Act Locally
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Welcome! Whether you're a community leader, a seasoned advocate, a young person looking to turn your concern into action or somewhere in between, you'll find guides, tools and ideas to help you make a difference.
For more resources, inspiring stories and online tools, please visit the homepage of our Action Center.
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- The ABCs of Advocacy. Read our guide to strengthening communities through advocacy.
- Budging the School Budget. A SparkAction guide to influencing school district budgets, with real-world examples.
- The Federal Budget Process in Congress: 2009. What's it got to do with your hometown? Find out!
Volunteer Opportunities
In his plan to trim the federal deficit, President Barack Obama Monday proposed $320 billion in cuts to Medicare and Medicaid, largely by changing how the federal government pays health providers, slashing payments to drug companies, and dramatically changing the way it splits the costs of Medicaid with the states, according to a fact sheet the White House released.
How can we offset the long-term impact of today’s unemployment on young Americans?
DREAM Activists are out and they're organized. Check it out in this Youth Rising blog.
People tend to only listen to one person — themselves. And, as a result, they’re only influenced by one person …again — themselves. So, as frustrating as this may be for a parent who would like to sternly say, “You have to stop!”to a drug or alchol-abusing child and to have that be enough, the real trick to motivating someone is to get them to co
Troubling long-term trends have gotten even worse as schools, government, and families cut back and student loans skyrocket.
If you were to look at the transcripts of today's college students, you'd find that they're exceptional. IN fact, you'd think we were graduating the smartest studetns ever. But trascripts don't tell the whole story. In fact, massive grade inflation has been artifically boosting students' grades for over four decades.
Steve Mariotti tells a story and how and why he teaches in prisons in this four-part series from the Huffington Post.
Providence's citywide after-school effort, known as the AfterZone, produced educational benefits for students who attended the programs — including improved school attendance and attitudes — according to one of the first rigorous evaluations of a citywide after-school initiative.
The Annie E. Casey Foundation offers resources for foster care adoption.
This generation of young women is facing obstacles far greater than most can imagine. These hardships range from generational poverty, peer pressure, early pregnancy, and gang violence. In response to this issue, members of the Council on Women & Girls and other White House staff held a briefing on the importance of mentorship in the lives of young girls.
Tools to Improve Communities
October 5, 2012
Produced by: 
National League of Cities
The National League of Cities’ Institute for Youth, Education and Families offers City Leadership to Promote Black Male Achievement, a new municipal action guide for reducing the persistent disparities between black males and their peers in the areas of education, work and family.
September 21, 2012
Produced by: 
National League of Cities
Building Management Information Systems to Coordinate Citywide Afterschool Programs: A Toolkit for Cities
In this toolkit, the National League of Cities' Institute for Youth, Education and Families offers municipal leaders a detailed guide for building management information systems in order to coordinate local afterschool programs more effectively.
September 13, 2012
Produced by: 
America's Promise Alliance
In a celebration of America’s young people and the communities most dedicated to helping local youth graduate from high school, America’s Promise Alliance has announced the 2012 list of 100 Best Communities for Young People presented by ING. In 2011, more than 300 communities in all 50 states and Washington, D.C., were nominated for thecompetition.
August 24, 2012
Produced by: 
CIRCLE
A vibrant and thriving democracy requires a deeply engaged and active citizenry. “Civic engagement” encompasses all the ways we identify and understand common problems in our communities, nation, and world.
August 3, 2012
Produced by: 
American Enterprise Institute, The Walton Family Foundation
Can parent groups realistically serve as a counterweight to well-established interest groups?
July 27, 2012
Produced by: 
The Afterschool Alliance
In a triumph of community activism, afterschool advocates across New York City have defeated proposed budget cuts that would have left more than 25,000 elementary, middle and high school children without afterschool.
July 23, 2012
Produced by: 
National Women's Law Center, Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP)
With federal and state governments slashing programs and proposing deep cuts in funding, important early learning programs are vulnerable. Even while we work to defend existing investments in these tough times, we also need to look for opportunities to make improvements in the child care and early learning programs that play such an important role in children and families' lives.
June 15, 2012
Produced by: 
The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy, America's Promise Alliance
May 10, 2012
Produced by: 
Ready by 21
A local leadership group paves the way to bring an afterschool program to disadvantaged youth.
May 4, 2012
Produced by: 
National League of Cities Institute for Youth, Education, and Families
A new set of case studies published by the YEF Institute highlights an emerging city strategy for ensuring that more young children are poised for educational success: the alignment of early care and education programs with K-12 education systems.