s time to begin another school year!This summer has been phenomenal and truly beyond words. From meeting our first group of Northeast Fellows in Philadelphia to closing out the summer with the West Coast Fellows in Los Angeles, it has been a wonderful experience getting to know each of the 2011 YP4 Fellows (
). Thank you to the
staff, our alumni, alumni board, partners,trainers and to our two amazing interns for all your hard work this summer!
Though the regional trainings are over, we’re already hard at work planning for the 2012 National Summit. Held January 13-16
at the Marriott Crystal Gateway in Crystal City, VA we’ll be joined by over 200 progressive young activists from across the country. We hope to see you there!
We're launching virtualalumni and fellow led open spaces that can be used to collaborate across issues and within your region. Our first call on “Collaboration Within the Muslim Community” will be led by
Reem Rahman on September 8th at 5:30pm ET. If you would like to lead a specific open space
Finally, the deadline for the 2011 Mentor application is this Friday, August 26th. If you would like to mentor a Fellow from the 2011 class
We’re so excited about all of our amazing new Fellows and can’t wait to share more updates with you soon.
Over the past few months, we’ve been to Philadelphia, Chicago, and Tallahassee, meeting the inspiring and dynamic Fellows of the 2011-2012 YP4 Fellowship class. Together, we’ve engaged in trainings on progressive values, power, privilege, and oppression, storytelling, and building power to win. We’ve built new relationships and strengthened old ones, and created the foundation for what looks to be an incredibly exciting and successful year. We’re sad to see the summer come to a close, but we’re eagerly anticipating what comes next.
Following the regional trainings, Fellows have been asked to complete a Mentorship Needs Assessment, a tool that helps the YP4 team to better understand the unique needs and challenges facing each of our Fellows. We’ll use the information collected through this assessment to match each Fellow with
. Fellows will then get to work, creating their Individual Leadership Development Plans to outline their individual strengths and challenges, their visions for social justice, and their short- and long-term plans. Fellows who complete this work will be invited to participate in the annual YP4 National Summit, where they’ll meet other Fellows, alumni, and national social justice movement leaders for a weekend of tactics and skills trainings, strategy sessions, and networking opportunities. We’ve got an exciting year planned for this group
As a leadership development program we understand the importance of attending conferences and skills trainings to better hone your leadership skills. That is why the YP4 team is pleased to announce that we will be providing limited scholarships to attend local, statewide and national conferences and trainings.
These scholarships will not only serve as a way for you to enhance your leadership skills, but will also allow you to be a representative of YP4’s mission and values. In order to be considered for these scholarships we ask that you fill out the
Conference and Training Scholarship Application. For more information contact
William Dennis. Funding is limited and will be available on a first come, first served basis.
The White House Project | Add Women, Change Everything Trainings
The U.S. currently ranks an astounding 73rd in the world in women's political representation. Women make up only 17 percent of the members of the House of Representatives and the Senate. Women have lost ground in the last decade as elected statewide executive officials and made little progress in state legislatures; they hold 24 percent of the seats in state legislatures – only 2 percentage points more than a decade earlier – and 24 percent of state executive offices. Through a special partnership with the White House Project YP4 Fellows and Alumni get 50% off the trainings. Just mention that you’re a YP4 or FLLA Fellow or Alum!
Go Run | Denver, CO | September 16th – 18th
Go Run | Chicago, IL | October 7th – 9th
Sacred Soil: Cultivating Seeds of Community Transformation | Growing Food and Justice for All Initiative | Milwaukee, WI | September 9 - 11
The Growing Food and Justice for All Initiative is a new initiative aimed at dismantling racism and empowering low-income and communities of color through sustainable and local agriculture. This comprehensive network views dismantling racism as a core principal which brings together social change agents from diverse sectors working to bring about new, healthy and sustainable food systems and supporting and building multicultural leadership in impoverished communities throughout the world.
The vision for this initiative is to establish a powerful network of individuals, organizations and community based entities all working toward a food secure and just world.
