Fwd: Apply by Oct. 20 to Present at the 2024 National Service-Learning Conference

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3 Ways to Share Your Story & Expertise: Workshop, Lightning Talk, Showcase

October 5, 2023 | Volume 30, No. 40 | Published Weekly Since 1994 Apply by October 20 to Present at the 2024 National Service-Learning Conference We are excited to invite you to join our colleagues at the National Youth Leadership Council for The National Service-Learning Conference - From Passion to Action - in Saint Paul, MN on April 3-6, 2024! This is the largest and most comprehensive global convening for service-learning educators, nonprofit leaders, administrators, students, and more! Share your experience and story by applying to present a Workshop, Lightning Talk, or Showcase by October 20, 2023. Workshops are the heart of the conference, providing skill-building for youth and adults alike. These interactive, engaged learning sessions are designed for a variety of levels and audiences engaged in service-learning. Session topics are selected for breadth and depth, and include service-learning basics, best practices, current and emerging issues, and how tos. Workshop sessions are 75 minutes long. Lightning talks are invigorating, speedy sessions in intimate group settings where you can share your ideas, projects, and findings with participants. You will have 10 minutes to present and get to the core of the topic, and then 10 minutes for participant interaction. After 20 minutes, the presenters remain at the table, and participants move on for two more rounds. Do you have a high-quality project you would like to highlight at the conference? Not ready for a full workshop session but have a powerful message to deliver? Then consider being part of the Showcase. The Showcase highlights high-quality projects from across the country and around the world, and is an opportunity to connect with people and share how a project was implemented, how it was connected to curricular goals, and what made it effective. Nominate an exemplary leader for one of NYLC's three annual awards by January 15, 2024. (More information below in the Grants & Awards section.) Register yourself and/or your youth to attend this inspiring, engaging, innovative, and motivating event (we promise, you won't want to miss it!) by March 22, 2024. Apply to Present a Workshop, Lightning Talk, or Showcase ‌ ‌ ‌ NEWS FROM THE FIELD Celebrate Banned Books Week & Let Freedom Read Day - Oct. 7 Banned Books Week is an annual event that highlights the value of free and open access to information. Honorary Chair Levar Burton & Youth Chair Da'Taeveyon Daniels are asking everyone to take action on October 7 to help defend books from censorship. Read more bannedbooksweek.org Banned Books Week - Little Free Library Little Free Library condemns book banning. Join them in celebrating access to all books during Banned Books Week. Share a banned book in a Little Free Library, download the LFL mobile app, enter their Banned Books Week giveaway, and take action. Read more littlefreelibrary.org GRANTS & AWARDS MLK Day & GYSD Lead Agency Grants - Deadline: Oct. 27 Youth Service America will award $2,500 or $5,000 Lead Agency Grants to organizations leading a coalition of project planning partners to increase youth participation on MLK Day of Service and Global Youth Service Day/Youth Service Month. Read more ysa.org Youth Service AmeriCorps Site Application - Deadline: Nov. 1 YSA is designing a new, national AmeriCorps program focused on expanding opportunities for and reducing barriers to youth participation! Applications for organizations interested in hosting a member for the 2024-2025 academic year are now open. Read more ysa.org NYLC Service-Learning Practitioner Leadership Award This award recognizes practitioners who have equipped young people to lead and serve, both through their direct service-learning instruction and by nurturing other practitioners. Apply or nominate by January 15, 2024. Read more nylc.org NYLC Youth Leadership For Service-Learning Excellence Award This award recognizes K-12 service-learning programs and projects that demonstrate outstanding youth leadership. The winner will receive $1,000 to support their program. Apply or nominate by January 15, 2024. Read more nylc.org STORIES OF SERVICE Everyday Young Hero: Avinash Thakur Avinash Thakur (16 | West Grove, Pennsylvania) has always loved the connection that comes from writing letters to family members, especially his grandfather. When his grandfather, who lives by himself, became ill and had to receive dialysis, these letters became even more important as they were a way for Avinash to brighten his grandfather's day. In the United States, over 8 million adults ages 50 and older are affected by isolation, and according to the National Institute on Aging, the health risks of prolonged isolation are equivalent to smoking 15 cigarettes a day. Between the impact of isolation on physical and mental health, and his enjoyment writing letters, Avinash began volunteering with Love For Our Elders in November 2022 and created a chapter at his high school shortly after. Love For Our Elders is a youth-founded nonprofit organization that strives to combat elder isolation through monthly letter requests. At his school, Avinash's primary goal was to connect and engage with the elderly population. By activating his peers as letter writers, he has been able to raise awareness of the impact of isolation and give other young people the opportunity to earn service hours in a meaningful way. So far, Avinash has grown his chapter to 67 members and he has personally written over 60 letters that have been sent to 20 states and three countries. In his county, Avinash learned that 21% of the adults are seniors, so his next step is to reach out to local senior care communities and establish an intergenerational letter writing program. Through handwritten letters, Avinash hopes to bring a smile to as many faces as he can. Book Bans Mobilizing a New Generation of Student Activists As the right bans books on LGBTQ issues and racial justice, youth are getting a crash course in collective organizing. Read more truthout.org Texas Youth Say Book Bans Violate Their Rights They argue House Bill 900, which a federal judge has temporarily blocked, is harmful to young people because it violates their privacy, takes away their freedom to read, and could make them feel alienated. Read more www.houstonpublicmedia.org RESOURCES & TRAININGS The Banned Book Club Virtual Library This virtual library established by the DPLA uses GPS-based geo-targeting to track and record books banned by location. In locations where certain books are banned, the Banned Book Club makes these books free to access. Read more www.thebannedbookclub.info Books for All: Protect the Freedom to Read Discover all The New York Public Library has to offer to protect the freedom to read for students across the country, including a Teen Banned Book Club, unlimited access to book club titles on NYPL's SimplyE app, and a National Teen Writing Contest. Read more www.nypl.org SERVICE SONGS OF THE WEEK "My Hero" - Foo Fighters Spotify "Hero In Me" - Jeffrey Gaines Spotify "Heroes (We Could Be)" - Alesso featuring Tove Lo Spotify "Infinite (Unsung Heroes)" - Built by Titan featuring Joel Smallbone Spotify "Hero's Song" - Brendan James Spotify Spotify Playlist of All 5 Songs Last Week's Winner Is... "Superheroes" - The Script Which song is your favorite? "My Hero" - Foo Fighters Select "Hero In Me" - Jeffrey Gaines Select "Heroes (We Could Be)" - Alesso feat. Tove Lo Select "Infinite (Unsung Heroes)" - Built by Titan feat. Joel Smallbone Select "Hero's Song" - Brendan James Select OUR SPONSORS Michael Minks, Editor-in-Chief CONNECT WITH YSA ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌

