News 
Filling the Gap
By: Amanda Larson, NYLC Professional Development Manager, Youth Initiatives Lead
“There can be no keener revelation of a society’s soul than the way in which it treats its children,” Nelson Mandela once famously stated. While policy experts, businesses, and education leaders have all weighed in on how schools should be run, the voices of young people are suspiciously absent. The question remains: how can K-12 students themselves help their schools improve and, ultimately, close the achievement gap among their peers?
Summer Webinar Series
This week marks the start of NYLC’s summer webinar series, which will feature prominent individuals and organizations from the service-learning and youth development fields. These free webinars are meant to be interactive as well as provide models for engaging youth in service, demonstrate how to mobilize larger campaigns on pressing issues that affect youth, and explore resources and grant opportunities that benefit those working on the ground in communities and schools.
Thousands Gather at Our World, Our Future
More than 1,800 people gathered in Minneapolis last week to take part in the nation’s largest conference on service-learning — the 23rd Annual National Service-Learning Conference and youthrive PeaceJam Leadership Conference. Participants included educators, school administrators, young professionals, nonprofit staff, and youth, who participated in over 150 different workshops, on- and off-site service-learning projects, and a hands-on “Serve and Celebrate” day.
International Youth Commit to Action in Minneapolis
For the last several weeks, youth from around the world have been furiously typing away at their keyboards, brainstorming ways to improve their communities, swapping ideas, and preparing to meet each other in Minneapolis to bring these ideas to life. The National Youth Leadership Council has partnered with Qatar Foundation International (QFI) to offer YALLAH: Commit to Action — an extensive eight-day training for 38 youth and their mentors from Qatar, Brazil, and various cities in the U.S.
CNCS Announces New CEO, Board of Directors
Last week, the Corporation for National and Community Service announced a new Chief Executive Officer to lead the federal agency, which engages more than 1.5 million individuals in service each year through programs including AmeriCorps and Senior Corps. Furthermore, CNCS announced the confirmation of four bipartisan leaders from the nonprofit, civic, and corporate sectors to serve on its board of directors.
NYLC Welcomes a New Staff Member and a Legislative Fellow from YMCA d’Haiti
NYLC is pleased to announce the addition of new staff members Merina Neal, Finance and Human Resources Coordinator, and Dorly Oriol, a Legislative Fellow from the YMCA d’Haiti who will work at NYLC through the end of April.
Service-Learning Field Loses Leader and Friend
Greenfield, Massachusetts — Rahima Carol Wade, 58, died peacefully, embraced by her family at home in Greenfield, Mass. on March 27, 2012 from metastatic breast cancer.
Educator, author, consultant, and pioneer in the area of service-learning, Wade was also a soulmate to many of the people who loved her long and well. She knew the healing power of meditation, music, and dance and engaged in these practices with others regularly for over 30 years. She modeled what it means to live with deep joy and loving compassion, paying attention to the present moment wherever she was.
Ray LaHood To Recognize Project Ignition At National Service-Learning Conference
NYLC is thrilled to announce that U.S. Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood will be in Minneapolis at the National Service-Learning Conference and youthrive PeaceJam Leadership Conference to recognize Project Ignition Leader Schools for their outstanding efforts to improve driver safety and save lives through service-learning.
