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Let Youth Voices Be Heard 21st Century Leaders’ Quarterly Publication. Published by leaders, for leaders .
In This Issue
Tips for studying the right way in order to maximize your efficiency in school
An article featuring one of our GYLA recipients and all of the great endeavors that her organization has taken on
Pointers on how to go about applying to colleges, and how to deal with rejection. We also tell you what to look for in schools and important factors to consider
LET YOUTH VOICES BE HEARD
FALL 2014
Meet The Staff Dear 21CL Readers, This is the 2014 Fall Issue of 21st Century Leaders’ Youth Leadership Council (YLC) Publication. We represent 22 students from 20 different high schools across the state of Georgia. The YLC is a branch of students who are called upon to create, write and publish the 21CL quarterly publication, work with the Youth Advisory Board on community service projects, and provide recommendations for year-round programs. In addition, we serve as yearround ambassadors for our organization. Our goal is to establish a large foundation that cultivates future generations of leaders who can further expand our accomplishments. We hope that you find this issue interesting and informative. If you have any questions or comments or ideas for the next issue, please let us know! Sincerely, 21CL Youth Leadership Council
Ammu Kumar Editor In Chief Wheeler High School Class of 2016
Imogen Evans Co-Editor in Chief Roswell High School Class of 2015
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Meet The Staff Chris Bunting Writer Tucker High School Class of 2016
Joanne Lee Writer Duluth High School Class of 2016
Jordan Purcell Writer Arabia Mountain High School Class of 2016
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21CL Event Highlight: Back 2 School Kickoff On September 6th, 21st Century Leaders participated in our annual Back 2 School Kickoff. This year it was held at the City of Refuge in Downtown Atlanta. For several hours, students participated in hands on team building and leadership training activities. Students from a Georgia Tech Leadership Club led us in workshops that encouraged us to solve problems plaguing our schools. We made plans for programs that would increase college acceptance rates, stop bullying, and help foster better studying habits. They also led several teambuilding activities that helped us discover our strengths and weaknesses. On top of all of this, 21st Century Leaders also collected hundreds of school supplies for children and families in need. In the words of a senior from Roswell High School, “All in all it was an amazing and inspiring day.”
REGISTER NOW!!!! Fall Rally Day is on Saturday, November 8th this year at Georgia Power Headquarters. It’s not an event to miss! Every year, 21CL students get the chance to reconnect with one another and meet inspiring professionals. This year, students will be able to participate in team building activities, service projects, as well as listen to motivational speakers. Register using the link below: http://21stcenturyleaders.org/for-students/school-yearprograms/fall-rally-day/
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21CL Star Student, Tiffani Alexander By Joanne Lee Passionate in serving her community, Tiffani Alexander, a home schooled senior, won the Georgia Youth Leadership Award for the year 2013-2014 through her dedicated work for the “Prevent Child Abuse” program in Rockdale. Tiffani is a 21st Century Leaders and founder of Butterflies, Beetles and Bees, Oh My!, a bug club for children sponsored by the “Prevent Child Abuse” program. Her vision to make a difference in other people’s lives has ultimately opened up various opportunities for both her and the children she works for.
After winning the Georgia Youth Leadership Award, Tiffany has received more support for her projects including corporate sponsorships and interest from the leadership team “Mark It Up” in which students come together for service projects. As a facilitator of the 9-12 year old class, Tiffani created the bug club in which she taught the children important life skills through fun activities involving various bug projects. For instance, the children were told to create their own butterflies with different coloring utensils available to them. The point of this exercise was to teach the students the importance of diversity by allowing them to observe the different colors of each of the butterflies and relate the observation to real life situations. The activity enabled Tiffani to more easily describe the different genders, eye colors, ethnicity, etc. in terms that 9-12-year-olds could understand. Throughout the six-week sessions, Tiffany created and performed similar projects to make the children learn to embrace the difference that exists in their surroundings. After winning the Georgia Youth Leadership Award, Tiffani has received more support for her projects including corporate sponsorships and interest from the leadership team “Mark It Up” in which students come together for service projects. She is very thankful that she was given the opportunity to interact with children with different backgrounds, and she too, has learned the importance of diversity while teaching the children to embrace differences.
Be sure to nominate a youth leader for the 2015 GYLA! Or do you know a 21CL Star Student to feature in the next issue? Let us know by filling out our Star Student Form. Nominate Here! 6
LET YOUTH VOICES BE HEARD
FALL 2014
21st Century Leaders Youth Task Force: A Business Internship By Ammu Kumar At the end of this past summer, a group of our fellow leaders have been working diligently to revamp the Decatur office and to provide us with a great space for putting plans into action. Known as the 21CL Youth Task Force, nine students from nine high schools were selected for a business internship for four work phases spread across the 2014-2015 school year. The students underwent a rigorous application process, and once selected, met up to plan how they were going to tackle the challenge they were facing.
Let’s say “Hello” to the original nine of the 21CL Youth Task Force!
