Youth-LeadeR www.youth-leader.org mail: office@youth-leader.org edited by Eric Schneider copyright Youth-Leader 2013
Hi! I am super pleased to share with you the exciting new offer that YouthLeadeR and many amazing friends are making to the Young Generation, and everyone who cares about them, their future, - and your own future: youth, teachers, parents, citizens, organizations, even media! We have an outstanding, unprecedented YOUTH LEADERSHIP support and training program for youth, students, ecoclubs, teachers, and youth organizations. In fact, we keep doing what we do anyway: producing media, stories and action-kits tools about model solutions, forging alliances with changemakers, meeting, helping and taking action with awesome youth. And to make it easy to understand, we call it a support program, - with YL media, contacts, services and community, all in one. This booklet shows you HOW THE ELEMENTS OF YL INTERACT as a complete Learning and Support program that YOU can tune to your frameworks: time, locale, life, school, causes WHAT MAKES CHANGE GENERATION RISING SPECIAL AND PRECIOUS compared to available youth action programs. We compare with no less than awesome world champions Free The Children / Me To We. We love their work. Change Generation Rising goes similar ways but reaches around the globe and with very little effort. it offers additional things that can amplify action in schools and beyond even more. By active youth groups, but also by new groups forming because the offers to date have not been attractive enough. ENJOY!
add YL Missions to your work as a local chapter of an organization - this program gives you a huge amount of new knowledge, tools and action opportunities. YOU MEET HEROES & VISIONARIES OF OUR TIME ROLE MODELS. '80% of human behaviour is shaped by role models. Subconsciously, copy-paste.' If you want to awaken and unfold your inner hero to the max, surround yourself with real heroes: Youth Leaders and Changemakers. ENCOUNTER. Spirit and Knowledge Transfer Vibrant videos, rich stories, deep interviews and personal dialogue in 'live' Webcasts. YOU TAKE REAL ACTION ACTION. The Experience Monthly Missions. Replication of Model Solutions, at home and abroad, small and historic. YOU ARE WITH A GLOBAL COMMUNITY OF LIKE-HEARTED YOUTH (AND GROWN-UPS) GLOBAL COMMUNITY. Free interaction in vibrant social media streams. A Supportive Learning Environment. Constant stream of news, campaigns, portraits, interviews, innovation, reports, videos in our online media, to stay constantly immersed in the Bright New World of Changemaking.
YOU ARE EMPOWERED TO MAKE THIS PART OF EVERYDAY LIFE AT SCHOOL METHODS Exhibits of Role Models & Solutions reach the entire school community without strees on time or resources. They spark interest, build community and can evolve into long-term, studentpowered 'Informal Sustainability Learning Environments' - from a teacher's point of view. For you, it's your Clan's base camp, with your possible mix of posters, exhibits, campaigns, projects, fundraisers, films, webcasts, meetings... For lively, idealist youth, the place to be! STATUS Excellent media of great value to teachers Recognition as 'Our New, Highly Gifted' by teachers YouthLeadeR membership, UNESCO status Eventually also official charity status YOU ARE EQUIPPED TO STRONGLY SPREAD SPIRIT & KNOWLEDGE - EVERYWHERE! TOOLS Online Media magazine and social media with solutions and changemakers Onsite Media poster collections video collections take action packs teaching tools comics cardgame and more
This wheel shows simple steps, building up on one another, using the I OR R R elements in YL WA
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CONGRATULATIONS !
As you can easily tell, the career evolves naturally. By taking actions, using the tools (webcasts, poster exhibits > wall display) and gaining visible media presence and demand as speakers at other schools, the Warriors make impacts, build community, friendships, develop skills and lifelong memories AND gain recognition as role models and ... "assistant teachers" trustworthy and precious to manage student-powered activities at school, that get ever more interwoven with classroom teaching and the school calendar. This impacts their entire local generation. It can happen quite quickly. 3 Missions can be accomplished in a month. Webcast, Exhibit and Wall Display can even be implemented in the first month. Imagine the impacts, the personal growth after one year! Imagine ten, twenty, fifty youth at a school doing this, ... over five or more years at school. They will be unlike any "grownups" you have ever seen. This is why I say... it's like a different species. And that's what we need, as Co-creators and Inhabitants of a global, peaceful, sustainable civilisation.
Sure. They ARE doing it. Not everyone is a master at it, right away. But it's the same with everything. It's like in gameplay. You dig it, spend time on it, and quickly grow. Think of ball players. They quickly pick up any other ball sport. Think of musicians. They pick up other styles. Think of card game enthusiasts. It goes super fast. Oh, and computer gamers. This game is for those who love changemaking. Many already do it, and would love to go bigger. See what teens are doing. They have awesome tools with them. And a team beyond awesome.
