Feb 12
15

Inhalants Information

NIPC INHALANT PREVENTION UPDATE ALERT:
DID SHE OR DIDN’T SHE

February 3, 2012

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The NIPC Inhalant Prevention UPDATEs and ALERTs are the National Inhalant Prevention Coalition’s (NIPC) electronic newsletters.  They are designed to provide current information, data, research, call to action alerts, advocacy and resources to our Partners throughout the world.  Please forward to colleagues and post, with attribution, on listservs.  If new readers wish to get on this list, contact us.  If you have local data and stories or other items to contribute and/or comments and suggestions, please forward.
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PLEASE NOTE OUR NEW EMAIL ADDRESS:  nipc@prismnet.com

Chattanooga, TN:  Greetings from Chattanooga and hoping that this NIPC UPDATE finds all of our friends and colleagues well.

This UPDATE ALERT:

  * Discusses nitrous oxide abuse in light of recent media accounts
    possible misuse by actress Demi Moore ;
  * Notes that this March marks the twentieth year of NIPC’s National
    Inhalants & Poisons Awareness Week (NIPAW) public health education
    & community mobilization campaign;
  * Asks for help in locating facilities providing inhalant treatment; and
  * Requests support from NIPC friends & partners in order to maintain
    our high level of commitment and help for all who ask for our
    assistance.

DID SHE or DIDN’T SHE:
(Inhalant use, misuse, abuse = the intentional inhalation of common household products and chemicals to get “high.”)

The other week media outlets reported the possible intentional misuse of nitrous oxide (nitrous, laughing gas, whip-its. whippets, etc.) by actress Demi Moore.  If true, she certainly made a bad choice though one that is not as infrequent for adults as some media accounts would have us believe.

NITROUS OXIDE IS A CONCERN AMONG ADULTS:

Media reports noted that the intentional use or misuse of nitrous oxide by an adult is an unusual occurrence, but is it?  According to the US Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMHSA) National Survey on Health and Drug Abuse (NSDUH) (http://www.samhsa.gov/data/NSDUH/2k10ResultsTables/Web/HTML/TOC.htm ), the number one inhalant used during an adult’s lifetime is nitrous oxide (followed by  nitrites [Rush, LockerRoom, etc.]).  However, among youth 18 and under, nitrous oxide is not one of the most used inhalants (in order: glue/toluene; gasoline; spray paints; correction fluid; nitrites; paint thinner; then nitrous oxide).  According to this research and as reported this year and last in our NIPC UPDATES, over one million adults 18 and older have used inhalants at least once in the past year (surprisingly, for many, past year adult inhalant use exceeds use of other dangerous and toxic substances such as meth, crack, LSD and heroin).  Populations at particularly high risk of nitrous abuse include medical (especially anesthesiologists) and dental professionals.

BACKGROUND:
As noted on our website at: http://www.inhalants.org/scatter.htm#nitrous the following characteristics and effects of intentional nitrous oxide misuse include:

Nitrous Oxide (by Richard Scatterday, MD)

a. Found in whipped cream canisters, whippets.
b. Characterized by distinctive modes of access and settings of abuse.
c. The most serious abuse complication is death via brain anoxia when the pure gas is extensively inhaled.
d. Altered perception and motor coordination caused by nitrous oxide intoxication have been a significant cause of motor vehicle and other accidents.
e. Prominent venous dilatory effects of nitrous oxide inhalation can cause sudden position-related blood pressure changes sufficient to induce syncopal (“blackout”) episodes, with potential for serious injury.
f. Chronic abuse, though unusual, can occur. Such abuse may interfere with vitamin B-12 metabolism resulting in neurologic and hematologic complications.
g. Chronic abuse may result in both depression of heart muscular functioning and in cardiac rhythm disturbances.
i. Chronic abuse has also been linked with risk of miscarriage, birth defects, kidney and liver defects.

(Additional information on the toxic effects of nitrous oxide is noted on the US Department of Labor’s Office of Occupational Safety & Health Administration’s [OSHA] website at http://www.osha.gov/SLTC/healthguidelines/nitrousoxide/recognition.html )

SO … WHAT DOES THE LAW SAY:

A number of states have reacted to intentional nitrous oxide misuse and abuse by enacting legislation that reflects concern about this threat. These laws can be found at: http://www.cognitiveliberty.org/dll/N20_state_laws.htm (other inhalant specific statutes can be found at http://www.ncsl.org/programs/cyf/YouthInhalantUse07.htm ).

VIEWERS BEWARE & BE AWARE:

Unfortunately, once again, various YouTube videos demonstrate, highlight and seemly glorify nitrous use on its website : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HFjdtAAHS-Y .  As we have urged UPDATE readers in the past, please search the YouTube website for nitrous and other huffing videos and request that they be removed.  This may not inoculate or prevent nitrous oxide (or other inhalant) experimentation and/or misuse (abuse), but it would surely be a move in the right direction.

Speaking of the Internet: we visited the Google news clipping service site to research nitrous articles and what did we find appended to our search results ?  Of course …  ads to buy nitrous oxide “chargers!”  One was for : “the sexiest product on the US market,” at http://www.nitrousoxidechargers.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=2&products_id=32&zenid=6e0ff695a132e28e707c7e82e570f438 As an aside, in the 1990′s the NIPC worked with the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) and the Compressed Gas Association (CGA) to try to stem inappropriate online sales of nitrous.