Global Conference on Disaster Management | Chicago, IL September 15th |
New York. NY October 13th | San Francisco November 10th
The Global Conference on Disaster Management is the premier event that addresses issues common to all aspects of disaster and emergency management. The Global Conference on Disaster Management includes various speakers and provides excellent opportunities for training and networking with experts and practitioners in Disaster Management Research, Business Continuity, Emergency Management, Emergency Communications, Emergency Response,Risk Management, Security, IT, HR, Environmental, Community Planning and the organizations which supply and service these professions. The conference will address lessons we have/ or not learn as well as looking into future trends and threats to the safety and well-being of our communities.
Choice USA: 2012 Gloria Steinem Membership Conference | September 23-26, 2011| Washington, DC
This conference promises to be bigger and badder than anything you've ever seen. Participants will be talking about threats to reproductive justice in our states, discovering what’s at stake in the upcoming election and developing regional strategies to figure out how young people can have an impact at the local, state and federal level. And if you’re still in need of a reason to attend, Choice USA has two words for you: GLORIA STEINEM. In order to ensure that young people are able to access the conference Choice USA has just opened up a
SCHOLARSHIP AT BIT.LY/CHOICESCHOLARSHIPS
You
must be registered to attend to the conference before your scholarship application can be reviewed. You can register at
bit.ly/destination2012. Just hit the "Pay Later" button to indicate that you're applying for a scholarship.
White Priviledge Conference| September 24th, 2011 | Colorado Springs, CO
This one day symposium will serve as an opportunity for attendees to examine and explore issues of white supremacy, white privilege, diversity, multicultural education, leadership, social justice, race/racism, sexual orientation, gender relations, religion and other systems of privilege/oppression. This conference fits in perfectly with many of the issues that you fight for every day. The symposium is not about "beating up on white folks." It provides participants the opportunity to get honest about the type of society in which we live, and the advantages that accrue to some but not to others. The conference offers a means to develop and sustain ongoing work to dismantle this system of white supremacy, white privilege and oppression. The symposium is meant to educate all of us about how some knowingly and innocently participate in a cycle of bigotry and oppression due to power, prejudice, and privilege. Special Performance by:
Ariel Luckey & Keynote Speaker:
Lee Mun Wah
Registration for this one-day symposium is
OPEN & LIVE!
Next Up Young Workers Conference | AFL-CIO | Minneapolis, MN | September 31st - October 2nd
Young people are making a difference all across the globe—from Egypt to Wisconsin. It's no wonder with unemployment at an all-time high, jobs being scarce, growing debt and attacks on workers' rights, that young people are mobilizing for social and economic justice. Lend your skills and talents to this growing drumbeat for change by joining the AFL-CIO and hundreds of young workers, activists and leaders in Minneapolis for the second annual Next Up Young Workers Summit!
Together, we can build a 21st century economy that works for everyone, especially young workers.
Take Back the American Dream | Washington, D.C. | October 3 - 5
The "American Dream" of a vibrant middle class is under siege. But there is a real middle-class uprising sweeping the nation to save it and renew it.
The Campaign for America's Future is teaming up with Van Jones' "Rebuild The Dream" organization to add fuel to the grassroots fire that has already been lit—in Madison, Wisconsin and town halls all over the country. We want to channel that grassroots energy into an unstoppable force.
Rising leaders like Van will share innovative movement-building strategies that have begun to shake up politics. Leaders of the Congressional Progressive Caucus will join with the nation's best community organizers to map out a cross-country drive for economic revival. Student leaders will share how social media is essential to stifle the forces that oppose the Dream.
With the floodgates of corporate campaign cash flung open and a Tea Party-dominated conservative movement doing violence to the fundamental pillars of middle-class prosperity, the promise of the American Dream is under threat as never before. Come build the movement to save the American Dream.
Midwest Power Shift | MSSC & OSEC | Cleveland, OH | October 7 - 9th
Bring together the youth across the Midwest to highlight and focus regional advocacy and solutions oriented work. Grassroots training, speakers, connect and launch campaigns.
