Pachamama (Website, Video)
Overview:
The Pachamama group develops and teaches eco-friendly alternatives in agriculture. Under the leadership of Juan Carlos and Mary Cruz, Pachamama educates low-income families throughout Tepeolulco, Mexico about optimizing resources to produce organic crops. They have developed two interrelating projects “Banconejo” (rabbit keeping) and “Tierra Adentro” (inland) to produce organic crops in an economically and environmentally friendly way. Banconejo produces natural fertilizer from rabbits that enriches the soil for the production of crops in Tierra Adentro, while utilizing simple rainwater recollection mechanisms. Pachamama has also worked with over 200 youth to promote environmental awareness through activities such as ecological walks and park cleanings.
Photo: Mary Cruz Romero Gudiño (Pachamama), Dave Sobb (Staples, Vice President) and Gretchen Zucker (Ashoka’s Youth Venture, Executive Director)
Main Goal:
Pachamama wants to develop an educational greenhouse that will allow them to teach these agricultural techniques in a more interactive way. Additionally, the group aims to train more community leaders to teach and apply Pachamama models and techniques.
Movimento MudaBrum (Website, Video)
Overview:
Movimento MudaBrum seeks to increase awareness about conservation and preservation by educating the Brumadense community on environmental issues. With activities directed towards the general public and students, the team members, aged 15-18, have a variety of creative ways to engage the Brumadense community in environmental efforts. In 2008 they established a partnership with the Secretary of State for the Environment (SEMA) to develop workshops for both rural and urban schools – reaching over 2,000 kids. Because of the increased environmental awareness, they were able to recruit over 500 volunteers to help with local waterfall cleaning projects. Additionally, Movimento MudaBrum has organized three campaigns with a local high school to recycle and reduce waste. Their efforts resulted in a 50% reduction of plastics at the school and the implementation of a school-wide recycling program.
Main Goal:
The team hopes to expand its partnership with SEMA to assist 8,000 flood victims. They also plan to spread their activities to other Brumadinho communities and develop income-generating projects such as vegetable gardens. The group also seeks to expand its work in local schools to promote more environmental education in the classroom.
DeuKische Generation (Website, Video)
Overview:
DeuKische Generation, a group of German youth of Turkish descent, is seeking to improve the image of fellow young immigrants in German society. With leaders Lamia, Deniz, Didem, and a membership of over 100 youth, this team has the exceptional ability to rally support at both the local and national political levels. They engage in a variety of projects to promote awareness and create change; which include hosting workshops to connect with their communities. Members also facilitate interpretation and mediation efforts. By exemplifying successful integration, they can provide insight into the positive aspects of integration measures to policy makers. DeuKische Generation says its efforts are vital because Germany still struggles with discrimination. And that so far, government policies designed to help immigrant families have had little success. Thanks in large part to DeuKisch Generation and its proponents, young people are turning towards the media and the state, rather than away from them, to initiate a dialogue that will last well beyond their own involvement in groundwork activities.
Main Goal:
This year, DeuKische Generation aims to strengthen its new initiative entitled Youth 4 All to create a greater understanding of the German education system, making it more accessible to immigrant parents. They plan to facilitate communication between students and teachers, as well as promote opportunities available to those of immigrant descent.
Empower India (Video)
Overview:
Empower India is working to educate the children of domestic help through the sensitization of their employers and youth in general. Under the leadership of Ritika, Priyam, Arpita and four core members ranging from 12 to 21 years old, the group conducts innovative awareness and educational programs. The programs are conducted as fun-fairs to bring all residents together. Empower India then highlights the issue through suitable games, media, information desks, issue related quizzes, and networking over snacks. The group also seeks to improve computer literacy by teaching computer training programs in English.
Main Goal:
This year, Empower India aims to expand participation and reach out to more children in the community. They hope that with more participation, more children will discover the importance of a formal education.
Minnesota Campus Energy Challenge (MCEC) (Website)
Overview:
The Minnesota Campus Energy Challenge (MCEC) was formed by Miwa, Liz, and Nika ages 18-20 at Macalester College in St. Paul, MN. They worked to set up and facilitate the "Minnesota Campus Energy Challenge," an annual, month-long, statewide energy reduction competition among schools across the state of Minnesota. The team engages entire campus communities - students, staff, and faculty - to work together to decrease the school's energy use and carbon emissions, which negatively impact the environment. As part of their strategy, the team provides a manual with creative ideas such as a dormitory competition for energy reduction. The team also provides students with educational opportunities on issues like environmental justice and awareness, and provides a good starting point for students to develop links with local organizations and network with students at other schools.