Raahul Acharya Northview H.S.
Sara Rountree Chamblee H.S.
Angela Jiang GSMST
Sheweat Laine Tucker H.S.
Jasmine Barnett Decatur H.S.
Krush Patel Milton H.S.
Chirag Manyapu Northview H.S.
Zani Nobles Riverwood Int. Charter School
Jenai Richards Decatur H.S.
Over the next semester, the Youth Task Force will be rotating and/or adding members to help put their plan into action. I met up with one of the Youth Task Force members, Sheweat Laine to get the inside scoop. Check it out! (Continued on next page)
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What is the goal of the Youth Task Force? -
Our mission is to convert an unused storage space into a useable space for 21CL and for all students. We plan to turn into a meeting space and relaxed part of the room for 21CL students to use, and eventually rent out the space to other non-profits in the area as a fundraising tool for 21CL.
What are some amenities that 21st Century Leaders can expect to see from the new space? -
We plan to add conference space for meetings for 21CL students and the Youth Advisory Board & Youth Leadership Council. We also plan to add a sitting area for informal gatherings to make it more comfortable for the members. We’re also putting in a vending machine as an additional revenue source.
What do you plan on doing with all the stuff currently in the storage closet? -
We’re going to sell most of the donated items in order to raise some capital for construction and materials, and we’ll donate the rest.
What are some of the challenges you have to overcome? -
Raising capital. There is a lot of random items that nobody uses, so organizing that and trying to sell it will be hard. But that’s why we had to put together a very complex business plan to show how we will overcome these challenges, especially when presenting to potential funders
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FALL 2014
Studying Smarter by Chris Bunting Autumn has officially rolled around again; and as the days get shorter, does it seem like you are spending all day studying, but are still not totally ready for tests? You are not alone! Everyone eventually has tests that they have to wrestle into the night to prepare for, and although you cannot escape the beast, using these strategies to study smarter will help you conquer preparing for tests, quizzes, and exams much more efficiently.
Sharpen That Pencil Taking notes on key points when reading or listening to a lecture forces your brain to process the information you are taking in and helps you focus. Having all the key points in one place makes test review much more efficient.
Flash Focus Make flash cards with a question on one side and the answer on the other. Just creating the cards will better familiarize you with the information, and once made, the cards allow you to test yourself on the go.
Better Together Find people with whom you work well and form a study group. You can answer each other’s questions and keep one another on task. Explain what you are studying to a friend. This requires you to be familiar enough with the information that you can explain it clearly and answer questions. 9
LET YOUTH VOICES BE HEARD
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Best Ways to Manage Stress and Master Memory Retention By Imogen Evans The Best Ways to Manage Stress and Master Memory Retention During Your Fall Semester By Imogen Evans As 21st Century Leaders, we are almost halfway through the fall semester, the load from school, college applications, and other commitments is in full swing. The intense school work and pressure to succeed amounts to copious stress on high school students, but there are strategies that can boost memory skills and reduce stress levels. Retrieving memory actually entails encoding, storage, and retrieval, which implies that memory retention, is far more complex than simply remembering what was said. It requires grasping what was said initially and holding on to the memory in order for the brain to retrieve the memory. Memory improvement strategies are broken down into several steps.
1. The first of which is to ensure that the material is fully understood. It is best to experience lessons with as many senses as possible, meaning full visual, mental, and auditory attention. To fully understand a topic, listen attentively and ask plenty of questions. Not only will asking questions help you understand the material, it will please your teacher to see how engaged you are in the material.
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2. The next step is to apply the material and use it; write it down, come up with an acronym, or read it repetitively. 3. Lastly, try to apply the material to your everyday life. Thinking about the material will ensure that you have developed and maintained a full understanding of the material.
Stress levels also run increasingly high among high school teenagers as they face the challenges of time management, priorities, and heavy workloads. First, the stressors must be identified, so that they can be avoided, adapted, or altered. Exercise increases endorphin levels, making it an excellent stress reliever. Getting plenty of sleep is also ideal in limiting stress. Find someone to discuss your stressors with in order to handle them appropriately. Students have discovered their own ways to deal with intense stress levels and tackle tasks effectively. Maya Underwood, a senior at Roswell High School has been a 21st Century Leader since 2011 and has attended both EarthCare and Summer Youth Leadership Institute. “I manage stress by doing one simple thing: breathing. I have to take a step back, look at the situation in full, and see how I am going to approach it and execute the task at hand to the best of my abilities. If I am too hysterical to do that, then I go out and exercise, come back, and I’m able to think more clearly,” Underwood said. Regardless of what strategies work for you personally, it is important to acknowledge your own health and your own limits. Among all this information, students should be fully aware of the physical impacts of stress on the body as well as ways of removing the stress. Giving any task your best shot is simply the best thing to do. Stand tall, 21st Century Leaders, we’ve got some work to do!