In the Summer 1997 issue of our ViewPoint newsletter we published a full page article on nitrous abuse.  In Meghan Griffiths’ article, then CGA President Carl Johnson reported that, “… there was approximately one fatality per month attributable to nitrous oxide abuse.”

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The 20th ANNUAL
NATIONAL INHALANTS & POISONS AWARENESS WEEK (NIPAW)
March 18 – 24, 2012

Yes!  that’s correct … for the 20th year the National Inhalant Prevention Coalition (NIPC), a project of SYNERGIES, will lead the National Inhalants & Poisons Awareness Week (NIPAW) public health campaign.

In 1992, in response to the Texas’s highest inhalant use rate in the country, we launched a statewide Texas public health initiative to forge community and media partnerships to not only alert Texans to inhalant dangers but also to significantly reduce instances of their use.  During the mid 1990′s, as State originated data reported, usage levels reflected significant decreases in inhalant use among Texas youth.
>From this initial effort grew a respected National and international
campaign that has altered trends in inhalant use and been used as a model in hundreds of communities.  (We will follow-up on this in our next NIPC UPDATE.)
Please join us this March to alert your community to the dangers of experimenting with or misusing common household products and chemicals. More information about the campaign is on our website, www.inhalants.org . Once again the campaign will be kicked off during a news conference at the National Press Club in Washington, DC

By coincidence one of our primary funding sources, US Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), was established in 1992, the same as NIPAW.  Surely there is some existential meaning here but I’ll leave that to the reader …

###

FINDING INHALANT TREATMENT:  WILL YOU HELP ?
(According to recent SAMHSA data , of the approximate 51,000 inhalant dependent adults needing treatment only about 3.5% are receiving it; of the approximate 33,000 youth 18 and younger who need inhalant treatment only about 4.5% are getting it.)

Not a day goes by without people calling or emailing asking for help for a person with an inhalant dependency.   Frequently people contact us when they cannot find treatment or are told local facilities cannot or will not help them (although the NIPC may be the first stop on this odyssey).  We can spend hours trying to locate a suitable facility to address these cries for help.  This difficult and arduous task is repeated every day. This is why we are reaching out and asking that you contact us if you know of a facility or your facility will provide inhalant treatment.
For additional information visit  http://www.inhalants.org/new_items.htm to review Inhalant Treatment Guidelines the NIPC developed with the support of SAMHSA’s Center for Substance Abuse Treatment (CSAT).

###

WILL YOU HELP :

Put simply, we need your help.  NIPC financial support has been reduced by over 60 percent.  At the same time requests for help and information continue to increase (totaling almost 3,000 requests) as have the number resources we send  (this includes two DVD’s, a brochure for parents and other printed material).  Those who seek our help and materials get them at no cost.  We conduct workshops and make presentations (reaching over 1,100 more people), many of which are conducted at no cost.  We maintain a toll free hotline.
While the tragedies, heartaches, problems and challenges caused by the misuse of common school, household and office products & chemicals escalate our situation becomes more tenuous.  Please help us with a contribution so we will continue to meet the needs of all people who seek our help.  The NIPC is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation.

###

We would like to express our appreciation to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMHSA) Center for Substance Abuse Treatment (CSAT) and the National Institutes of Health’s National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) for their continuing support and faith in us.  We would also like to acknowledge the continuing support of Falcon Safety Products.

###

Wishing you well and thanking you for your continuing support.  Don’t forget to pass this UPDATE on to others.

Harvey
Harvey Weiss, Director
National Inhalant Prevention Coalition (NIPC)
318 Lindsay Street
Chattanooga, TN 37403
800/269 – 4237 and 423/265 – 4662 nipc@prismnet.com http://www.inhalants.org
(NOTE NEW EMAIL ADDRESS)

A Project of
SYNERGIES
Effecting Change Together

_______________________________________________
Partners mailing list
Partners@list.inhalants.org
http://list.inhalants.org/mailman/listinfo/partners

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Feb 12
15

Speak Your Peace Civility Project

Dear CWCA members,

I have an approved one credit course (two days) through Viterbo University I am willing and able to teach this summer.  It is based on the Speak Your Peace Civility Project utilized in South Wood County. The course would be well below the $310.00 for most Viterbo courses, especially if I have over 12 participants. (The more participants, the more I can reduce the cost.)  I would schedule the class at the end of August, the week before we start work.  Please let me know if this networking, professional credit opportunity is of interest to you. It would be held in the Amherst area.

 

Cheryl Geske

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Feb 12
15

Take Your Best Shot!

Underage drinking is not cool, and we are counting on the teens across America to prove that through our Power of You(th) video contest.

MADD is asking teens to take a stand and create a short video to encourage their peers to avoid drinking alcohol and never get in a car with someone who’s been drinking.  The top five finalists will each win a new iPad and a spot in our National Teen Influencer Group made up of teens from across the nation interested in helping tackle this problem.

Teens:  You have the power to influence your friends and make an impact in your school, home and community. The Power of You(th) is the power you hold to save some of the 6,000 lives that are lost each year because of underage drinking.