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Fwd: REMINDER: Nonprofit Clinic Call for Projects - Applications Due: November 3, 2023

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Good Afternoon Pittsburgh Community!

 

You are invited to submit project proposals for this year's Nonprofit Clinic. Each spring (January through April), the Graduate School of Public and International Affairs (GSPIA) at the University of Pittsburgh offers a capstone seminar entitled "Nonprofit Clinic: Consulting in Nonprofit Organizations." The course offers Pittsburgh-area nonprofits 11 weeks of pro bono consulting services from advanced masters students. The Clinic's collaborative approach brings together GSPIA faculty, nonprofit professional coaches, masters students, and organizational leadership to provide professional-quality consulting to solve pressing challenges. The course and projects are managed by GSPIA faculty.

 

We are seeking 10 nonprofit organizations that need management consulting assistance (free of charge) on topics related to management and governance. Topics might include:

 

Logic models	Program evaluation
Business planning	Human resource management and policies
Market analysis	Financial analysis
Program development	Board governance and development
Social enterprise	Resource development
Strategic communications	Marketing planning

 

The consulting team will consist of advanced graduate students who will be working under the supervision of GSPIA faculty and your guidance as the client. These students are not only bright and dedicated but also highly motivated individuals with the potential to make substantial contributions to your organization. They will be graduating with their master's degrees in April, each equipped with a comprehensive skillset and unique background that can be put to immediate use on your projects. They will have approximately 11 weeks to complete the project, either individually or in teams of two. Therefore, the projects should be relatively modest in scope. Over the past 12 years, the Nonprofit Clinic has served over 150 nonprofit clients, with over $1 million in pro bono consulting conducted. Here are a few reactions from past clients:

 

The student consultants approached the project much the same as any other paid consultant that I have worked with. I was extremely impressed by how successful they were in extracting information from other [organizations] in such a short amount of time… the comparative analysis they provided will be a very useful reference for us moving forward.

 

This exceeded my expectations on every front. The student consultant's work was truly original and extensive in research, in hands on engagement and in thought process that was reflected not just in suggestions, but in actual deliverables designed to provoke response and reaction.

 

The research and the professionalism with which [the student] conducted herself and the materials she presented were far above what I had expected. This was my first project working with a graduate student from Pitt and it was a great experience.

 

[The student consultants] did a fantastic job! They were extremely thoughtful, attentive to detail, and professional throughout their entire process.

 

The student consultants were exceptional. They were able to actively listen to our needs, identify priorities, and research solutions.

 

We want to thank the student consultants and the Nonprofit Clinic at The University of Pittsburgh. This is an amazing way to give back to the community and give students the opportunity to apply what they have learned in a real-world setting. I would have recommended this to other local nonprofits. Thank you!

 

[The student consultant] was wonderful. He was a great fit with our organization and his work ethic and products were top notch. Thank you so much for allowing him to serve as our consultant.

 

If you would like to participate in the Clinic, please apply online at: https://tinyurl.com/Nonprofit-Clinic-Application

*Note: We've attached the online application questions as a preview. Please submit your application online at the above link. Thank you.

 

Important Dates

• October 3, 2023: Online Application Opens
• November 3, 2023: Application Deadline
• November 20, 2023: Selected Nonprofits Notified
• January – April 2024: Nonprofit Clinic Cycle
• Mid-Late April 2024: Final Deliverables Sent

 

If you know of other organizations who would benefit from this opportunity, we encourage you to refer them to this announcement.

 

Thank you for considering this opportunity. We look forward to hearing from you.

 

Sincerely,

 

Doreen Hernández

On behalf of the Johnson Institute for Responsible Leadership and Frances Hesselbein Leadership Forum

Graduate School of Public and International Affairs

University of Pittsburgh

edoreen@pitt.edu

johnsoninstitute.pitt.edu | hesselbeinforum.pitt.edu | gspiaji@pitt.edu