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Tips for Collegiate Success By Ammu Kumar Dear High School Seniors, As college applications are rolling around the corner, I got in touch with a few college admission representatives and asked them for their best tips of advice for applying freshmen. I’ve included the most commonly repeated tips below:
1. Time the Mailing of Your Application Carefully Make sure to apply as early as possible. Many colleges accepts students on a first come first serve basis, so you want to make sure that you get yours in there as soon as possible. 2. Use the “Pajama Test” Apply to at least one school that is within reach, but you hadn’t considered applying to until now. Find a school were you feel most comfortable (enough to wear your pajamas). You might find your dream school with this easy test! 3. Keep Your Grades Up Admissions officers often encourage students to partake in courses with heavy academic rigor but that doesn’t mean they weigh bad grades in those classes as favorable. An “A” or “B” in a standard class is much better than a C in an AP Class. 4. Visit the Campus—The School is Checking Make sure to visit the majority of campuses for schools you’re applying to, especially for your dream schools. It gives you a chance to get a feel for campus life, as well as connect with important individuals. 5. Rejection is OK
Just because you get rejected from an ivy league or a top name school doesn’t mean it’s all over. What you do with your college is experience and you who meet while there, will prove to be a lot more important that where you went. Make sure that it’s somewhere that you feel comfortable, where you know you will get a good education, and where you can really discover yourself as a person. 12
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Leadership Counts in School
Y O U T H A C T I O N CENTER
By Jordan Purcell
Arabia Mountain High School is excited to be one of the newest high schools to bring a 21CL Youth Action Center for the 2015-2016 school year. A Youth Action Center is student-run and student led community service and leadership-based club, through 21st Century Leaders. Youth Action Centers are usually referred to as “YAC’s”. YAC’s are integrated in high schools all over Georgia. This is a unique club that intertwines with other clubs in a high school to help their leaders become more efficient and communicate with their members more effectively. YAC members do a number of service projects throughout the year. They are able to develop important budget planning, communication, and leadership skills. All YAC members are also able to attend various 21st Century leadership events year-round. YACs stretch across the metro Atlanta area and as far south as Swainsboro, including Langston Hughes High School, Booker T. Washington, Tri-Cities High School, Henry W. Grady High School, Centennial High School, North Springs Charter High School, Emanuel County Institute and Swainsboro High School. Along with Arabia Mountain High School, Chamblee Charter High School will also be getting a YAC for next year. These will be the first two high schools in Dekalb County to have a Youth Action Center! There is great excitement for the Youth Action Center next year at Arabia Mountain and I’m proud to be one of the founding members. The YAC would be a great way for students to help learn valuable lessons about goal setting, teamwork, and project management. Next year, we will encourage officers of other clubs in the school to join so they can further their leadership skills. Hopefully, in turn, they would influence others to join and incorporate what they learn in their own positions. Also, members will get volunteer hours for different events, filling the requirement of volunteering on college applications. The YAC would be a great addition to Arabia Mountain because our students have leadership potential. The skills they learn from the YAC and 21st Century Leaders will help them to prevail in their chosen career paths.
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LET YOUTH VOICES BE HEARD
FALL 2014
21st CYL #Trending Here’s a compilation of various trends and happenings in the social world that we think all of our fellow leaders should definitely check out!!
World It was announced in October that Malala Yousafzai won the Nobel Peace Prize for her activism in children’s and women’s rights. She is the youngest Nobel Prize winner for any category, and she hopes that this win will foster better educational equality throughout the world. A perfect example of extradorinary youth leadership. You never know what kind of impact you can make on the world with a project or cause, until you start.
Billboard Hits 1. All About That Bass
Fall Must Reads 1. The Giver
Megan Trainor
Lois Lowry
Pop/ Hip Hop
2. Riptide Vance Joy Alternative
2. The Fault in Our Stars John Green
3. Bailando Enrique Iglesias Latino/ Hip Hop
3. Divergent Veronica Roth
SAVE THE DATE 21CL Fall Calendar Here are some important dates that are coming up sometime in the near future! Make sure to sign up for all of our 21 st Century Leaders events and participate in our service projects!
November 6, 2014
November 7, 2014
November 8, 2014
SAT Subject Test Registration Deadline
Alumni Launch Party
Fall Rally Day
What it is: All students who are planning on taking an SAT subject test on December 6th must register for the test by this date.
What it is: Attendees will be able to reconnect and reminisce with old friends. They will also have the opportunity to network with various professionals.
November 13, 2014
December 5, 2014
What it is: Hosted at Georgia Power Headquarters, this is our annual event where students can reconnect with old friends and participate in various leadership workshops. December 15, 2014
Georgia Gives Day What it is: Help donate to your favorite charitable organization by participating in community-service oriented committees.
Georgia Youth Leadership Awards Nominations Deadline What it is: If you know of an exceptional leader in your community whom you want to nominate for a GYLA award, you must send a submission in by this date.
Summer Program Application Opens What it is: Apply to 21CL’s oneweek summer leadership programs on a college campus, including SYLI, EarthCare or Leadership Unplugged.