Deadline to enter is April 27, 2012. Go to www.madd.org/powerofyouth to learn more.

Please help MADD, along with presenting sponsor State Farm Insurance, spread the word about this opportunity for teens to get involved in making a difference and possibly even help save the lives of their peers.

POY-PSA_SFfoot2.jpg

 

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Feb 12
15

MADD, In Two Minutes you can Make the Roads Safer

Dear supporter,

 

Last week, legislation was introduced by the U.S. House of Representatives to provide financial incentives to states that require all convicted drunk drivers to use an ignition interlock device.  As you know, ignition interlocks are a key component of MADD’s Campaign to Eliminate Drunk Driving®. 

As a MADD supporter, we need your help.  Please click here to contact your member of Congress and ask them to tell Chairman John Mica they support his efforts on ignition interlocks.

The debate about the effectiveness of ignition interlocks is over.  Fifteen peer-reviewed studies show interlocks significantly reduce DUI recidivism.  The Centers for Disease Control has reviewed this research and recommends that all drunk drivers be required to use these devices.  Emailing your member of Congress will only take a few minutes.

By including ignition interlock incentive grants as part of the American Energy and Infrastructure Jobs Act, Congress will send a clear message that all drunk drivers deserve an interlock, and the incentives provided in the bill will encourage more states to do just that.

Thank you and best wishes,

Jan Withers
National President, Mothers Against Drunk Driving

P.S.  Please forward this message to your friends asking them to take action to help to stop drunk driving through this lifesaving legislation. 

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Feb 12
15

Coming to a theatre near you…

CESA 5 School and Community Professionals working for a better world (and some of you are SO connected you’ll be getting this twice)

Thanks to Jennifer Gorman, one of our AmeriCorps volunteers, who alerted me to the trailer for a movie that is coming out in March.  Below is a link to that movie – Project X – which, at least from the trailers, glorifies just about every kind of high risk behavior out there.  I have no idea if there is any awareness of negative consequences of any of this or if it’s just “PARTY” – needless to say, our teens are going to be seeing this thing and of course, the images from the media are SO powerful.  Thought you might at least want to have a “heads up” because it may come up in conversation.  Who needs alcohol commercials when you can have kids pay to see this kind of movie?
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Feb 12
15

Grant Opportunity

FY 2012 Grant Request for Applications (RFA)

Sober Truth on Preventing Underage Drinking Act Grants
Short Title: STOP Act Grants

MODIFIED ANNOUNCEMENT

Request for Applications (RFA) No. SP-12-003
Posting on Grants.gov: February 3, 2012
Revised Receipt date: March 29, 2012

Catalogue of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) No. : 93.243

Key Dates

Application Deadline Applications are due by March 29, 2012
Intergovernmental Review (E.O. 12372) Applicants must comply with E.O. 12372 if their State(s) participates. Review process recommendations from the State Single Point of Contact (SPOC) are due no later than 60 days after application deadline.
Public Health System Impact Statement (PHSIS) / Single State Agency Coordination Applicants must send the PHSIS to appropriate State and local health agencies by application deadline. Comments from Single State Agency are due no later than 60 days after application deadline.

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Center for Substance Abuse Prevention (CSAP) is accepting applications for fiscal year (FY) 2012 Sober Truth on Preventing Underage Drinking Act (STOP Act) grants. The purpose of this program is to prevent and reduce alcohol use among youth age 12-20 in communities throughout the United States.

The STOP Act program was created to strengthen collaboration among communities, the Federal Government, and State, local and tribal governments; to enhance intergovernmental cooperation and coordination on the issue of alcohol use among youth; to serve as a catalyst for increased citizen participation and greater collaboration among all sectors and organizations of a community that first demonstrates a long-term commitment to reducing alcohol use among youth; to disseminate to communities timely information regarding state-of-the-art practices and initiatives that have proven to be effective in preventing and reducing alcohol use among youth; and to enhance, not supplant, effective local community initiatives for preventing and reducing alcohol use among youth. See Appendix F of this RFA for further background information.

The STOP Act program aligns with SAMHSA’s Strategic Initiative 1: Prevention of Substance Abuse and Mental Illness, Goal 1.2: Prevent or reduce consequences of underage drinking and adult problem drinking; Objective 1.2.1: Establish the prevention of underage drinking as a priority issue for States, Territories, Tribal entities, universities, and communities; 1.2.1.3: Through the Sober Truth on Preventing Underage Drinking Act (STOP Act) program, enhance intergovernmental cooperation and coordination on the issue of alcohol use among youth and provide communities timely information regarding state-of-the-art practices that have proven to be effective.

STOP Act grants are authorized under 42 U.S.C. 290bb-25b; Section 519B of the Public Health Service Act, as amended, and allow for grant awards of up to $50,000 per year for four (4) years. This announcement addresses Healthy People 2020 Substance Abuse Topic Area HP 2020-40.

Eligibility

The statutory authority for this program (stated in the STOP Act CFDA: 93.243, Legislative Authority, 42 U.S.C. 290bb-25b, Section 519B of the Public Health Service Act) limits eligibility to domestic public and private nonprofit entities that are current or former Drug Free Communities Support Program (DFC) grantees. For example: local governments, federally recognized American Indian/Alaska Native Tribes, Territories, and Pacific and Caribbean Jurisdictions may be eligible. The statutory authority for this program prohibits grants to for-profit agencies.

