Youth Service America And Disney Award 70 Minnie Grants To Engage Young People Ages Five To 14 In Service Campaigns Over GYSD
By Christina Wessell
WASHINGTON– April 24, 2008 – Seventy organizations, teachers, and young people in 22 countries will each receive a Disney Minnie Grant to engage young people ages five to 14 in service projects around Global Youth Service Day (GYSD), April 25-27, 2008.  Disney Minnie Grant winners were selected by Youth Service America (YSA) and sponsored by Disney.  Spanning three days, April 25, 26 and 27, 2008, GYSD involves millions of young people across the world, with the help of mentors, parents, and teachers. Young volunteers will address important community needs through service and service-learning projects addressing climate change, literacy, poverty, human rights, and many other issues. Disney Minnie Grant Project Highlights (For a full listing of GYSD Minnie Grant winners, please go to:  http://ysa.org/AwardsGrants/DisneyMinnieGrants/DisneyMinnieGrant2008Winners/tabid/292/Default.aspx): •    Villamontes, Bolivia - Women's physical and intellectual capacity is often underestimated in this society.  Therefore, project organizers are planning two major fairs on a series of academic and social issues. Youth will identify locations of worksites, organization schemes, and they will be supported by adults in a step-by-step process in problem solving. Also, youth volunteers from GYSD 2007 will share their experiences and suggestions.  Organizers plan to strengthen the decision-making role of youth in a question and answer setting, which will also open up discussion. •    Accra, Ghana - Children with disabilities in the local refugee camp are often mistreated by their peers. They are pushed out of food distribution lines and shoved out of seats at community meetings. Youth organizing this project want this to change. Addressing the Millennium Development Goal that emphasizes equal rights and equal education for everyone by 2015, youth are bringing children with and without disabilities together in a series of tutoring sessions, sports games and group activities to eliminate prejudices and foster cooperation between the children.  •    Jaipur, India - For young women in this region, there is little protection and advocacy for their health, success and freedoms. They are often overlooked in favor of males; as a result, these girls suffer from anemia and other avoidable conditions. Consequently, a group of 235 young women will establish a group that will concentrate on the success of young women. The group will teach girls vocational skills and emphasize general health and hygiene in order to produce strong and healthy leaders in the community. Youth will launch their campaign on GYSD, identifying community needs and training girls to assist their peers. •    Madurai, India—Residents are still recovering from physical loss and emotional despair caused by the last tsunami. The youth remember the high level of devastation and aim to minimize losses from future natural disasters.  They will cultivate and preserve mangrove trees, which serve as a natural protective barrier. During the tree planting campaign, youth will teach residents about emergency preparedness and build stronger community connections to address future disasters. •    Nairobi, Kenya - Since the controversial elections of December 2007, violence has escalated, particularly between the Laus and Kikuyu. For some societies the game of soccer is a means to pass the time in friendly competition, but for these two tribes, the game represents a lot more. The GYSD celebration will build unity, using soccer to bring the community together and resolve conflicts peacefully. •    Nizhny Novgrod, Russia – Youth in this area are particularly affected by HIV, yet their knowledge of HIV/AIDS is lacking due to insufficient classes/trainings in the school curriculum.  Through this project, youth will serve as peer educators in schools by creating and delivering seminars for other youth on HIV/AIDS, prevention techniques, and strategies for living with HIV. They aim to educate 400 youth. •    New Market, New Hampshire, United States- Youth are joining the city’s downtown improvement plan to make the city’s parks more appealing for residents. In the preparation, students have met with public officials to craft a project that will help the city and stimulate resident participation. The students have improved their public speaking, writing aptitude and mathematical skills by engaging a multilevel approach that places students at the forefront of decision-making and actively introduces them to the worthwhile benefits of service-learning.  Also, the students have engaged the interest and active participation of local businesses, making this a highly involved operation with results that will prove long-lasting.  “It’s an honor to work with Disney who is committed to youth serving around the world. Disney’s leadership increases the scale and visibility of youth service year-round, and helps young people around the world play a leading role in addressing important community needs, by giving their time, energy, commitment, and idealism,” says Steve Culbertson, president and CEO of Youth Service America. “Millions of young people serving together on Global Youth Service Day performing strategic service sends a powerful message of hope and healing around the globe,” Culbertson adds. “Global Youth Service Day is a wonderful opportunity to encourage today’s  youth to be a part of making our world a better place to live,” said Jeff Hoffman, vice president, Disney Worldwide Outreach.  “As part of that encouragement, Disney Minnie Grants help individuals facilitate outreach programs in their communities.”   Global Youth Service Day is the largest youth service event in the world. GYSD is a year-round effort to expand the impact of the youth service movement. The initiative launches new service organizations, policy changes, and sustainable service programs to create a culture of engaged youth. State Farm Companies Foundation is the presenting sponsor. More than 125 national partners and 70 lead agencies throughout the United States organize campaigns. Overseas, national lead agencies in more than 100 countries participate. Planning Tool Kits, Service-Learning Curriculum Guides, classroom posters, grants, and more are available for youth, parents, teachers and organizations. For more information: www.YSA.org. # # # Disney brightens the lives of children in need around the world through global outreach programs, local community initiatives and the Disney VoluntEARS program. Last year, Disney donated more than $177 million in cash and in-kind support to various charities around the world, and the Company drew upon its unique magic to make wishes come true for children and families. Last year, Disney VoluntEARS contributed more than 466,000 hours of service. The Disney VoluntEARS program provides opportunities for Disney employees to contribute their time and expertise towards making a positive impact in the communities they serve while furthering the traditions and ideals of The Walt Disney Company. This year, The Walt Disney Company is celebrating 25 years of giving back to communities around the world through the efforts of Disney VoluntEARS.  Since the program’s inception, Disney Employees and Cast Members in over 42 countries have donated over 5,000,000 hours of service. Youth Service America seeks to improve communities by increasing the number and diversity of young people, ages 5-25, serving in important roles. Founded in 1986, YSA is an international nonprofit resource center that partners with thousands of organizations in more than 100 countries to expand the impact of the youth service movement with families, communities, schools, corporations, and governments.  For more information: www.YSA.org.
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