AASHE 2011 Creating Sustainable Campuses and Communities | Pittsburg, PA | October 9 – 12
In 2010 AASHE’s Conference hosted over 2,100 thousand participants, making it the biggest sustainability conference in North America. This year AASHE is looking forward to bring together even more sustainability professionals and educators gathering at the annual campus sustainability conference. This year AASHE will gather its diverse members to look at practical initiatives, ideas and tools to advance the process of sustainability at colleges and universities.
OutServe Armed Forces Leadership Summit | New York, NY | October 13-16, 2011
The Leadership Summit intends to encourage an environment of respect in the armed forces with regard to sexual orientation & gender identity. It will provide the LGBT military community a means of building professional networks, sharing best practices & formulating strategies that help build a stronger military community.
Raise the ‘Roots’: Engaging Communities of Color in Tax Fairness | United for a Fair Economy | Boston, MA | October 18 – 19
How can organizations and community organizers more effectively engage diverse communities on tax issues? The
Raise the ‘Roots conference will examine this mission-critical question and offer practical strategies and best practices for individuals and organizations to achieve this goal.
Participants will learn communications that resonate with different communities’ cultures, hear about successful organizing strategies across the country, and learn how diverse communities interact with media.
National Hispana Leadership Institute | Executive Leadership Training Conference and Mujer Awards | Los Angeles, CA | November 3-4
The National Hispana Leadership Institute’s 2011 Executive Leadership Training Conference and
Mujer Awards brings together Latinas and NHLI’s accomplished alumane from across the nation for two days of cutting-edge leadership and professional development, networking, educational and inspirational keynotes and workshops facilitated by top-level Latinas from across the country.At the
Mujer Awards Gala, celebrated since 1993, which will be held on Friday, November 4, NHLI will close the conference by paying tribute to the achievements and contributions of exceptional Latina leaders. Past honorees have included journalist and TV anchor Maria Elena Salinas, NCLR's President Janet Murguia, and actresses Rosario Dawson and Eva Longoria.
Click here to learn about past honorees.
The conference also features Health & Wellness Expo and Career Recruitment Fair; distinguished Latina authors and artists at book signing and art exhibit, and a Community Marketplace with local artisans promoting their beautiful crafts.
Conference attendees include local and national leaders in corporate America, non-profits, government, media, higher education, as well as entrepreneurs, students, artists, authors and others.
Southeast Student Renewable Energy Conference | Southern Energy Network University of North Carolina, Asheville | November 4-6 The SSREC is a week-end long conference for students and young people to come together for grassroots training, key note speakers, workshops and panels for hands on learning and gaining experience.
Equity Summit Healthy Communities, Strong Regions, A Prosperous America | Policy Link | Detroit, Michigan | November 8-11, 2011Equity Summit 2011 is the fourth national PolicyLink Summit, bringing together the nation’s equity movement—your fellow advocates, activists, policymakers, foundation officials, and equity leaders—to advance a truly inclusive policy agenda. Join us in Detroit to share in a vision for more sustainable and equitable development with access to jobs, transportation, education, health, and housing for all.
Organizing For Social Change Midwest Academy | Chicago August 15 – 19, October 24 – 28 | Washington, D.C. November 14 -18
The Midwest Academy offers a five day, residential, comprehensive "Organizing for Social Change" training throughout the country. Participants come from a wide variety of organizations. Most are working on specific issue campaigns and building powerful, progressive organizations. The training helps them to be more strategic in their fight for social, economic, racial and environmental justice.
There are different methods of organizing or ways of making social change, and all have their uses. Midwest Academy uses and teaches the "Direct Action Organizing" concept. Direct Action Organizing is based on the power of people to take collective action on their own behalf. The point is not that one approach is better than others. In fact, often many kinds of organizing are needed, but the Midwest Academy focuses on Direct Action Organizing.