The legislation also states that one of the purposes of the grant is to “prevent and reduce alcohol use among youth in communities throughout the United States. ” In order to maximize the impact of this program among communities throughout the United States, current and former STOP Act grantees are not eligible.

Award Information

Funding Mechanism: Grant
Anticipated Total Available Funding: Approximately $3.9 million
Anticipated Number of Awards: Approximately 78
Anticipated Award Amount: Up to $50,000 per year
Length of Project Period: Up to 4 years

Proposed budgets cannot exceed $50,000 in total costs (direct and indirect) in any year of the proposed project. Annual continuation awards will depend on the availability of funds, grantee progress in meeting project goals and objectives, timely submission of required data and reports, and compliance with all terms and conditions of award.

These awards will be made as grants.

Contact Information

For questions about program issues contact:

Dan Fletcher
Division of Community Programs, Center for Substance Abuse Prevention
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
1 Choke Cherry Road Room
4-1085
Rockville, Maryland 20857
(240) 276-2578
dan.fletcher@samhsa.hhs.gov

For questions on grants management and budget issues contact:

Virginia Simmons
Division of Grants Management, Office of Financial Resources
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
1 Choke Cherry Road
Room 7-1109
Rockville, Maryland 20857
(240) 276-1422
virginia.simmons@samhsa.hhs.gov

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Feb 12
15

Prescription Take Back

Dear Colleague,

 

The Research and Policy Analysis Group of Carnevale Associates, LLC is pleased to release its latest Policy Brief examining prescription drug takeback programs in the context of substance abuse prevention. 

 

Prescription Drug Takeback Programs & Substance Abuse Prevention  

 

Now recognized as an epidemic, President Obama’s 2011 National Drug Control Strategy highlights non-medical use of prescription drugs as “America’s fastest growing drug problem.”  As a component of substance abuse prevention plans, drug takeback programs have become increasingly popular as policymakers struggle to provide individuals with a secure and convenient way to dispose of unused medications. 

To learn more about takeback programs, Carnevale Associates, LLC surveyed a number of programs to better understand their design, costs, and efficacy to support national efforts to reduce the size and scope of the prescription drug epidemic.  Our analysis found that these programs vary substantially in cost and approach.   In addition, we found no evidence that takeback programs affect prescription drug abuse. We conclude that additional research is needed before incorporating takebacks into any substance abuse prevention plan. 

 

Safe and secure disposal of unused medication must be an important component of substance abuse prevention. However, given the dearth of information on takeback programs, more research is needed before heavily investing in takebacks as a key component of a substance abuse prevention strategy. Policymakers must seek new solutions to emerging drug problems; however, in these austere times, they must also be careful to allocate scarce prevention dollars to prevention programs that will do the most good.

 

The Policy Brief is available at: Prescription Drug Takeback Programs & Substance Abuse Prevention  

 

You can also download a PDF version of the brief: PDF: Prescription Drug Takeback Programs & Substance Abuse Prevention 

 

Additional Carnevale Associates, LLC publications are available here:

All Publications 

 

To sign-up to receive drug policy briefs from Carnevale Associates, LLC click here:

Sign Up 

 

Thank you for your interest in following important issues in drug policy.  Carnevale Associates, LLC is committed to making publications which cover important policies, trends, and data related to substance abuse available to policy-makers, professionals, and other stakeholders.  We encourage you to forward this email to others who may be interested in this brief. 

 

Sincerely,

 

 

 

 

John Carnevale
President
Carnevale Associates, LLC

 

 

 

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Feb 12
15

Support the Boys and Girls Club of Portage County

NOEL GROUP HANGAR 

FRIDAY, MARCH 30TH, 2012

7-10PM 

Dear Friends and Supporters,

 

Portage County Taste of Wine & Cheese has been the Boys & Girls Club’s premiere fundraisers for the past seven years as well as one of Portage County’s most popular and well attended events.

 

This event gives guests an opportunity to sample 100 different wines and beers from around the region and the world and cuisine prepared by some of our area’s best chefs, caterers, and food connoisseurs.

 

The Boys & Girls Club of Portage County is currently serving over 1500 youth in membership and community outreach. An annual membership fee for a child is only $10 per year. The actual cost for the Boys & Girls Club to serve a child is roughly $500 per year, making it necessary to raise funds in order to continue serving youth at a fee affordable to every family in the community.

 

Today, we kindly request your help in one of the following ways to make the 2012 Portage County Taste of Wine & Cheese a great success: 

  • Provide an event sponsorship
  • Purchase a program book advertisement
  • Donate a product or service for the silent auction or raffle
  • Purchase tickets to the event 

Donors will be recognized at a variety of levels including exposure in local media advertisements, social media outlets, on local radio and television and in the event’s evening program. Please consider making a tax-deductible investment in our children and community by contributing to our event. Your generosity and time are greatly appreciated.

 
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Feb 12
13

Youth Service Grants Available Feb

GRANTS ALERT

February 2012
 Dear Mary Ann Krems,

The following grant and award opportunities may interest you.

