Category Archives: Activism

Reality Check | Student Engagement (NYC Smoke-Free)

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Reality Check, our student engagement and youth action component, is a student led, adult supported, statewide program for youth between the ages of 13 through 18 to address tobacco control initiatives. Students who join NYC Smoke-Free’s Reality Check program  participate and lead activities and events to help expose the tobacco industry and reduce the number of teens that initiate smoking.

With NYC Smoke-Free Reality Check, students will…“>

  • Develop leadership skills with opportunities to work with peers across the state
  • Become stronger public speakers
  • Build confidence and enhance teamwork skills while meeting new friends
  • Engage legislators on issues that affect youth across the country
  • Find a safe place to explore interests and utilize talents to advocate for a cause
  • Discover a world full of fun experiences and new activities
  • Fulfill service requirements to attract perspective colleges/universities
  • Create multimedia projects that are used to educate their communities and the nation.

For more information, visit http://nycsmokefree.org/studentengagement

NYC Youth Leadership Councils

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NYC Youth Leadership Councils (YLCs) are a network of youth groups focused on policy, practice, and advocacy to make local change happen.

Each YLC is a space to team up with others, share ideas, create solutions, and put those solutions into action with the support from City agencies, schools, and community organizations.

Find a YLC and apply now.

Your voice can make a difference in your community.

YLC members create solutions for:

  • Advocating for mental health support and resources
  • Preventing gun violence in communities
  • Influencing citywide environmental sustainability awareness initiatives
  • Encouraging nutritious diets and healthy lifestyles
  • Connecting youth to digital resources for research and advocacy
  • Using art as a tool for social action
  • And more!

For a full list of active YLCs and the issues they’re working on, visit the YLC Application.

How to Apply

Find out the requirements for joining a YLC and the simple steps you can take to apply.

Who’s Eligible

You can apply to a YLC if you’re between ages 14 and 21 and currently enrolled in high school or an equivalency program.

Young People For

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The Fellowship


The Young People For (YP4) Fellowship is a yearlong leadership development program for young people committed to creating positive social change in their communities. Fellows represent diverse backgrounds, beliefs, and approaches to social change, and they are working on many different progressive issues on campuses and in communities across the country.

The Fellowship year runs from summer to summer, and includes:

Regional Trainings

At the beginning of each new Fellowship year where Fellows learn foundational social justice leadership skills through workshops, guest trainers, and discussions.

Mentorship

Fellows are paired with an alumnus who has experience in the Fellow’s issue area. Each Fellow works with their mentor to create an Individualized Leadership Development Plan (ILDP) to help them grow into even stronger leaders.

The National Summit

In January all Fellows come together in Washington, DC to further develop leadership skills, gain tools and resources necessary to create change through their projects, and network with leaders in the progressive movement.

The Blueprint for Social Justice

Each fellow creates a campus or community-based sustainable project, called a Blueprint for Social Justice, to address a need in his or her community. With support from staff, their mentors, and a small seed grant, Fellows work to implement their Blueprint projects using the skills developed throughout the Fellowship year.

Civic Engagement Program

Through our Civic Engagement program, Fellows are given additional opportunities for civic participation, including trainings on vote-focused organizing, collaborative issue-based campaigns, blogging opportunities, and more.

Lifelong opportunities

After the fellowship year, fellows continue to connect with, learn from, support, and collaborate with other emerging and established progressive leaders and organizations at the forefront of fights for social justice across the country and around the world.

Upon successful completion of the Fellowship year, Fellows enter our growing alumni network of nearly 1,500 progressive leaders across the country. They gain access to our Advanced Leadership and Alumni program opportunities. Our alumni programs ensure that the relationships made and the work completed during the Fellowship year are sustained and supported long-term. We assist alums with internship placements, job opportunities, trainings, and networking opportunities to enhance their impact as young leaders.

If you are interested in applying for the Fellowship Program, please complete an application or an interest form. If you know any young change makers who should consider applying to our program, please fill out our nomination form.

 

For more information about YP4’s Fellowship Program, please contact Maryssa at mhall@pfaw.com.

World Youth Alliance

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How We Work

The World Youth Alliance works to understand and speak about the idea of the human person. We work with young people around the world to build a culture that supports and nurtures the dignity of each human person. Our work can be divided into three program areas: Advocacy, Education and Culture.

Mission

To promote the dignity of the person by building a global coalition of young people able to articulate, defend and live the dignity of the person in their lives and influence the communities and world in which they live.

Vision

A world in which the dignity of the person is the foundation for policy and program implementation; in which we understand that progress entails a commitment to the dignity of each human person and the adoption of person-centered solutions.

For more information, visit: https://www.wya.net/