"I knew young people are doing stuff, but this is sensational. I am floored by the potentials." "The videos have instilled a sense of activism in my entire family. I was especially surprised by their impact on my younger peers." "I am crying. I think this says it all. Ameena is awesome. She gives me strength, too." You have awesome media in your hands. They serve you to inspire others and build community, - and also to inspire you to ever greater heights and nurture the same passion, vision and determination inside yourself. We all have it inside. We FEEL it, when we feel inspired... the next step simply is to verbalize it. Just like we are inspired from music ... and then learn to sing. You have it inside. And with practice, you learn to unleash the spirit, for real. So, immerse yourself in good company and practice!
What teens do.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fx88LEhNneM
www.youtube.com/watch?v=1OpZPyKVGSw
What twens do.
What teachers do.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=lscfp2rT5Eg
www.youtube.com/watch?v=lcSL2yN39JM
What Ameena Matthews does.
www.youtube.com/watch?gl=DE&hl=de&v=wS5Hjhy1RhM
include $100 Fundraisers for YL Charity Partners - mostly real heroes in action 'in the field', featured in our media and present in YL Webcasts. Hence, impacts are soon felt and feedback is inspiring. This action can be a PhilanthroParty, public action, a stand at school, whatever... unless specified. A Social Experiment like 1 or 2 Weeks of vegan lifestyle, and documenting one's discoveries, breakthroughs and breakdowns with a daily blog post. Hilarious, life-changing, popular with youth and easy to scale in one's school. A teacher's dream come true! Support or replication of a model solution. This can be small or big. Warriors make their choice, unless specified. Actions also include the spreading of YL Media, like exhibits, changemaker movie nights, sponsoring YL cardgames for kindergartens and other. It is also possible to gain extra credits and honours by taking surplus actions or aiming at extraordinary impacts.
www.youth-leader.org/missions
Lulu. PhilanthroParties www.youtube.com/watch?v=l4iMl6753cg Ghouls Helping Ghouls at Mattel's Monster High www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wwq8xFZAtiY
Cassandra. Turn Grease Into Fuel www.youtube.com/watch?v=XeVThKzdmck
Gabrielle. Donate Don't Dump http://vimeo.com/29524809
The Webcasts serve several purposes They take place in mornings, afternoons, evenings and on week-ends. They are usually tuned to current UN Theme Days of the month. This means that teams (and teachers) can join and combine it with as much audience, participation and impacts as is possible in their frameworks. In class, as ecoclubs, or at home. With or without special missions. Participants - meet heroes in person - are prepared, ask meaningful questions and how they can take the solution to scale - present their own achievements, if they have taken actions in support of the hero's initiative - celebrate common achievements This makes them a powerful inspirational experience for newcomers, a great stage for accomplished warriors and a community-building experience.
www.youth-leader.org/webcasts
YL Poster Exhibits are very powerful tools for reaching, inspiring, impacting and involving a community - like a SCHOOL. Exhibit Superpowers: - very visible in public space - explorable at one's own time - long-term exposure, memorable, impact - scope and multitude of solutions form a holistic impression: an abundance of solutions for a sustainable civilisation is available" - multimedia experience, add videos - interactive experience - enable feedback through posters and more - opening a conversation about "what changes would you like to see?" "who inspires you most and why?" "which initiative are you willing to join?" ... Nurturing a Changemaking Climate by making Role Models present 24/7
www.youth-leader.org/posters
YOU'LL MAKE HEADLINES - in no time! Why? Because people love it, it's super high value for society, and ... because there's almost no people doing this. People are sooooo boring and behind. Or do you see lots of heroes around you and in media? The world - and good media - yearn for heroes and awesome youth, living the credo of YES! "Giving all that we are, on behalf of everything we love." If you live your heart, your true values, your passion, know about global issues and take meaningful action, media presence is practically guaranteed. > Help the journalists with the elements that make a positive change media culture article or tv interview: quotes conveying your cause and spirit, good action images + shining passion! Once you have taken missions, you'll be filled to the brim with spirit and memories. You'll have lots of facts and anecdotes to share. All you need to do then is organize your thoughts (like you do before speaking about an issue you are passionate about - like your favourite music band or sports team) and SIMPLY BE YOUR AWESOME SELF. HAVE FUN! Here are examples. We don't expect you to rise to a national tv debate in just a few months, and win. But if you unleash your hero to the fullest... well, then...
