3 Ways People of All Ages Can Make the Most of International Youth Day
August 12 is International Youth Day, a United Nations effort to celebrate youth activists, combat ageism and help bridge gaps between generations working toward the same change.
No matter your age, it’s likely you’ve questioned your ability to make a difference. Our research shows that 73% of people believe that volunteering is more important than ever, yet 66% think they can’t make a big impact in their communities. Activists on the ground prove otherwise. That’s why we recognize thousands of volunteers for their contributions to their communities through t
he Daily Point of Light Award — because we know that inspiration is contagious.
“Points of Light’s research found that Gen Z is the most civically engaged generation to date. Our youth honorees demonstrate that people of all ages can strengthen communities and solve persistent problems,” says Diane Quest, interim CEO, Points of Light.
To inspire you to action this
International Youth Day
, we are sharing stories of youth honorees, along with three elements from the Points of Light Civic Circle®, a framework for helping people to become more civically engaged.
Volunteer
Nonprofit organizations and NGOs need volunteer power to deliver support to the communities they collaborate with. If you’re an adult wanting to facilitate youth volunteerism, consider organizing a youth-specific event or helping transport the young people in your life to an event. To find a volunteer opportunity that aligns with your interests and availability, check out
Points of Light Engage
, a database with hundreds of thousands of in-person and virtual volunteer opportunities.
The power of volunteering shines when considering Daily Point of Light Award honoree Nate Buescher, a high schooler who prepares food for a local food pantry and distributes home-cooked meals to tent cities around Chicago. Buescher began fighting food insecurity at age 7 with the Honeycomb Project. Today, he mentors younger volunteers while maintaining his own service projects.
Voice
The youth voice is vital, pointing us to which concerns are most important to future world leaders and helping broaden perspectives. Use your voice to advocate for causes you care about by posting on social media, attending a rally or contacting a government leader. Adults can amplify youth voices by sharing with their networks, or organizing forums for youth to be seen and heard.
Seventeen-year-old Daily Point of Light Award honoree
Maanit Goel
used his voice when organizing a rally of fellow activists on the Washington State Capitol steps to support legislation protecting the Chinook salmon and orca populations. He also regularly addresses state legislators and travels statewide to speak to K-12 students about environmental issues.
Listen and Learn
Social justice and environmental issues are nuanced, involving many people with different perspectives shaped by their own experiences. Listening and learning is one way to honor others’ lived experiences and get a fuller scope of an issue.
Young people can commit to thoroughly researching causes they care about, talking to those working toward solutions and holding space for those impacted. Adults can connect with the young people in their lives, inviting dialogue that allows for sharing different perspectives and finding common ground.
These are the driving ideas behind the work of high schooler Kristie To, who became a leading force in Asian American racial justice when she founded
Hearts Against Hate
. Among the initiatives of her nonprofit is distributing Asian history and Asian American Pacific Islander civil rights curriculum to children.
“Cultural sensitivity starts with exposure, and that’s what we’re trying to do with these elementary schoolers,” says To.
To learn about other avenues for social engagement for International Youth Day and all year round, check out the Points of Light Civic Circle by visiting
pointsoflight.org/civic-circle
.
“There are many formal channels for civic engagement, but simple actions make a difference too,” says Quest. “Whether it’s carrying groceries in for a neighbor or donating books to the library, the important thing is to get started when you see a need in your community.”
Changemaking in Action: Highlights From The 2022 Youth Summit
The 2022
Points of Light Conference
was filled with memorable moments, but one that stood out in particular was this year’s Youth Summit. In case you missed it, here’s a recap of what went down… Don’t forget to mark your calendar for June 14-16, 2023 so you can be in attendance at next year’s Conference.
The Youth Summit opened with a welcome from
Points of Light President and CEO Natalye Paquin
and
Points of Light Board Chair Neil Bush
. After sharing about his father’s founding of the
Daily Point of Light Award
program, Natalye and Neil awarded
Michelle Song of Greenville, North Carolina
,
with the day’s Daily Point of Light Award for her efforts in environmental conservation.
“With the right support, young people, you are changing the world,” Natalye said, before handing things off to President and Board Chair of KPMG Foundation Anita Whitehead. Anita introduced the various ways the KPMG Foundation has revitalized its mission and poured funding into equity and diversity efforts, committing millions of dollars to this focus.
Anita then interviewed the keynote speaker,
Orion Jean
, 2021 Time Kid of the Year and Ambassador for Kindness, who spoke about his personal journey and gave helpful advice to any young person looking to make a change.
“Sometimes, I have to admit, it’s not easy seeing a problem so large and figuring out how to go out there and make a big impact on that problem,” shared Orion. “But I think that with a little determination, perseverance, courage and compassion, you can really do anything.”
