Global Youth Service Day

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Global Youth Service Day
Engaging Elected Officials and Increasing Civic
Engagement
GYSD April 24-26, 2009
Sarah Guy Melissa Ness
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Global Youth Service Day

• Engaging Elected Officials
• Why?
• Increased media attention
• Greater public awareness
• Heightened long-run government support
• Because they are there to serve their constituents

GYSD April 24-26, 2009
Sarah Guy Melissa Ness
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Who are my government officials?
State
Local
National
Mayor County Supervisor City Council School
Board Township Board
Governor State Senator State Representative State
Agencies Judges
US Senator US Representative
To find contact information for your officials,
visit http//gysd.org/share/media
GYSD April 24-26, 2009
Sarah Guy Melissa Ness
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Engaging Elected Officials in Service Projects

• Before you contact officials, decide how you
  would like them to be involved
• Participate in your Global Youth Service Day
  project
• Address youth participants at the kick-off rally
  or closing celebration
• Proclaim April 24-26, 2009 to be Global Youth
  Service Day in your state or city (see GYSD Tool
  Kit Appendix for a sample proclamation)
• Write an editorial encouraging youth service and
  engagement
• Distribute a press release highlighting your
  GYSD project
• Create State or Local Youth Advisory Councils

GYSD April 24-26, 2009
Sarah Guy Melissa Ness
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Inviting Elected Officials
Tips for Communications

• Include your name and address (city, state, zip)
• State your purpose in the first paragraph
• Describe your service project
• Be specific! How would like them to participate
  in your event?
• Keep the letter to one page
• List a contact name and phone number
• Make sure to thank them for considering your
  invitation

GYSD April 24-26, 2009
Sarah Guy Melissa Ness
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Resources Available

• E-mail Draft / Call Scripts
• Invite
• Informational/Support
• Proclamation/Resolution

GYSD April 24-26, 2009
Sarah Guy Melissa Ness
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(No Transcript)
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Civic Engagement

• What?
• Why?
• How?

GYSD April 24-26, 2009
Sarah Guy Melissa Ness
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What?

• Almost one third of respondents felt they did
  not know what this phrase meant, and another 22
  percent gave miscellaneous responses that we were
  unable to classify. (over 50)
• Despite the popularity of the phrase in
  education today, Millennials were the most likely
  (at 42) to say they didnt know what it meant.
• - 2008 Civic Health Index

GYSD April 24-26, 2009
Sarah Guy Melissa Ness
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Exercise (1 min)
What comes to mind when you hear civic engagement?
Write your own definition of civic
engagement or draw a picture that depicts civic
engagement
GYSD April 24-26, 2009
Sarah Guy Melissa Ness
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What?
Definitions

• Individual and collective actions designed to
  identify and address issues of public concern or
  all behaviors that affect public matters
• Public problem-solving
• More than Volunteering Voting

GYSD April 24-26, 2009
Sarah Guy Melissa Ness
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What?
Civic Behaviors Youth as Citizens
Service Media/Journalism Social
Entrepreneurship Protesting Membership
Buycotts/Boycotts Leadership Public
Meetings Philanthropy Petitions Organizing Gov
ernance Voting Decision-Making Contacting
Officials Education Campaign Activity Leadershi
p Development
GYSD April 24-26, 2009
Sarah Guy Melissa Ness
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What?
What does civic engagement look like?
Youth will make a survey about the life of
migrant workers' children and present their
research to all the students in Shanghai JiaoTong
University. Youth will form research groups in
partnership with the community neighborhood
committees and administer the survey focuses on
the living and educational conditions and needs
of the migrant workers' children. The leaders of
each group will run the meetings and design the
activities. 300 people -youth and adults-from the
community will participate. Youth will share
action plans from these meetings. On April 25,
youth will host a Report Day at the university,
and the local media stations will be invited to
do some promotion. The groups will receive
awards, and depending on funding, their essays or
reports will be published.
GYSD April 24-26, 2009
Sarah Guy Melissa Ness
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What?
Civic Indicators
GYSD April 24-26, 2009
Sarah Guy Melissa Ness
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Why?
Goals

• Increase in civic indicators
• Sense of connectedness to community and
  self-efficacy
• Change policy and cultural actions

GYSD April 24-26, 2009
Sarah Guy Melissa Ness
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Why?

• YSA mission statement
• Improving communities by increasing the
  number and the diversity of young people, ages
  5-25, serving in substantive roles.
• Improving communities
• Increasing the number and the diversity
• Substantive roles

GYSD April 24-26, 2009
Sarah Guy Melissa Ness
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Why?
Service is a starting point an entryway a
foundation
GYSD April 24-26, 2009
Sarah Guy Melissa Ness
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How?
Incorporating Civic Engagement The Remix
Service project The first of many Olneyville
Shines! events will be taking place on April 25th
at Riverside Mills Park on Aleppo Street. From
there, we will disperse to other parks in
Olneyville. We will be focusing our efforts on
removing debris from the Woonasquatucket River,
litter cleanup, planting flowers and trees, and
building an outdoor classroom.
Service project with Civic Engagement Ask local
government to provide more trash cans in the
parks or to place signs that urge people not to
litter.
GYSD April 24-26, 2009
Sarah Guy Melissa Ness
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How?
Civic Engagement S-L Standards

• Multi-behavior (Link to Curriculum)
• Sustained (Duration Intensity)
• Strategic Results (Progress Monitoring)
• Inclusive (Diversity)
• Collective (Partnerships)
• Citizen-Centered (Youth Voice)
• Issue Focused (Meaningful Service)
• Localized (Meaningful Service)

GYSD April 24-26, 2009
Sarah Guy Melissa Ness
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How?
Why Youth Engage

• They are asked.
• Infrastructure opportunities provided.
• Engaged in other ways.
• Focused on issues.
• Expectation of engagement.
• Engagement starts early.

GYSD April 24-26, 2009
Sarah Guy Melissa Ness
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How?

• Focus on your goal
• Focus on the issue that you are trying to address

Example Students teaching yoga to senior
citizens
GYSD April 24-26, 2009
Sarah Guy Melissa Ness
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How?
Resources and Partnerships
You (are not alone)
Connect with advocacy organizations that address
the same issue
On GYSD, we will host a Miles of Smiles run and
donate the money toward the TN Chapter of Autism
Speaks. Our members will take pledge mileage
sheets to sponsors to raise money.
Resource and Partnership Today President Barack
Obama unveiled a Fiscal Year 2010 budget proposal
that includes 211 million for the Combating
Autism Act (CAA). Contact www.autismvotes.org ?
petition, pledge or contact elected officials
GYSD April 24-26, 2009
Sarah Guy Melissa Ness
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How?
Group Exercise What civic actions are they
doing? What other actions can be added to make
the project more successful?
Health Fair Students will be trained to prepare
food, activities, and "health lessons" for
community members. Activities such as cooking and
food tasting, organized athletic activities, and
classes taught by our students will be offered.
GYSD April 24-26, 2009
Sarah Guy Melissa Ness
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Evaluation
http//www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?smVDDidI2Lc6z
P3htjvOEzyQ_3d_3d
Future Webinar
April 14 -- What's Next After Global Youth
Service Day
GYSD April 24-26, 2009
Sarah Guy Melissa Ness