Cassandra. CNN Heroes www.youtube.com/watch?v=QHG-W8HspLQ
Julia and Emma. CBC News www.youtube.com/watch?v=sku8mm4zY4c News articles: www.bookswithnobounds.com/media
Rachel. Live tv debate vs most horrid talkshow bully of Canada 2 million views on youtube: www.youtube.com/watch?v=TX_-Zoom9Uc
There is so much that can happen at schools. Flip through some examples in our publication YOUTH LEADERSHIP IN ACTION If there is no proper sustainability education and youthled action learning at your school, we give you magical wands for making it happen. The webcasts, poster exhibits turning into student-managed sustainability learning environments, YL's UNESCO status and expert support are part of it. On top of all that come two magical spells: "Our New Highly Gifted", and "We have the Duty to attend school, but also the Right for up to date Education, in tune with school's purpose: the empowerment of becoming an active citizen in a libertarian, democratic society, and today this means a sustainable society in a global family of nations. And this learning process involves model solutions for sustainability, expert presence, role models and action." For the full formula, ask Hermione, or check the YL Clans and Tribes Handbook part 2: MAGCIAL METHODS
http://bit.ly/1cLQJkG
http://bit.ly/1cLQ8zi
http://bit.ly/1cLPYb7
www.youth-leader.org/publications
Ok... what I want is to provide a vibrant community for passionate young changemakers. YL Clans and Tribes are meant to have ONLY young people taking action. That's awesome cool! No wannabe's. No talkers. Missions require simple but visual documentation of your actions with dynamic photos and a few lines. This makes the social media stream a fun and highly uplifting experience for everyone. Too much work? No. It only takes 5 minutes to make a post. Also: changemaker skills include basic media work. The pictures and lines you create for the YL social media stream are the perfect things to share with your local journalists, too. That's how you conquer the media. Check Julia and Emma's facebook page as an example. Back to Community: Members take action, receive credits, ascend levels and ranks - like in an Adventure Reality Game. This approach unfolds powerful changemaking magic! It makes facing the terribly serious Quest more fun, opens our imagination, creates myth and Utopia, animates and connects our inner and outer hero, and facilitates funky media communications. The personal Warrior Chronicles have excellent value for CVs. Will you find sponsors turning your Clan's credits into real value, like movie tickets and organic goodies? Monitoring and documenting progress can be used in school settings, be it as ecoclubs or even as offiicial subject of choice. Isn't that intriguing? YL Change Generation Rising classes... well, your ecoclub basically is one! IN SHORT: The best and legendary community imaginable for young people who care for a GOOD World.
YL Clans are informal youth groups. You can register as one wit your friends and take action independent of anything school. Or you join as your ecoclub, or you form a new one. Your entire class can be one. You can even found an official club with charity status!!! We have a magic trick to do so, in more than 30 countries. Warriors can find out details. YL Tribes are friendly youth organizations we cooperate with. We recommend their magical tools, even make their excellent activities a compulsory mission - like PhilanthroParties and 50 Actions for a Sustainable Lifestyle. And they share Change Generation Rising with their members and networks. Because it's a HUGE WIN WIN! www.EarthGuardians.org www.LemonaidWarriors.com
More about the YL Warrior Path YL Warrior Missions YL Magic Methods for Changemaking at
www.youth-leader.org/clans
Every generation has a SOUND. Its spirit expressed through music and art. What IS the art of the Change Generation? expressing the spirit of WE ARE GOING TO PROTECT THE EARTH CHANGE THE WORLD AND HAVE AN AWESOME RICH LIFE We have found it. This is the Soundtrack of CHANGE GENERATION RISING It's the Soundtrack of a BRIGHT NEW WORLD that is already HAPPENING And our Warriors are going to learn to sing it! because then ... u truly got the spirit!
Thankx to Voice of Youth. Not musicians. But changemakers, famous for action, expressing their heart, spirit and message also in rhyme and song Earth Guardians, who in sacred ceremonies commited their lives to protecting the Earth and Atmosphere for future Generations.
