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Action
Center
So what’s going on nationally that you can get involved with?
Take a look!
Younger
Americans Act
The Younger Americans Act (YAA) is exciting new legislation that
establishes, for the first time, a national policy for youth.
YAA declares that young people must be assured access to five core
resources and that communities must be mobilized to provide programs
and services that fully prepare youth to become adults and effective
citizens.
> On-going relationships with caring
adults,
> Safe places with structured activities
during non-school hours,
> Access to services that promote
healthy lifestyles,
> Marketable skills and competencies
through education and youth development, and
> Opportunities for community service
and civic participation.
Mentoring
programs, recreational programs, safe and structured after school
activities, and community service opportunities are just a few examples
of programs and services that would be eligible for funding under
YAA.
The National Youth Development Information Center has lots of
ways for you to be involved. Their web site provides you with a
Student and Youth YAA toolkit, included in this kit are:
> Basics about the bill
> Talking points
> Handouts
> Letters to send to members of
Congress
> How to get a visit to a member
of Congress
> What to say during a visit to
a member of Congress
> Model press release
> Model letter to the editor
There’s even information there about how YOU can build a YAA
coalition in your own community!
The Act to Leave No Child Behind
This Act is designed to benefit every child in America. It incorporates
policies and programs that have been shown to improve children’s
lives. For more information visit the Children’s Defense Fund.
National Foster Care Month
Every May is Foster Care Month, and there are many things you can
do to make a difference.
Start
early! There are many things that need to be done in the months
leading up to May, for example, organizing events, submitting articles,
opinion editorials, and letters to the editor to magazines and newspapers.
You can learn how to tell your story—there’s even a sample
opinion editorial for a foster care alumnus that you can customize.
Visit www.fostercaremonth.org to learn more!
Information on all bills before Congress
To find out more about any bill, visit
http://thomas.loc.gov/
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