Activism is, and has always been, tremendously important. It is because of people who truly care about what’s going on in their country, state and local communities that really motivates others to help get something positive done. Do Something is one of the largest organizations in the U.S. that inspires and helps young people to get out, speak their minds, volunteer and act. They are helping to create a culture of volunteerism, on track to activate two million teens in the year 2011 and they are well on their way to that goal by helping teens do simple things that make a big difference.
Do Something is currently accepting applications from teens all over the country who are committed to serving with Do Something on their Youth Advisory Council. Do Something is looking for teens who are committed to helping mobilize their peers and provide valuable insight only teens today can provide. If accepted, that teen will remain on the Do Something Youth Advisory Council for a period of two years. In that time, they will connect with other YAC members in annual in-person meetings and monthly conference calls, as well as email correspondence. Teens will have the opportunity to participate in focus groups and having the power to influence the organization’s direction, keeping Do Something updated with what’s hot and what they feel most passionately about.
Just a few examples of the impact that the Youth Advisory Council has are:
- Representing the Do Something Advisory Council at meetings, conferences and in the community at large by acting as official youth ambassadors.
- Helping with the selection of Do Something grant winners by reading applications for grants and flagging their favorites.
- Assisting in the creation of logos, images and campaign concepts.
Do Something relies heavily on their Youth Advisory Council, utilizing the input of the teens involved and essentially giving youth the opportunity, as well as the platform for participate in changing the world.
Check out Do Something’s Youth Advisory Council if you would like to participate and submit your application to be part of the 2010-2011 class!
I can vividly remember my “awkward teenage years.” It’s no surprise, really; they didn’t happen that long ago and looking back at those years objectively now, I have come to one definitive summary of those awkward teenage years–They are terrifying.
I recently experienced what happens when teenage rebellion and teenage angst is not simply a phase that one evolves out of, but a genuine problem that requires a sufficient amount of help with my 16 year old sister. There are hundreds of issues that affect the average teen every day and one of those issues is most often parents. Teenagers simply do not feel comfortable talking to their parents about important life issues. While that is unfortunate, I believe that it is a part of the growing up process to withdraw from your parents and is not something that can be helped because very, very few parents have that text book “perfect” relationship with their teens.
One of the most prominent activities I have always had in my life is reading. I have always had a genuine love for the written word and thankfully that trait has also emerged in my younger sister. I read Be True to Yourself and because it deals with the hundreds (366, to be exact) of issues that teens face on a daily basis, I knew that my sister would gain some wisdom from the book.
While the sub-title of Be True to Yourself is A Daily Guide for Teenage Girls, it really is just that. The book tackles one issue per day and gives teenage girls a daily message and is easily the companion they need during the years they need it the most, offering encouragement and daring teens to look inside of themselves for the answers to their true problems.
Be True to Yourself is the perfect gift for any teenage girl, no other gift could help them more and instead of being presented in a step-by-step self help kind of way, the format is a lot more fun and appealing to even girls who don’t like to read.
Tags: book review, books, Books & Authors, Entertainment, Family, inspiration, making time for yourself, Parenting, self care, self esteem, teenage rebellion, teens, tweens, young adult books, young adult self help books, young adults
As we take our first few steps into adulthood we are often told that now is the time to “grow up.” To get serious about our futures, get a stable job that we are most likely going to hate in a few months yet still find ourselves there after 20 years, and make sure we can support ourselves and the family we’re supposed to start as soon as possible with whatever person who is willing to put a ring on our fingers. Before you know it, we’ve been living the “grown up” life for decades and forgot all about those dreams we had for our lives while we were growing up.
Life is fast-paced. Life is much like going 120mph in a 35mph zone. It waits for no one and if we don’t keep up, life is pounce all over us without a second thought. As an adult who is determined to live the life I’ve always dreamed of for myself, I look at my family and the jobs that they have and I wonder about the lives they wanted for themselves before adulthood happened to them. So few of us really get to do what we want with our lives and I find that so unfortunate that I often find myself urging the people close to me to do what they really want for themselves; to go after their true passions instead of just living a life that gets them by and that is exactly what the author of the Permission to Dream journal, Lisa Hammond, has done.
The Permission to Dream journal is all about giving yourself the permission to go back in time and think about the dreams you had when you were younger; before life got in the way. It is a spectacular journal that allows you to write, collage, play and get back in touch with the arts and crafts child, teenager and/or young adult in us and really fulfill our dreams. If you knew that you wouldn’t–couldn’t–fail, what would you do with your life? Would you go back to school? Start your own business? Become a dancer or a veterinarian or an archaeologist? We are the only ones with full control over our own lives and while some of us may forget that at times, the Permission to Dream journal reminds us.
The Permission to Dream journal is a one of a kind journal with sections like ‘Remember Your Dreams,’ ‘Building Your Dreams,’ and ‘Living Your Dreams.’ Each section begins with a wish list and a prompt that will get your in the mindset to really let your dreams take off. It brings you from simply thinking about your dreams and how you want to live your life and into thinking about what it would take to accomplish it. Not only is the sky the limit in this journal, but it will get you thinking in terms of doing and no longer just wishing.
Tags: book review, books, Books & Authors, Crafts, creative writing, Entertainment, Home & Food, inspiration, journal, journaling, Lisa Hammond, Permission to Dream journal, teens, tweens, young adult books, young adults