www.youth-leader.org/music
Well, when we talk special and novel, we have to make some comparison to what exists so far. In this case, all the good things that already exist. Ouch. That's not so cool, but it is necessary and you will thank me for it. Everything that exists is good. But its is not enough. if it was, we would already have a thriving young generation of awesome on large scale in all our schools and have loads of young social entrepreneurs and sustainability solutions going to scale in no time. But that's not the case. So, let's look at how to upgrade ;-) Can one program make a difference? Well, some do! So why not make model solutions available on wider scale and add more dimensions. In the words of Craig Kielburger, the champ of youth action in schools and beyond, losely remembered from We Day: "Banish the words impossible and hopeless from your vocabulary. We were told all our dreams with Free The Children were impossible, and here we are today. 120,000 of you are proving that change is possible. It is possible!" Craig, Marc and the countless who have joined their movements of change have shown that the impossible is possible. Nothing like FTC or We Day would have been imaginable ten years ago. But they do it. it is still imaginable to "the old" in all other nations. But it can be done. And it needs be done. And more. This is why I orient and explain Change Generation Rising in the context of the most advanced program for teen at school activism on the planet: Free The Children and Me To We. And that we need more than that. Not instead of it. Besides it. Wherever I go, I say "You have to see this," and in many YL publications, the first thing you see is a link to a We Day video. And a YES! video. YES! is the world leading community of twen youth leaders. Among the many outstanding aspects of Free The Children / Me To We is the fact that they
connect so well into schools. It is their priority to be part of young people's every day lives, to influence their community on a broad scale. They connect with classroom activities, and make it part of learning culture. I admire, applaud, observe and learn from Craig and Marc in many ways, and I say - this is absolutely essential for enabling the young generation to become a sustainable society on relevant scale. And unless this happens in other countries... those countries have no chance to advance towards a sustainable society. Because they don't have a change generation. If such action in thousands of schools, on stage, on television, is not even imaginable. They are in apathy, sitting idle. But they'll have to do it. You will have to do it. And not you can. So, but what does Change Generation Rising have to offer, on top? The main difference is that Free The Children activities are defined as a Service Learning curriculum. That's what it is, and it's fantastic. These activities are necessary for forming peaceful, sustainable societies. Water. Schools. Food. Incomes. Freeing children from violence and abuse. Solidarity with indigenous people. Healing depression. There is a lot of work to be done in these fields to fix our broken, sad societies. But we need something else also. These service learning activities are patching the wounds of the inherited broken system. But they are not creating the new. On top and besides (not instead!) the activities proposed by Free The Children, there exist precious other things being done by young people. Cassandra, 11, established a program for collecting used restaurant cooking oils, turning them into biofuels and donating profits to people in need of winter heating. Her group's work is worth beyond $100,000, they have introduced policies that politicians failed to achieve - and Cassandra is now scaling her work statewide. Be aware: Cassandra is receiving awards left and right, incl CNN Hero of the Year. but on one even came up to replicate the idea in other cities. It's the same thing for many youth and also celebrated adult changemakers. For me, it was the first thing I asked her. This is to go national. Global. Now, children and youth can join her Mission and make it real in their city.
Through Change Generation Rising. Sustainability Solutions. Innovation So - YL and Change Generation Rising enable young people to spread solutions to their sphere of influence and thereby introduce innovation, advance their societies to sustainable models. If 11 year olds do it in one city, others can do it in theirs. And they do so by getting inspired by the Hero's example, inspirational videos and deep interviews allowing you to walk in the hero's shoes and feel into the action, to start feeling ready to take it on yourself. The kids also have the Hero's tools in their hands. And they can meet live. As an individual, a group, an ecoclub, a class, or with their family or company ... in Change Generation Rising webcasts. It's very simple, very inspirational, fun, full of learning, and - it changes the world. Big time. if people choose to. If not, well, their problem, than humanity will crash and tear everything down along with them. This is beyond our power at YL. BUT what we ca do is offer everyone the tools, support and spirit to make changes. Another example is Robyn. When she learned about the water crisis, she decided to take action and do research. She found out about the Council of Canadians' initiative for Blue Communities, which enourages city councils to pass a three-pronged resolution for banning bottled water, making water public, not private, and making water a human right. Believe it or not, Robyn has turned around a dozen cities around to pass one, two, or even all three parts. And she is 13 years old. She wants this to go all over Canada. I want it to go all over the planet. She is a Hero in Change Generation Rising, along with golden arrows, the tools, an interview that really teleports you into the experience of stepping up to city councils. This is stuff that needs to be done. This is true innovation. These are robust steps towards sustainable societies. There is more. Labelling GMOs. Banning fracking. Ending unsustainable palm oils. Ending bullying. Ending harassment. Ending shark finning. Large scale ecosystem restoration. Many of these solutions are driven by teenagers, others by people beyond
