Blog Archives: May 2013
Preparing for the 2013 National Youth Leadership Training
The deadline to register for the 2013 National Youth Leadership Training (NYLT) has been extended to Friday, May 17. Learn more about the program and download the registration packet at www.nylc.org/nylt. Register today before spots are filled!
How has attending NYLT impacted your involvement in your community over the past year?
NYLT was definitely an eye-opener for me. I live in Eden Prairie, a middle- to upper-middle class suburb of Minneapolis, MN. Since I live in a relatively safe and well-to-do area, I had really never come into contact with those directly affected by the achievement gap. I always assumed that everyone else at my high school was just as equipped as I was. Using the knowledge and skills gained at NYLT, I was prepared and passionate to reach out to those in my community stuck in the achievement gap. NYLT definitely jump-started my involvement in my community and I will be forever thankful for that.
What are you doing now to prepare for NYLT this summer?
To prepare for NYLT this summer, I am mostly remembering. Reminiscing about my time and experiences in "Courageous Conversations" and my involvement in "Morals and Ethics" so that I can better help the campers have the same great experience I had. Additionally, I am reviewing my Smart. Youth Solutions to the Achievement Gap book so that I can better understand the achievement gap if any questions arise.
If you could give some advice to a new student attending NYLT for the first time, what would you tell them?
I would give several pieces of advice to new students attending NYLT for the first time. First, relax. When I first came to NYLT, I was very unsure of what was going to happen at the camp, what kinds of people would be there, and what the overall environment would feel like. I was nervous, but after getting into the groove during Immersion, it was easier to enjoy the experience. Also, the cliché but very applicable advice: "be yourself". When going to NYLT, I was expecting superstar students with outstanding academics and service hours. After going, I realized everyone was just like me, a student who is looking to get more involved in their community. Finally, just go with the flow. At NYLT, you WILL be taken outside of your comfort zone, whether you are shy or confident, and you will feel uncomfortable. But that is okay and it allows you to grow. The important thing is to not get embarrassed or ashamed because that is the purpose of many of the activities. Remember, just go with the flow!
Sujay Rao attended NYLT in 2012 and is now a member of the NYLC Youth Advisory Council.
Catalyst Trip- Sustainable Food Systems and Land Rights
Each year the center of spirituality, service and social justice (Wesley Center) plans five different catalyst trips over spring break at Hamline University. The purpose of the catalyst trips is to investigate issues of justice while serving in the community.
The trips vary in topic and places but I was fortunate enough to serve in the White Earth, MN catalyst trip, which focuses on food sovereignty and explores land right issues from the perspective of the Ojibwe community in the White Earth reservation. In this trip I was accompanied by 10 other Hamline students. We drove five hours to reach our final destination, and arrived to some cabins which had beautiful scenery of a frozen lake and very tall banks of snow.
In the process we met great leaders and activists, including Winona LaDuke, who once ran as the vice president nominee for the Green Party. She is a widely known activist, environmentalist, economist and writer. Winona founded the White Earth Recovery Project, which is designed to take back the lands that originally belonged to the reservation of White Earth. Winona is also the director of Honor the Earth, and works for White Earth Land Recovery Project (WELRP), a non-profit which does helps restore agriculture to gain food sovereignty.
Winona LaDuke is a great activist and is constantly working on different projects that affect not only the Ojibwe community but also the environment. In this trip we were able to learn and help her with her activist work by going to home and working side by side with her on researching and writing articles that will be published in different newspapers and websites.
However that was not all, we also learned a great deal about sustainable foods and how this community is growing towards creating a food sustainable community by growing their own seeds and sharing them to become independent from genetically modified seeds and companies like Monsanto. As students we took part in this project by separating the seeds from corn husks; those seeds would later be distributed to other farms.
We were also able to learn the importance of sustainable food systems, especially in the poverty-stricken community of White Earth. We helped rebuild an old greenhouse which was still covered in snow but we were able to finish it.
Another project we worked on is the sugar tapping. We placed over 150 taps on maple trees for their famous maple syrup sold in their store and online at http://nativeharvest.com/. This was an amazing experience and we were able to taste the fruits of our labor, trying the very tasty maple syrup and maple butter.
This service learning trip was simply amazing. I got to meet many great people that are very passionate on what they do. This trip also made me take a step back and look on how dependent we are as a society when it comes to our food. White Earth also gave me a the opportunity to get in touch with my green thumb and learn what it really takes to gain food sovereignty, and just how hard it is to fight for land justice.
Jennifer Peredia is a Program Strageties fellow with NYLC,