He encouraged young people who see problems they want to fix to be proactive, reaching out to adults who can help them secure the resources they need to contribute their talents and energy to that issue. He also encouraged adults with resources to support kids with a vision, as the power to change the world lies in this type of collaboration.
Following Orion’s chat with Anita, four members of the Points of Light Youth Council—
Esha Venkat
,
Chase Hartman
,
Eleanor Ann Schoenbrun
and
Adom Appiah
—and Generation Amazing Youth Advocate Sayed Alam—joined a moderated panel discussion. Each spoke about their individual civic journeys and shared touching moments from their experiences.
From fostering hope in communities through uplifting words and gestures… to reinforcing the message that we are never alone, but supported… to releasing one’s ego in volunteering and learning to be a team player… these five leaders passed on a wealth of knowledge and encouragement for all the civically engaged youth in attendance. “Embrace the vulnerability of not knowing what you’re doing,” shared Adom Appiah.
One theme highlighted again and again was the importance of listening and learning before acting. Several Points of Light Youth Council members spoke about how their nonprofits or initiatives had changed as the leaders themselves continued to learn and grow.
Eleanor Ann Schoenbrun talked about “allowing the experience to evolve” with her – changing what she was doing as she continued to learn more and more, and honoring the people sitting across the table from her, even if she disagreed with them.
Hearing from community members about what would help them most, instead of assuming that they already knew what was most supportive, was illuminating for these leaders. Many times, they made strategic decisions for their volunteer projects or even revamped the structure of their nonprofits based on the feedback they heard from those they were directly working with.
While this year’s Youth Summit featured a powerful group of young leaders, Points of Light is committed to uplifting youth voices every single year at the
Points of Light Conference
. So don’t miss next year’s conference in Chicago June 14-16, 2023—save the date now so you can join us in person.
The Power of the Youth Voice with 2021 Time Kid of the Year
The Points of Light Conference is a rich experience for civically-minded folks of all ages and with all levels of experience.
We value the voice of youth, which is why we host a special Youth Summit as part of our overall conference experience each year. This summit is an all-conference session that will feature inspirational stories from young civic leaders who demonstrate that age has no limit in addressing the issues facing our world.
KPMG Foundation President Anita Whitehead will open the session with a discussion with Orion Jean, 2021 Time Kid of the Year and Ambassador for Kindness, about his story and what guidance he has for other young people.
This young man is on a mission, sharing the gift of reading with hundreds of thousands of kids. At only 11 years old, Orion has already created waves in his community with his involvement and advocacy. He has used his $500 in prize money from a kindness contest to donate toys to a local children’s hospital. He has also hosted food drives and partnered with a relief group to collect 100,000 meals for Texas families. And now he’s focused on spreading the gift of literacy to local households that may not have access to books.
Following the keynote, four members of the Points of Light Youth Council – Esha Venkat, Chase Hartman, Eleanor Ann Schoenbrun and Adom Appiah – will participate in a moderated panel discussion around the theme that youth are a powerful force for change. They’ll discuss listening and learning, mindful engagement, finding your “why” and “how” and much more.
Esha Venkat is a 16-year-old global changemaker, ambitious servant leader and groundbreaking “girlpreneur” passionate about advancing social progress across the globe. She is the co-founder and COO of NEST4US and a junior at Broad Run High School. In 2020, Esha and her sister, Shreyaa, were recognized with The George H.W. Bush Points of Light Award for their servant leadership.
Chase Hartman of Tampa, Florida is a 16-year-old community changemaker, youth leader and “kidpreneur” dedicated to finding solutions to some of the toughest challenges in our country. Chase co-founded a nonprofit called Eco Brothers and an award-winning book distribution project called “read.repeat.”
Eleanor Ann Schoenbrun is from El Paso, Texas, and is the founder of Pennies FUR Pets and Kans for Kids. She is a member of the Yale College Class of 2025 with prospective majors in economics and global affairs. She joined the Points of Light family at eight years old when she became a National Make A Difference Day Winner for Pennies FUR Pets, benefiting homeless pets in her border city.
Adom Appiah is an author and the founder of Ball4Good – a nonprofit that supports communities through sports, volunteering and grantmaking. The Ball4Good team has fostered partnerships with community-based organizations to address homelessness, childhood cancer, child abuse, autism awareness, cultural representation and public health.
Youth ages 13 to 18 from local organizations will be in attendance, but Youth Summit content isn’t just for young people. The session is appropriate for attendees representing nonprofits, national service, government, social entrepreneurs and businesses that work with youth or who consider youth a target audience.
Be sure to check our agenda for other workshops with sector experts that highlight youth-focused efforts for organizations. And join us for this year’s Youth Summit by registering for the 2022 Points of Light Conference, held July 13-15, 2022.