their teens. Beyond their fourties. And they are available! As speakers. They instantly agree to an alliance when I approach them, asking for permission to use their materials, republish their articles, connect to their website as an authentic learning environment, dream up ways how young people can replicate this model solution, and feature them as a Magician in Change Generation Rising. A mentor to the Clans and Tribes. They are very carefully chosen. Whereas many people can tell which teenagers to choose for Hero awards, they have difficulty among older people. But there is a way to tell. So - YL connects young people to the grand visionaries of today. Not thinkers like Einstein, not talkers like ML King. But the ones with the clear facts, perspective and model solutions for the grand challenges of our time. You can meet them for real. Not on stage. but for eye-level dialogue with detail questions about how to implement the solution in your context, how to build the vision further, how to even contribute to their global network. Role Models "80% of human behaviour is shaped by role models." Subconsciously. Copy-paste. Like all mammals do, through all senses. For evolving ourselves into Inhabitants of a Sustainable Civilisation of Abundance for All, and for becoming the ones creating it, in the first place! - Heroes, we need Role Models. Otherwise, the impact of inhabitants of the Age of Un-Sustainability is too strong. Then we have no chance to change. These Role Models are everpresent in YL and Change Generation Rising: through media, for real and through Action. Every day. Through social media, local poster exhibits, video sessions, cardgames... Leadership This is where YL offers precious additional dimensions to service learning programs. In service learning programs one joins in an activity. In Change Generation Rising, one takes on projects with tangible impacts on the societal landscape. From Cassandra's and Robyn's example, you see that kids age 10, 13 can do it. We even have younger Heroes on board. One steps up as a leader, not as a representative, when establishing Cassandra's program, when addressing a local city council, when opening a conversation for healing our generation rape and sexual harassment,
when starting a local focal point in the global campaign for making Ecocide a Crime against Peace. Yes, you do use leadership skills when sparking service learning activities. Because you lead a group. but it's different with the ones mentioned above. There, you lead an initiative. So, we can say it's ADVANCED stuff in terms of impacts. But it can be done by BEGINNERS. You decide how far you decide to take it. In YL Missions, we differ between Level 1, Level 2, Level 3 Actions. Each makes a considerable difference in your understanding of the world, your skills and impacts. All that matters is, just like Craig says "Find a cause you are passionate about, and take steps of action." Do the research, know the example, meet the hero. This makes 80% of the required knowhow. Then use the tools to adapt it locally. So ........ Free The Children cannot do all this. That's very clear. For their mission, their function, their frameworks and for the grand achievements that they make, they HAVE to do it the way they do. But - young people need to have access to the views, knowledge, solutions, tools and activities from the Heart and tidal wave of the changemaking movement for a sustainable civilisation. They have no chance to grow into it, when adult life takes up their attention and TIME through studies, family, and - compensating and healing the injuries of their youth. The time window to grow into ... well.. almost a "new species" of bright, passionate, active co-creative citizens pursueing the priorities of peace and abundance for all, the stewards of a global, just, sustainable and thriving civilisation is during their days of youth. Education today speaks of RESILIENCE. Against negative outside influences pushing us on a path of darkness and despair. We might also say that this is the time to strengthen their genuine self, their personality that knows from the heart what is good and wrong, that is resilient against outdated meme patterns justifying slavery, abuse, rape, injustice, poverty, obscene wealth, crime and destruction for the indulgence
of a few ... who lacked resilience. It is the resilience to stay in our inner hero's Lothloring and not fall inot the ruins of Minas Tirith and orkish behaviour. Many of the activities above take only a minute. Ten minutes. A day, a week-end, a month. And there are so many youth at every school, sufficient that warriors and groups can form taking on the causes they are most passionate about. The point is to provide the wide spectrum of quality causes and tools, and the flexible framework providing guidance and liberty for action. To Do So, watch We Day, join Free The Children, start Me To We groups. But also: walk the path of a YL Warrior. Found a Clan. Join the Tribes. And grow beyond anything humanity has known so far. Because that's what change means. P.S. We are two weeks from the new We Day season kicking off in Toronto on September 20, and I still don't know whether it will be streamed 'live' or not. But that's okay, since with incredible Heroes of our time, I am busy preparing a webcast series for the same week. Change Generation Rising. With young heroes and quivers full of tools for you to take home, apply, share your adventures, breakthroughs and hilarious breakdowns The combination of both approaches, to me, is just awesome. P.P.S. I will conclude with an anecdote. When Craig announced the line-up for We Day Toronto, I was lucky to be the first one to comment. "Mmmmh, I would like to see more youth leaders on stage." (because at first sight, I can only see tons of adults, musicians, three motivational ME TO WE speakers and only one or two other kids. But they were also at We Day last year, and they are not running an initiative. Next day, I got news from a YL Heroine that she just got invited to speak at We Day. NICE. More to come.