school students of Ghana, that decides whether they are able to continue to high school or not. As you can imagine many students are left behind, with no skills or hope to improve their life through education. Many travel to the cities and larger towns to hustle, in hope of selling goods, carrying loads, or finding work that will allow them to learn a skill. Some start fishing or farming and manage to keep content working the land and continuing the livelihood of their parents, while others turn to violence or prostitution never to return to their families again. Our aim is to encourage the youth to take action in improving the lives of the people around them through education, sports and the arts.

See It: The Community being helped

“what would our communities and our society look like if the collective vision, leadership, energy and talents of even a small percentage of all young people were directed toward community transformations?”

This year, the Youth Outreach Advocate of the Eviction Defense Network is focusing on developing a housing advocacy youth leadership program in downtown Los Angeles. By working with youth (ages 13-18) directly in Los Angeles high schools, the YOA helps facilitate leadership development so they can find their own ways to help their families, school mates, and neighbors to protect against poor housing conditions and evictions. Activities on housing education and economic empowerment such as the “Create your Ideal Community” and “Jeopardy: Types of Affordable Housing” will build on youth creativity and energy. Trainings on causes for eviction, how to read rental contracts, and Los Angeles housing codes will educate students around housing defense. Communication, “how to outreach,” and community building workshops will build on youth leadership. In addition, the students will connect to the large Spanish speaking population in LA by translating and raising awareness around the eviction process through student led workshops. As their leadership develops, the students will begin to take larger steps in addressing their housing issues by participating in arts and education projects such as the Home Sweet Home: Stories of Urban Housing in the Big City Youth Film Festival on Social Justice. During this Spring 2008 the students will put their lessons into community action as they will plan and execute the first annual youth oriented and run tenant rights fair at their high school.

Results: After only 6 six months, the Youth Outreach Advocate has provided tenant rights, gentrification, and housing workshops to nearly 600 students. After follow-up and partnerships with both Los Angeles High School and the Miguel Contreras Learning Complex, about 30 high school students have become actively engaged in participating in housing defense trainings, conducting survey projects, and planning workshops. After the youth run survey project collected over 400 student surveys, it was determined that about 1 in 3 high school students know friends or family that have been displaced/evicted, 1 out of 2 live in substandard housing conditions, and 1 in 3 believe their home living situations affect their academic achievement.

See It: The Community being helped

There is a disturbing issue with today's youth, and it goes much further then apathy. The youth of today's age is being put down by the adults who do not feel that the youth is old enough to voice their opinions on how they feel that they want their community, state, or even nation to run.
As an 18 year old, and being involved in politics for the past 3 years of my life, I know the hard road ahead in standing up for what you believe in. However, it is possible and with Political Youth I hope that I can get schools on board with the programs that I create, get students to get their friends involved in what they believe in and work together to make a truly great change.

In the 2008 Presidential Primary/Caucus Debates, we hear the phrase "change" a lot. However, I have been the the democrat club and republican club meetings and over half the people there are over the age of 70. How are we going to get change if its always the same people talking about the same issues. Democrat and republican alike, this isn't a battle for who's better left or right, this is a battle to let youth know their voices count and their voices should be heard.

I have been working hard in my high school to let other students know that even if they are not old enough to vote, they can still make their voice heard and can still have a say in who they want for president. My girlfriend cannot vote in the caucus however, she made around 1,000 phone calls to people to get them to vote for Obama... She used her voice and at least attempted to make a change. Her "loud" voice was much stronger then any "quite" vote.

Everyone can make a difference, everyone has a voice, you don't need to vote to have a voice, but if you have a vote you also always have a voice. Use them both, stand up for what you believe and don't let anyone tell you that you are not old enough to have a voice whether they are left or right; mom or dad; teacher or principal.

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Changing the world...One teen at a time...Our Solutions is a very new group. This organizatin is to be put in action this spring in our home town of Paris Illinois. We have a very high rate of under age teens and adolescents roming the streets after curfew because they have not been given other alternatives. Without these alternatives (such as a confined and monitored site with music and friends or just a safe place to hang out) teens are gainging this mentality that it is ok to do this, and they often end up in the wrong crowds that are adding to our teen alcohol problem. Our solutions will provide these sites and events that will help to keep teens off streets on weekend nights. If teens are given and shown new alternatives for having fun they can have other options for fun and financially available weekend activites. Our solutions will start this spring with our kick off event. This event will be held at our 4-h grounds, at this location there will be a dj and plenty of refreshments. Adult supervision will be at every event that is held by Our Solutions. If any one has any questions or would like to help please contact us at . Or call my office at [ edited out by DS Staff ]

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We are a group of high school students who are concerned about the violence in our schools and communities. We want to make a differnece. We go to four different middle schools each week and work with the kids on ways to counter the violence in their lives. We do real crazy skits and activites that teach students that there are other ways to react to violence than just beating someone up! We believe we can make a differnce one student at a time. If you live in Wichita come get trained and join the FUN!

See It: The Community being helped

Energy Justice Summer Ohio is part of a grassroots movement catalyzed by students and youth to promote clean, just energy options, and to oppose the development of dirty energy facilities in the United States.

EJS Ohio is a program designed for youth, students, and community members, which will focus on training, community organizing, and service in a community heavily impacted by dirty energy. Spend your summer in rural Appalachian Ohio with the Meigs Community Action Network, learning the skills you need to become an effective activist, contributing to a community group that's asking for help, and having a good time helping fix up a farm and meeting new people.