Main Goal:
MCEC's primary goal is to engage a more diverse participation range of schools in the competition, as well as a more diverse population on respective campuses. In the long-term, MCEC's goal is to decrease the actual energy used by higher education institutions consistently across Minnesota.
Lucha Contra el Dengue (Website, Video)
Overview:
Lucha Contra el Dengue started in 2006 to raise awareness about Dengue Fever and determine the levels of infection throughout Clorinda, Argentina and Asuncion, Paraguay. When Dengue Fever infection reached 25% of the population in Asuncion, leader Viviana and her team decided to take action. The team developed a partnership with the Fundacion Mundo Sano to travel between the two cities to distribute information and promote awareness about Dengue Fever. The FMS also trained the team to treat water reservoirs that are potential mosquito breeding grounds with chemical products. And for their younger community members, the team organizes puppet shows within schools to teach youth about the disease and its effects on their health.
Main Goal:
This year, the group plans to continue spreading awareness about Dengue Fever. They hope to expand their efforts by collaborating with other groups and integrating within the schools and neighborhoods. They also seek expand their focus into other topics, such as indigenous integration. They are currently planning different workshops and activities that embrace and preserve the local culture through theater and dancing.
Afrotchekani (Video)
Overview:
Afrotchekani uses the cultural vehicles to change the image of girls and women of African descent in Montreuil, an at-risk suburb north of Paris. They work with these girls to build self-awareness and gain self-esteem, but they also with the larger community to combat stereotypes and prejudice. Team leader Halimatou and 8 other girls, aged 19 to 22 of African (mostly Malian) descent, organize and take part in local events using traditional dances, foods, and music to engage the local community in their cultural practice. The proceeds from these events are donated to international aid organizations in Africa. Additionally, Afrotchekani is leading a project to document cross representations of Malian women in France and Mali, through picture exhibits and video documentaries. They released their first documentary entitled “Femmes d’Ici et d’Ailleurs” in the fall of 2008 and have since shown it at many public events throughout the northern suburbs of Paris.
Main Goal:
This year, Afrotchekani plans to become a 501(c)3 and aims to improve their filming skills to shoot a more professional documentary that tackles more sensitive topics around the question of women and race.
Servicios Para la Educación Sexual Juvenil (SESEJ) (Website, Video, Change.org Interview)
Overview:
SESEJ uses innovative, communications campaign ways to educate youth about the importance of sexual health. José María, Paolo and their team use audio-visual materials such as animations, cartoons, and videos to promote awareness of contraceptive methods, and sexual and reproductive health rights. And to gain the attention of their young audience, they have created hip, attractive t-shirts, informative cards, bracelets and unique condom carrying cases. SESEJ has built strong alliances with important stakeholders, such as parents, local authorities, health authorities, social workers, schools and, of course, youth. To date, they have reached over 2,500 youth with their awareness campaigns.
Main Goal:
This year, SESEJ hopes to finish the production of four short-films that show the risks associated with sexually transmitted infections. They also expect to expand their work to schools, health centers and amusement centers through the states of Puebla, Tlaxcala and Veracruz, in order to reach more young people with their campaigns and products.
Let's Grow
Overview:
Let’s Grow is committed to improving the environment by planting trees in local forests throughout Thailand. Under the leadership of 6 members aged 19-21, Let’s Grow identifies communities throughout Thailand that need their labor and organizes weekend trips where 30-40 youth volunteers travel to a community and plant over 2,000 trees with local villagers who will maintain the trees. So far, Let’s Grow has organized over 6 trips and planted more than 12,000 trees..
Main Goal:
This year, Let’s Grow seeks to engage more volunteers in helping plant trees in local communities. They plan to devise a creative campaign to help fundraise for their projects and raise awareness about environmental issues. Additionally, Let’s Grow aims to expand their project to work with a mangrove forest restoration program and to begin planting trees throughout Thailand’s cities.
Generation Citizenship Project (GCP) (Video)
Overview:
The Generation Citizenship Project (GCP) places college students in local high school classrooms for a semester-long interactive and action-oriented civics class. The class fulfills local and state civics regulations, and requires the college mentors to work with the teachers to create an effective and sustained civic engagement program. The GCP is unique in its emphasis on interactive civics; students learn how to participate in the governmental process by actually working on an important issue, such as: local transportation, teen smoking, and immigration. In order to take action, the students distributed surveys, wrote and published opinion articles, got petitions signed, and spoke to legislative officials. At the end of each semester, the students present their work to elected officials in a ceremony at the Rhode Island State House.
Main Goal:
This year, GCP aims to ensure its sustainability in the future as an integral part of the civics curriculum in Providence, RI, high schools. The Providence School District is about to begin an evaluation of its current social studies curriculum and has indicated interest in using the GCP as part of its formal curriculum standards.