Greenpeace Semester | Washington, DC | September 19th- December 16th
The Greenpeace Semester is a 5- or 10-week training program in DC for college students who want to become organizers and activists in the environmental movement. It's action-filled and the best hands-on training for students to become environmental leaders.The program combines classroom-style workshops with hands-on field training and travel. You will learn grassroots organizing, how to plan effective campaigns and the principles and practice of non-violent direct action.
You will receive training by some of the best professional activists in the environmental movement: organizers, campaigners, and experts committed to saving the planet and teaching the next generation of environmental leaders how to solve some of the world's biggest environmental problems.You will also receive briefings from issue experts on climate change, ocean protection, nuclear energy, forest conservation, toxic pollution, and corporate abuse of the environment.
Deadline July 27, 2011
SAVE THE DATE | YP4 2012 National Summit | Crystal City, VA | January 13-16, 2012
YP4 Fellows and alumni from across the country will come together for four days of essential trainings, workshops, strategizing and networking on how to be more effective on campus and in their community promoting social justice issues and progressive values. At the Summit, Fellows meet other young progressive leaders and learn powerful strategies and tactics for creating sustainable social change. At the Summit, all fellows will learn the key tools for developing a Blueprint For Social Justice proposal.
On Friday, January 13th Young People For (YP4) will be kicking off its 2012 National Summit by hosting an Awards and Cocktail Reception at the Marriott Crystal Gateway in Crystal City, VA. We hope that you will be able to join the YP4 team-- and over 200 young progressive leaders-- as we recognize and honor YP4 alumni, partners, and donors who have been dedicated to youth leadership and the progressive movement. If you’re a YP4 alumni and would like to participate in the 2012 National Summit please contact
Joy Lawson.
Seed Grants
Are you working to start a community action project or program? Do you need money to put your ideas into action? If you answered, "YES!", you are eligible to apply for a
Do Something Seed Grant. Do Something gives out a $500 Do Something Seed Grant every week to help young people just like YOU!
Do Something Seed Grants are targeted towards project ideas and programs that are just getting started. These grants can be used to jump-start your program or to realize your ideas for the first time.
If you are looking for funding to help take your project to the next level, check out the
Do Something Growth Grants!
American Dream Fellowship
If you're an ambitious go-getter who wants to win big political fights and gets excited about 21st Century organizing, you should apply for this Fellowship. Right now.
The American Dream Fellowship is a six-month, full-time, paid Fellowship run by
MoveOn.org and Van Jones's Rebuild the Dream. You'll learn a whole new range of organizing skills, from online campaigning to field actions to political strategy. Then you'll put those skills to work as a MoveOn or Rebuild staff member, fighting the good fight at the highest levels of American politics.
We're looking for driven young progressives from diverse backgrounds who can make fun, exciting things happen. We want social entrepreneurs -- people who make, lead, do. People who start things, like a college newspaper, or an immigrant rights walkout, or a social media community. Political or online organizing experience is nice, but not at all required.
In addition to deep skills trainings, we'll give you real responsibility for important projects, as a full-time member of one of these teams:
MoveOn and Rebuild the Dream are "virtual office" organizations, so you can do this Fellowship from any location. Pay is very competitive. At the end of six months, if we mutually agree that you are a good fit, we may offer you an ongoing position. Or we will help you find your dream job in an allied organization. Either way, you will have built up your skills, and MoveOn will have built up the progressive movement -- a win-win.
To apply, send your resume to Fellowship2011@moveon.org. Include a cover letter that answers these questions:
1. What's a big, cool thing you've started or led? Why are you proud of it? If you've got a couple examples, great.
2. Got any ideas of things you'd like to start?
3. What the best thing you've ever written? Attach it, or send us a link.
4. Describe your personal politics.
5. Boil down why you'd be a great Fellow into one sentence.
6. How techy are you? What's the most advanced thing you can do on a computer?
7. Do you know anyone at MoveOn? Or do you know anyone who knows one of us and can recommend you? Drop names.
Applications are due by August 7.
