National Service-Learning Conference Announces New Partners

Interested in becoming involved? Early-bird registration deadline for Our World, Our Future is Dec. 15. Visit the conference website at www.nylc.org/conference or contact Amy Meuers, Conference and Events Director, at nslc@nylc.org.For weekly conference updates, like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/nylcorg, or follow us on twitter @nylcorg and use the hashtag #nslc2012.

New national and local partners have confirmed their support for the 23rd Annual National Service-Learning Conference® and youthrive PeaceJam Leadership Conference that will take place in Minneapolis, Minn. on April 11-14, 2012. Special Olympics Project UNIFY®, Youth Service America, Minnesota Alliance With Youth, and local community partners will each play significant roles at this year’s conference.

Project UNIFY, a youth-driven education program of the Special Olympics, has signed on as a conference sponsor and will also participate by hosting a Thought Leader panel, inviting youth to apply as youth emcees, and sending volunteers to serve as room monitors and greeters. An additional benefit of this partnership has been the inclusion of issue-specific language about service-learning and intellectual disabilities to improve published materials by both Project UNIFY and NYLC.

In contrast to the workshops that take place throughout the conference, the goal of the last day will be to “Serve and Celebrate.” Saturday will feature hands-on service projects in the Frogtown and Summit-University neighborhoods and celebrate youth as valuable contributors. youthrive and Saint Paul community partners — the Wilder Foundation Youth Leadership Initiative and Como Park High School Paws for Peace — are convening the planning team for Serve and Celebrate to identify, design, develop and implement the service projects that will take place on that day. “Frogtown and the Summit-University communities are resilient urban hubs in Saint Paul.  These communities have a rich history,” says Roxanne Hart, Organizational Development Coordinator at youthrive. “There is a real energy and commitment to make this area a better place for children and youth.”

Serve and Celebrate also falls on Global Youth Service Day, an annual campaign coordinated by Youth Service America that celebrates youth who improve their communities through service and service-learning. According to Sarah Dixon, President and CEO of the Minnesota Alliance With Youth a lead agency for the event, Global Youth Service Day is “not only a day of service, but a day to honor and recognize young people and support youth on lifelong path to service and civic engagement. This is an opportunity to educate the public about the importance of youth service.” Conference cohost youthrive will also serve as a lead agency for the event, which will take place at the Mall of America.

“I am very excited by the investment that our partner organizations are making in the conference,” says Amy Meuers, Conference and Events Director at NYLC. “Their support is critical to engaging new audiences and bringing service-learning into the community.” Project Unify, youthrive, Youth Service America, Minnesota Alliance With Youth and the many local volunteers who have dedicated time to serve on planning teams continue to demonstrate their commitment to the 2012 National Service-Learning Conference and youthrive PeaceJam Leadership Conference and to the mission of NYLC.

Learn more about our partners.
Global Youth Service Day
Minnesota Alliance With Youth
Special Olympics Project UNIFY
Wilder Foundation Youth Leadership Initiative
youthrive
YSA