Youth Service Briefing 4.18.24 ..read more

Youth Service Briefing 4.11.24 ..read more

Everyday Young Hero 4.11.24 John Smithie A nature and animal lover, John Smithie (16 | New York, New York) read Oyster, a book about New York Harbor, which opened his eyes to the way New Yorkers were once deeply connected to the water around them, and how oysters were central to them as a food source and part of their economic well-being. However, due to the highway developments in the city during the 1950s and 1960s, many New York residents, especially in lower income communities, have been cut off from the water by heavily trafficked roads that were built out along the river’s edges, and fr ..read more

Youth Service Briefing 4.4.24 ..read more

Everyday Young Hero 4.4.24 Makayla Cox Makayla Cox (15 | Carson, California) has always enjoyed the beach, spending time with her family and friends at the pier, boogie boarding in the water, and playing in the sand. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she became concerned about what she was hearing about Venice Beach—the second-most visited place in Southern California—in the news and how it was becoming a place people did not want to visit due to an increasing amount of litter. As someone who participated in beach clean-ups since she was 7 years old, Makayla discovered there were few of these eve ..read more

Youth Service Briefing 3.28.24 ..read more

Everyday Young Hero 3.28.24 Isaac Bernstein When the COVID-19 pandemic shut down schools, venues, and public activities around the U.S., Isaac Bernstein (17 | Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania) wanted to find a way to add a little cheer to his neighbors. Isaac also began thinking of other ways the pandemic was impacting his community—in 2018, approximately 260,000 people in the Greater Pittsburgh are were food insecure, but due to the pandemic, that number increased to almost 370,000 in 2020—and his family’s experience with food insecurity. Combining fun activities with supporting people experiencing ..read more

Everyday Young Hero 3.21.24 Ellis Schroeder Seeing the impact of cancer first-hand, Ellis Schroeder (16 | Atlanta, Georgia) is on a mission to promote and reduce barriers to skin cancer prevention. Skin cancer is the most preventable type of cancer, yet it remains as the most common form of cancer in the United States. Ellis was upset to learn about how teenagers are unaware of skin cancer prevention and how harmful the disease can be as well as this lack of information was due to disparities in access to healthcare and health education. To educate teens and adults about skin cancer preventio ..read more

Youth Service Briefing 3.14.24 ..read more

Everyday Young Hero 3.14.24 Laura Plata Laura Plata (17 | Charlotte, North Carolina) first noticed the large disparity in STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics) while competing in Science Olympiad, wondering why she was one of the very few Latina participants. After months of research, she learned that Latinx students are underrepresented due to lack of confidence and preparation not because lack of talent or ambition. Hispanic students also tend to have fewer connections to the field and come from families with more language barriers. To ensure STEAM equity and incre ..read more