In addition to the 14 grant and award programs from YSA partners featured below, YSA’s Disney Friends for Change Grants offer young change-makers an opportunity to receive a $1,000 grant to support a Global Youth Service Day(April 20-22) project.

For more about YSA grants and awards, visit www.YSA.org/grants

  Send to a Colleague

   YSA Funding Partners

State Farm
Disney
Sodexo Foundation
United Healthcare

Corporation for National and Community Service
Learn & Serve

YSA Grants & Awards – www.YSA.org/Grants
 

Disney Friends for Change Grants

Deadline: February 29

Disney Friends for Change Grants offer young change-makers an opportunity to receive a $1,000 grant to help make a lasting, positive change in the world. Whether you are passionate about protecting the planet, providing meals to those who need it or giving kids just like you the resources they need to star in their own play, be an athlete or an artist, you can be a Friend for Change!  Whatever your interests, a Disney Friends for Change Grant can help you make a difference for people, communities and the planet. Youth ages 5-18 located in all 50 states and the District of Columbia are eligible to apply for a $1,000 grant. www.YSA.org/grants/disney-friends-change-grants

Everyday Young Hero Award

Deadline: Ongoing

Awarded weekly to a young person from around the world who exemplifies an extraordinary commitment to service, the Everyday Young Hero Award program is open to youth ages 5-25. Nominations must come from a parent, teacher or other adult mentor. Winners are announced in the NSB, featured on YSA’s website and showcased within its social media outlets. Everyday Young Heroes also receive a certificate, award and press release.  Nominate a young person you know to be recognized as an Everyday Young Hero at www.YSA.org/awards/hero

Grants & Awards From YSA Partners
 

Splashlife Lincoln Awards for Women Entrepreneurs

Deadline: February 14

Identifying, honoring and supporting the next wave of entrepreneurs to help them take charge of America’s future. As announced at the White House Youth Entrepreneur Summit, Splashlife is giving out $2,500 Lincoln Awards to support entrepreneurs aged 35 or younger. Despite making up 46.3% of the workforce, women are underrepresented in positions of management, with just 2.4% of Fortune 500 companies being run by female CEOs. Splashlife wants to support a woman entrepreneur aged 35 or younger with a $2,500 Lincoln Award for her business idea. http://bit.ly/uXIZu6

J-Serve 2012 Micro-Grants

Deadline: Ongoing while funds last

Grants are available for J-Serve 2012 – April 22, 2012.  J-Serve is the International Day of Jewish Youth Service. Since 2005, J-Serve has been a part of YSA’s Global Youth Service Day. A limited number of J-Serve micro-grants of up to $500 will be awarded to community projects committed to creating service opportunities that bring Jewish teens together to participate in a J-Serve project.  Projects that are creative and innovative, especially those that will be first time events in a community, as well as projects conceived and planned by teen project leaders will receive preferential reviews.  Micro-grants will be accepted on a rolling basis, and grants will continue to be awarded as long as funding remains available. http://bit.ly/uzfYIa
 

Jenzabar Student Leadership Awards

Deadline: February 20

The Jenzabar Foundation has opened the nomination process for its fifth annual Student Leadership Awards, which recognize student groups that have made a difference in the world through service and philanthropic activities at the local, national, and international levels. The awards will honor ten student-led campus groups or activities that have made a significant impact beyond their own institution. Nominations are open for students enrolled in any accredited institution of higher education. Each award includes a $5,000 grant to support the student or group’s future humanitarian endeavors The first step in the submission process is joining the online Jenzabar Foundation Community Network; please use referral code SLA2012. Once registered, applicants will be advised of the submission procedure. http://bit.ly/uR4V8C

Eli Segal Fellowship

Deadline: February 27

CNCS is seeking applications from former AmeriCorps members who are interested in serving as the 2012-2013 Eli Segal Fellow. The duties of the selected fellow will include working with the Director of AmeriCorps, program offices and closely with the CEO’s office on projects that advance the national service field. The fellowship will last for a term of not more than 13 months beginning in July 2012 and includes a $27,000 salary, plus benefits. Eligible applicants for the fellowship include all AmeriCorps alums who served full-time in the past three years.   http://bit.ly/x4PyWT
 

Build-A-Bear Workshop Huggable Heroes Awards

Deadline: February 27

Build-A-Bear Workshop® launches its ninth annual search for  Huggable Heroes® – inspiring young leaders who have a commitment to serve, help others, and make a difference in their community. Kids, ages eight to 18, can be nominated through February 27. The 10 selected Huggable Heroes will each receive $10,000 ($7,500 in the form of an educational scholarship from Build-A-Bear Workshop and $2,500 from the Build-A-Bear Workshop Foundation to be donated to the 501(c)(3) charity or Canadian cause of their choice). http://bit.ly/yTh9Sb

KaBOOM! Let’s Play Maintenance Grants

Deadline: February 27

Thanks to generous support from Dr Pepper Snapple Group, KaBOOM! will be awarding grants of $750 each to communities this year who wish to make their playgrounds cleaner, safer and more inviting. The Let’s Play Spruce grants are designed to reward communities that have maintained and spruced their playspaces since their playground build. If you’ve done a “spruce up” project at your playground that involved volunteers in the last 6 months, you are eligible to apply. Alternatively, if you are a community that needs to refill the wood fiber playground surfacing at the playground, you can apply for  $750 to be used towards the purchase of the surfacing.  http://bit.ly/zteju2
 

