Congratulations Class of 2017!

11,126 hours served

Thanks for the memories.  Best of luck at all the places you will continue to GIVE!
https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1H3Cidoo-FeIbvMm9tLar_tR1yFBoaWqUgsCv2J4lgt4/edit#slide=id.p

The true meaning of life is to plant trees, under whose shade you do not expect to sit. - Nelson Henderson -

Graduation: A Song & Speech for the Ages  Written by be-the-change rapper Nimo Patel in India and animated by the French animators 'Superfruit Collective', it features a chorus of students from the Philippines, and excerpts from a graduation speech in America by ServiceSpace founder Nipun Mehta -- a true global labor-of-love collaboration!  { read more } Be The Change Do something today in the spirit of lighting a candle on someone else's path. Learn more about the story behind the song and listen to more of Nimo's music here. { more }

June 1, 2017 | Volume 24, No. 21                             Join Disney in a Movement to Make the World Healthier, Greener, and Stronger  YSA and Disney are teaming up this summer to inspire kids and families to make a positive impact in their communities through the Disney Be Inspired Summer of Service campaign. We're calling on children and teens everywhere to use fun summer activities - like sports, arts, reading, or being outdoors - to make their communities healthier, greener, and stronger.  Kids who volunteer - with their friends or family, or on their own - can apply for a $500 Disney Be Inspired Summer of Service grant to create a project or continue and expand their impact throughout the rest of the year. Youth, ages 5-18, in the U.S. can visit YSA.org/BeInspired  to tell their volunteer story, get inspiration and planning resources, and apply for a Disney Be Inspired Summer of Service grant. 250 youth-led service projects will be selected and $500 grants will be awarded to each winner's sponsoring organization to support their project efforts in the fall. Applications will be accepted through September 30, 2017 and grantees may have a chance to be recognized by Disney ABC Television Group or their local ABC affiliate.     APPLY FOR A DISNEY BE INSPIRED SUMMER OF SERVICE GRANT! End Summer Hunger Hunger hits especially hard when kids are out of school for the summer. The Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) ensures that low-income children continue to receive nutritious meals when school is not in session. This summer, USDA plans to serve more than 200 million free meals to children 18 years and under at approved SFSP sites. Promoting summer feeding sites in your community is one of the most important things you can do to ensure no child goes hungry this summer. You can find summer feeding sites and tools to help raise awareness as well as information about how to become a summer feeding site at the USDA's website.  Families in need can text 'Food' to 877-877, and receive a text back with the address and program information for sites closest to them, or information about how to find food resources in their area. Additional resources are available from No Kid Hungry and ideas for how youth can help from Generation No Kid Hungry. Habitat for Humanity Collegiate Challenge  Do something different this summer. Habitat for Humanity's weeklong break trip program, Collegiate Challenge, isn't just for spring break. This summer, bond with your new campus chapter leadership, take a church on a mission trip, or grab four friends to go serve and discover a different part of the country.  NEWS FROM THE FIELD Tapestry Collection by Hilton™ and Youth Service America Spark Partnership as First Hotel in New York Debuts Tapestry Collection by Hilton is celebrating the launch of its first hotel by announcing a partnership with Youth Service America. The organizations have aligned to support young people through the #LeadASAP Tapestry Collection Spark the Arts Campaign, which will activate youth to use their "spark" for the arts to improve their communities. #LeadASAP Tapestry Collection Spark the Arts grants will be awarded in or around Tapestry Collection hotel locations. For more information, visit YSA.org/TapestryCollection. Youth Will Lead the Way on Climate Change In response to today's news that President Trump will withdraw the United States from the Paris Climate Agreement, we all need to respond by doing "even more to lead the way, and help protect for future generations the one planet we've got." Find ways to get involved with YSA's environmental partners. Browse the most comprehensive list of 100 substantive solutions to reverse climate change and see which one(s) you can help bring to your community. Get resources to help teach about climate and energy from Climate.gov. GRANTS & AWARDS Disney Summer of Service Organization Grants Deadline: June 4   LAST CHANCE TO APPLY!  Summer is almost here!  Is your organization hosting summer programming for youth ages 5-18?  Want to activate kids to create healthier, greener, stronger communities? Disney, through Youth Service America, is awarding $2,000 Summer of Service Grants to 26 organizations to incorporate youth-led service projects into summer activities. The best application will receive a $5,000 grant! This grant is part of the Disney Be Inspired Summer of Servicecampaign to activate more than 50,000 kids to act as stewards of change in their community and create a brighter tomorrow. When kids apply their passions (art, music, sports, science, etc.) to strengthen communities, magic happens! 9/11 Day of Service Impact School Grants  Deadline: June 26 Grants of up to $1,500 are available to schools participating in YSA's Global Schools of Service program in the United States that use YSA's programs to authentically and meaningfully engage students on national days of service (9/11 Day of Service, MLK Day of Service, and Global Youth Service Day) and help them learn, lead, and achieve. YSA, in partnership with the Corporation for National and Community Service, will select 50 K-12 public schools to receive a grant to support engaging students in a schoolwide service project(s) on 9/11 National Day of Service and Remembrance (Monday, September 11th, 2017). STORIES OF SERVICE Everyday Young Hero: Emily Inch Emily Inch (11, Pineville, North Carolina), a past Disney Summer of Service grantee has been aware of children who are hungry and homeless in her community ever since she was in pre-school. At first, she thought that giving all her toys to orphanages was a great way to support people in need. However, she soon realized that one of the most pressing needs for homeless youth in her community was shoes. In Pineville, there are over 4,000 homeless youth, so she decided to do a shoe drive and applied for a Disney Summer of Service grant to make her project a huge success! She currently receives shoes weekly at the drop off locations all around the city. Emily was able to collect almost 2,000 pairs of shoes in 6 weeks to provide shoes to almost half of the homeless youth population in Charlotte. She hopes to get more people involved in her efforts and possibly make "Soles for Kids Shoe Drive" a non-profit. You can now apply for a $500 Disney Be Inspired Summer of Service grant through September 30, 2017. Join Disney in a movement to make the world healthier, greener, and stronger. Do you know a young person, age 5-25 that is creating extraordinary change in your community? Nominate them for an Everyday Young Hero award. RESOURCES & TRAININGS Learning to Give Course for Educators: Sustainable Development Goals & Youth Action We are all connected in a global community, and the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) call us to action to make a better future for everyone. In this mini-course, Learning to Give introduces the 17 United Nations SDGs and explore ways to bring the goals to life in the classroom. This course includes background information, examples, and ideas for raising student awareness and action. Guide your students to investigate and volunteer to work toward a particular goal or to pursue a career that enables social justice and change toward these SDGs. How to Host a Health Fair in Your Community  You have the power to help your community get involved in taking charge of their health, get involved in helping others do the same, and getting active! By researching various health professionals, nutritious restaurants and grocery stores, fitness studios and more, you can host a health fair in your community. GenerationOn's project of the month has easy step-by-step instructions to help you plan one yourself!

SERVICE SONG OF THE WEEK "The World is Ours" - Volunteer   "We've waited long enough by now We've got a song and we should sing it out There's a spark in you and a spark in me So get up, get up, let's take the lead You shine bright like a million stars So light up, light up, the world is ours!"  The complete Service Songs of the Week playlist from 2012-2017 is at  http://bit.ly/servicesongs