On April 30, 2017, Navajo Nation President Russell Begaye and Vice President Jonathan Nez signed legislation that changes the youth council status from ad-hoc to an advisory committee for all branches of government. Begaye said that he congratulated the youth for their persistence to ensure the legislation was brought to…[...]
In its second year, the Reconnecting Youth Campaign has set a bold goal: build on the success of its inaugural year, which saw a $195 million increase in Congressional funds to programs that provide pathways to school, work and job training for Opportunity Youth. This year’s goal is to secure…[...]
Why is breaking down a stereotype about today’s young adults nearly impossible? Millennials (born 1980-2000) have been tarred by the same brush for quite a while now: Apathetic. Self-centered. Not politically active. And no matter what data someone presents to the contrary, stereotypes refuse to bend. But they need to.…[...]
By Sloane Baxter and Lisette Burton |
Youth Today |
This editorial is printed with the help of Sloane Baxter and Lisette Burton. SparkAction helped the authors place a related editorial in Youth Today, the nation’s only paper for youth development professionals. Read that version here. A longer version appears below. October is Youth Justice Awareness Month, and as consensus builds…[...]
This report offers eight case studies and a number of short profiles documenting efforts that connect the dots between youth action and meaningful community change. The publication begins with reflections on why it is often so hard, especially in the United States, for young people to find the space needed…[...]
In Washington state, eight kids took the government to court to safeguard their future through stronger regulations on carbon emissions. In November of 2015, after a year-and-a-half of legal proceedings, Judge Hollis Hill denied the young leaders' petition to the Washington Department of Ecology (commonly known as “Ecology”). In it,…[...]
In 2015, a student campaign from Columbia University forced Columbia University to divest 10 million from private prisons. To check out a behind-the-scenes video of the story, click here.[...]
On February 9, 2018, President Trump signed into law the landmark bipartisan Family First Prevention Services Act, as part of the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018. The Children's Defense Fund looks at what's in the bill and what it means for families, children and young people. In short: Family First…[...]
Congressional Appropriations Committees in both chambers are at work to set federal funding levels for Fiscal Year 2019. Here's a look at how their decisions matter to effective youth justice programs across the country. For more than forty years, the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act (JJDPA) has provided critical…[...]
By Angela Zusman |
Funders Collaborative on Youth Organizing |
From school discipline reform to access to higher learning, youth advocates have scored major policy victories across the country. In addition to the societal benefits, new research shows that youth organizing is really good for the young advocates themselves. An excellent report recently published by the Funders’ Collaborative on Youth…[...]