2012 Do Something Awards

Deadline: March 1

The Do Something Awards (formerly the BR!CK Awards) identifies exceptional young social entrepreneurs, activists, and community leaders who have a significant social impact. The Do Something Award nominees and winners are the pivotal “do-ers” in their fields and causes. For this year’s awards five finalists will be selected and rewarded with a $10,000 community grant, participation in the third Do Something Awards TV show on VH1, media coverage, and continued support from DoSomething.org. Of those five nominees, one will be selected to win the Grand Prize, a $100,000 grant, which will be announced during the broadcast. http://dsorg.us/t5wklU

Skoll Awards for Social Entrepreneurship

Deadline: March 1

The Skoll Foundation presents the Skoll Awards for Social Entrepreneurship each year to a select few social entrepreneurs who are solving the world’s most pressing problems. The Skoll Award includes a core support grant to the organization, to be paid over three years, and a noncash award to the social entrepreneur presented at the Skoll World Forum on Social Entrepreneurship every spring.  http://bit.ly/A8YsU3

CNCS September 11th National Day of Service and Remembrance Grants

Deadline: March 13

The September 11th National Day of Service and Remembrance initiative grants range from approximately $50,000 to $150,000 are made to eligible organizations engaged in service activities that meet vital community needs and honor the sacrifice of those who lost their lives on September 11, 2001 or who rose in service as a result of that tragedy.  Available funds for the grant total approximately $500,000. CNCS expects to invest a significant amount of available funding to programs working on two focus areas -Disaster Services and/or Veterans and Military Families plus Capacity Building. Additionally, CNCS seeks applicants who engage youth, particularly disconnected youth, and where available, veterans and military families in service.  http://bit.ly/AC4KPs

KaBOOM! Let’s Play Community Construction Grants

Deadline: March 16

Dr Pepper Snapple & KaBOOM! are excited to offer $15,000 Let’s Play Playground Construction Grants to qualifying organizations within the U.S. wishing to build brand new playgrounds using the KaBOOM! community-build model. Grantees will plan their project, and share best practices and challenges through the KaBOOM! website. For more information on eligibility requirements and how to apply, visit www.kaboom.org/grants

Gloria Barron Prize for Young Heroes

Deadline: April 30

The Gloria Barron Prize for Young Heroes invites nominations for its 2012 awards. The Barron Prize, founded by author T.A. Barron in honor of his mother, celebrates outstanding young leaders ages 8 to 18. Each year, the Barron Prize honors inspiring young people who have made a significant positive difference to people and our planet. Ten winners each receive $2,500 to support their service work or higher education. Nomination deadline is April 30. For more information and to nominate, visit http://bit.ly/edhitj

ING Unsung Heroes

Deadline: April 30

Are you an educator with a class project that is short on funding but long on potential? Do you know a teacher looking for grant dollars? ING Unsung Heroes® could help you turn great ideas into reality for students. For 15 years, and with nearly $3.5 million in awarded grants, ING Unsung Heroes has proven to be an A+ program with educators. Each year, 100 educators are selected to receive $2,000 to help fund their innovative class projects. Three of those are chosen to receive the top awards of an additional $5,000, $10,000 and $25,000.  http://bit.ly/eSC2sv

State Farm Youth Advisory Board Grants

Deadline: May 4

If you are involved with an organization or school and have a great idea for a service-learning project to impact student achievement in YOUR community, apply for a State Farm YAB National Grant. The State Farm Youth Advisory Board is currently accepting applications for service-learning projects between $25,000 and $100,000 that address the root cause of the following issue areas: Access to Higher Education / Closing the Achievement Gap; Financial Literacy; Community Safety and Natural Disaster Preparedness; Social Health & Wellness Issues; and Environmental Responsibility. http://bit.ly/yMI7gZ

Special Olympics Project Unify Grants

Deadline: Rolling through May 31

The goal of Project UNIFY is to activate youth around the country to develop school communities where all young people are agents of change – fostering respect, dignity, and advocacy with and for people with intellectual disabilities by utilizing the programs and initiatives of Special Olympics. To be eligible, you must be between the ages of 12 to 20, or a current undergraduate student in college. A Special Olympics North America program is required to be your main partner organization. Projects must demonstrate the core essence of service-learning. Budgets for projects can range from $100 to $5,000.  http://bit.ly/wQUgJV

Additional Grant Resources
GrantStation – An online funding resource for organizations seeking grants throughout the  world. Providing access to a comprehensive online database of grantmakers, as well as  other valuable tools, GrantStation can help your organization make smarter, better-informed fundraising decisions. www.grantstation.com

GrantWatch - Lists current federal government grants, state grants, city grants, local grants, foundation grants, corporation grants, educational grants, international grants and grant resources. www.grantwatch.com

 

GrantWrangler – A free grants listing service that helps teachers find classroom grants for school funding. www.grantwrangler.com
YouthToday Grants Today – A national source for news, views and important developments in the youth  service field from a nonprofit organization.  www.youthtoday.org/grants.cfm

 

