Posted February 18, 2022
 February 17, 2022 | Volume 29, No. 7 | Published Weekly Since 19943 Weeks Left to Apply for Hershey Heartwarming Young Heroes GYSD GrantsYSA is searching for Heartwarming Young Heroes with creative ideas to foster meaningful connections, promote inclusion, and teach empathy.With support from Hershey’s Heartwarming Project, YSA will award up to $50,000 in grants for youth-led service projects and community-building activities during Global Youth Service Day (April 29 – May 1, 2022). With $100, $250, and $500 grant options, all youth ages 5-25 in the United States (including territories and military bases & DoD schools) and Canada are eligible to apply for “miniature-size” family-and-friends projects, “standard size” group/class/club projects, or “king-size” community-wide projects. In need of some inspiration? See how 12 of last year’s grantees made a difference in their communities.Apply by March 11 at YSA.org/Hershey NEWS FROM THE FIELDGet Ready to Come to Together, the 33rd Annual National Service-Learning Conference!Get ready to come to Together, the 33rd Annual National Service-Learning Conference! Join us in Minneapolis on April 20-22, or online on April 27. With an exciting slate of learning sessions, teachers, administrators, afterschool professionals, university faculty, and youth leaders find valuable connections, learning, and inspiration! Do you have knowledge to share with the conference community? Lightning Talk and Student Showcase applications are open until March 1. Group and Regular registration rates go through Mar. 14. Learn more and register today! Read morenylc.orgAmeriCorps Releases National Service Reports for States These reports detail dollars invested and number of AmeriCorps members serving in each state and demonstrate the scope of AmeriCorps’ presence throughout the nation with programs in more than 40,000 locations. Read more americorps.gov GRANTS & AWARDSAshoka T-Mobile Changemakers Challenge 2022 – Deadline: 3/31 Ashoka and T-Mobile are looking changemakers ages 13-18 in the U.S. 15 winners will receive $5,000, and one grand prize winner will receive $15,000! Selected teams will also be invited to a three-day Changemaker Lab at T-Mobile’s HQ in Seattle. Read more challenges.changemakers.com InnerView National Community Service Awards – Deadline: 4/15 Track your service hours with InnerView and be eligible for awards. All community service activities since June 1, 2021 count towards one of three award levels, starting at just 20 hours of service across at least 4 different activities/projects. Read more innerview.org STORIES OF SERVICEEveryday Young Hero: Siddharth SatishIn the United States, 5.8 million people suffer from Alzheimer’s Disease, a form of dementia that impacts the parts of the brain responsible for thought, memory, and language. Siddharth Satish (17 | West Windsor, New Jersey), whose great-grandfather was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, noticed that while his great-grandfather couldn’t remember the specifics of his daily activities, he would often share detailed stories of his childhood. Intrigued by this recall, Siddharth began showing his great-grandfather photos of familiar landmarks all of which he was able to recognize. After seeing how his great-grandfather’s memory improved over the course of a few weeks, Siddharth did some research and found that images and memory boxes have been proven to aid those with Alzheimer’s. Siddharth found that there weren’t any organizations that provided a memory box service, so in 2019 he created Rememoirs, a non-profit dedicated to aiding those with Alzheimer’s by creating memory boxes similar to what he built for his great-grandfather. Each memory box begins with a partnership with a retirement or memory care facility. Youth volunteers then create a memory box for the resident they are paired for using photographs and other trinkets that hold meaning for the resident. While creating these boxes, the youth volunteers will learn about the stories behind each item they include so when they return to the retirement or memory care facility, they can engage with their resident through storytelling and other memory-strengthening exercises. Through their work, Siddharth and the Rememoirs team are not only providing one-on-one personalized care but are also able to provide support to facilities that may be underresourced. What started as a project to help his great-grandfather maintain his memories has grown to a global effort of over 2,500 volunteers representing 40 chapters in 12 states and 10 countries, impacting close to 50,000 adults! In addition to Rememoirs’ memory box initiative, Siddharth is exploring long-term approaches to better understanding and, hopefully treating, Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia by educating others as a conference and workshop speaker, presenting at the 2021 World Humanitarian Forum, and creating a curriculum that focuses on the biological factors leading to and impacts of Alzheimer’s.RESOURCES & TRAININGSFirstBook & Ashoka Changemaker Educator Resource Changemaking is the idea that, in partnership with others, every person can apply creative solutions to address problems in their communities. This resource provides actionable info to help educators bring the power of changemaking to their students. Read more firstbook.org Youth Voice & Participation Handbook for Cultural Orgs The definitive guide to youth voice and participation for the creative and cultural sector, written by Lawrence Becko and Jennifer Raven. Read more issuu.com SERVICE SONG OF THE WEEKSpotify“Kind and Generous” – Natalie Merchant”You’ve been so kind and generousI don’t know how you keep on givingFor your kindness I’m in debt to you For your selflessness my admirationFor everything you’ve done you know I’m boundI’m bound to thank you for it.”OUR SPONSORSMichael Minks, Editor-in-ChiefCONNECT WITH YSA |