National Service-Learning Clearinghouse Funding Opportunities -  Information on current funding opportunities in the service-learning and national service communities

www.servicelearning.org/funding-opportunities

 

Grants Alert – A website dedicated to making life a little easier for those who devote their time to searching for education grants and identifying new funding opportunities for their organizations, schools, districts, consortia and state education agencies. www.grantsalert.com 

The Editor
Mike MinksMike Minks

Director of Outreach and Innovation
Editor-in-Chief
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Feb 12
13

Youth Service America Updates Feb. 9

customization. http://GYSD.nationalservicegear.org Connect with YSA

 

Find us on Facebook   Follow us on Twitter   View our videos on YouTube

 

 

 

YSA Funding Partners

 

State Farm
Disney
Sodexo Foundation
United Healthcare

Corporation for National and Community Service
Learn & Serve

News From the Field

10 Ways to Get Ur Good On with Love and Kindness

With Valentine’s Day and Random Acts of Kindness Week both happening this month, now is the perfect time to spread some love! There are many easy ways for young people to spread love and kindness-from volunteering at an animal shelter to funding a clean water project in a developing nation. Find more great ideas  in our “10 Ways to Get Ur Good On with Love and Kindness” list. http://bit.ly/xYQSU0

Green Your School Challenge

Got what it takes to be greener than the competition? Join DoSomething.org’s Green Your School Challenge and lead your school in green projects. Register your school to take part in the challenge. Get your friends to sign up too. Browse projects ideas for your school to tackle to increase recycling, save energy, promote green agriculture, and more. Report back on your completed projects to be judged by our panel of celebrity and expert judges. http://dsorg.us/gB5fWR
 

generationOn Project of the Month: Words Into Action

During Black History Month, we honor the achievements of African Americans in science, politics, business, arts, sports, and literature. Because the achievements of African Americans were once ignored by history, this month is an opportunity to give voice to people and ideas that were muted in their own time. generationOn’s challenge this month is to celebrate diversity through advocacy, which means “the act of supporting a cause.” You can do this by lending your voice to the words of famous African-American advocates and turning those words into positive action. http://bit.ly/wyXiMA

AmeriCorps Week: March 10-18

Each year during AmeriCorps Week, we recognize the commitment of AmeriCorps members and alums by highlighting the extraordinary impact AmeriCorps makes across our nation every day. This year, AmeriCorps Week will take place March 10 – March 18. The theme this year, AmeriCorps Works, communicates the value and effectiveness of AmeriCorps and  provides an overarching framework to communicate AmeriCorps’ triple bottom line return on investment — for the recipients of service, the people who serve, and the larger community and nation. Learn how you can highlight your work by using the AmeriCorps Week Impact Guide. http://bit.ly/wkjXqS

Grants & Awards
 

Disney Friends for Change Grants

Deadline: February 29

Disney Friends for Change Grants offer young change-makers an opportunity to receive a $1,000 grant to help make a lasting, positive change in the world. Whether you are passionate about protecting the planet, providing meals to those who need it or giving kids just like you the resources they need to star in their own play, be an athlete or an artist, you can be a Friend for Change!  Whatever your interests, a Disney Friends for Change Grant can help you make a difference for people, communities and the planet. Youth ages 5-18 located in all 50 states and the District of Columbia are eligible to apply for a $1,000 grant. www.YSA.org/grants/disney-friends-change-grants

CNCS September 11th National Day of Service and Remembrance Grants

Deadline: March 13

The September 11th National Day of Service and Remembrance initiative grants range from approximately $50,000 to $150,000 are made to eligible organizations engaged in service activities that meet vital community needs and honor the sacrifice of those who lost their lives on September 11, 2001 or who rose in service as a result of that tragedy.  Available funds for the grant total approximately $500,000. CNCS expects to invest a significant amount of available funding to programs working on two focus areas -Disaster Services and/or Veterans and Military Families plus Capacity Building. Additionally, CNCS seeks applicants who engage youth, particularly disconnected youth, and where available, veterans and military families in service.  http://bit.ly/AC4KPs

 

Gloria Barron Prize for Young Heroes

Deadline: April 30

The Gloria Barron Prize for Young Heroes invites nominations for its 2012 awards. The Barron Prize, founded by author T.A. Barron in honor of his mother, celebrates outstanding young leaders ages 8 to 18. Each year, the Barron Prize honors inspiring young people who have made a significant positive difference to people and our planet. Ten winners each receive $2,500 to support their service work or higher education. Nomination deadline is April 30. For more information and to nominate, visit http://bit.ly/edhitj

State Farm Youth Advisory Board Grants

Deadline: May 4

The State Farm Youth Advisory Board is currently accepting applications for service-learning projects between $25,000 and $100,000 that are designed to create sustainable change in local communities across the United States and Canada.  Applying organizations must be a public K-12, charter, or higher education institution; non-profit organizations are also eligible if they are able to demonstrate how they plan to impact student achievement within the public K-12 curriculum.  Projects must address the root cause of the following issue areas: Access to Higher Education / Closing the Achievement Gap; Financial Literacy; Community Safety and Natural Disaster Preparedness; Social Health & Wellness Issues; and Environmental Responsibility. http://bit.ly/yMI7gZ

Everyday Young Heroes

Jordan Schwartz

Atlanta, GA

YSA recognizes 18 year old Jordan Schwartz of Atlanta, Georgia, as an Everyday Young Heroes for her work to  provide opportunities for youth in her community to participate in theater while working to bridge language and cultural gaps.

As a 5th grader at Sedalia Park Charter School, in Georgia, when she was learning Spanish, her community theater experience gave her an idea. Jordan saw a need to bridge the language and cultural gap of ESOL (English Speakers of Other Languages) students and students learning Spanish.  She formed the Children’s Bilingual Theater, a student run theatrical outreach organization bringing bilingual programming to venues in the metro Atlanta area.

Now 18, Jordan’s commitment to bridging the language and cultural gaps in her community has brought 200 volunteers together to present six bilingual plays, 15 costumed theatrical storytelling and literacy events, and an anti-bullying campaign puppet production. Through grants, awards and partnerships the shows, Jordan has raised about $50,000 to fund performances and cover expenses. CBT productions have been performed at The Art Place in Marietta, Park Street Elementary, The Margaret Mitchell House, Marietta Sixth Grade Academy, Fernbank Museum, Atlanta Museum of History and Zoo Atlanta to name a few, and productions have reached over 6000 audience members and countless school. Jordan is dedicated to giving a diverse group of young people the theatre experience and offering the benefits of confidence and public speaking in a bilingual setting. Jordan has received various honors for her work, including being selected by Parade magazine and the Points of Light Institute’s GenerationOn initiative as a member of the 2011 All-America Service Team.

For her work to ensure that youth in her community have access to cross-cultural learning opportunities through participation in theater productions, we honor Jordan as an Everyday Young Hero.
To nominate a young person who has improved their community through service to be recognized as an Everyday Young Hero, please visit www.ysa.org/awards/hero.

Resources & Trainings

generationOn March Moments of Service Webinar

Tuesday, February 14th, 3:30-4:30pm EST Throughout the year, Moments of Service provide opportunities to engage youth in relevant and timely real-world service experiences. Join generationOn for a free, live webinar based around March Moments of Service and you will:

- discover ways students can promote literacy through service as they celebrate March is Reading Month and Dr. Seuss’s birthday.
- access resources for engaging youth in conserving and protecting water for World Water Day.
- discuss how to honor Women’s Appreciation Month with inspirational stories of women philanthropists and service heroes.
- share your youth service and service-learning ideas and successes with our national member community. Register at http://bit.ly/wCZeKR

Webinar: Fighting Childhood Obesity and Improving High School Graduation Rates through a Learn and Serve Program

Wednesday, February 15, 3:00 – 4:00 EST

Clemson Cooperative Extension Service in Colleton County, SC has partnered with the Colleton County School District and Eat Smart Move More Colleton County on a Learn & Serve South Carolina grant. The program is engaging middle school students to fight childhood obesity by promoting healthier lifestyles and exercise. The program also seeks to improve high school graduation rates. Join a discussion on how students, community partners, and service learning are promoting academic achievement and youth development in areas such as leadership, team building, job readiness skills, and civic engagement. http://bit.ly/Abcl0F

H20 for Life WASH in Schools Resources

Are you looking to raise awareness about the global water crisis with your students? H2O for Life provides a transformational service-learning opportunity for students, youth groups, and others to partner with a school in a developing country that desperately needs WAter, Sanitation and Hygiene education (WASH in Schools Initiative). Through service-learning, donor partners study the global water crisis, while taking action to fund a WASH project for their recipient partner school. Watch a student video, check out curriculum information, and find a partnering school at: http://bit.ly/nogeWM

Making Afterschool an Election Issue

You have the power to make afterschool a key issue in elections at every level — from presidential to Congressional and local. Whether you have the time and resources to run a coordinated, multi-pronged afterschool issue campaign or you are just looking for some ideas on how to raise the profile of afterschool during election season, the Afterschool Alliance’s  new Campaign Toolkit can inform your planning, help you assess what you can undertake and hopefully make your job easier. http://bit.ly/zrYLG4

Service Calendars

Conferences & Events

National Youth Service Summit

March 30 – April 1, 2012 – Cincinnati, OH

 

National AfterSchool Association Conference
April 2-4, 2012 – Dallas, TX

 

National Service-Learning Conference

April 11-14, 2012 – Minneapolis, MN

 

Best Of Out-of-School Time Conference

April 25-28, 2012 – Palm Springs, CA

 

National Conference on Volunteering & Service

June 18-20, 2012 – Chicago, IL

 

Seasons of Service

February 2012
African American History Month – February

Digital Learning Day – February 1

Souper Bowl of Caring – February 5

National Green Week – February 6 to April 22
Random Acts of Kindness Week – February 13-19
International Mother Language Day – February 21
National Eating Disorders Awareness Week -
February 26 – March 3

Song of the Week
John Mayer – “Waiting on the World to Change”

John Mayer - Waiting On The World To Change

“Me and all my friends
We’re all misunderstood
They say we stand for nothing and
There’s no way we ever could

Now we see everything that’s going wrong
With the world and those who lead it
We just feel like we don’t have the means
To rise above and beat it

One day our generation
Is gonna rule the population
So we keep on waiting
Waiting on the world to change.”
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