Global Youth Service Day – How Are YOU Getting Involved?

By: Learn and Serve – Michigan Team

The Michigan Community Service Commission (MCSC) and Learn and Serve - Michigan are excited to mobilize youth across the state through volunteerism this April as part of the 2010 Global Youth Service Day.  This annual opportunity, held on April 23, 24, and 25, encourages children and young people to address the world's most critical issues by partnering with families, schools, community and faith-based organizations, businesses, and government.

Global Youth Service Day (GYSD) is led by Youth Service America, with the MCSC serving as a GYSD Lead Agency to encourage service locally.  As part of the MCSC's efforts, we have invited members of the service-learning community across Michigan to get involved!

Commit to support the 2010 GYSD in Michigan in the following ways:

• Plan a Global Youth Service Day event in your community.  Try and focus on an event that incorporates youth in the planning and implementation of service.
• Post information about the 2010 GYSD on your website - if applicable.
• Encourage the young people in your network to create and post their own GYSD projects.

Need help getting involved?
Youth Service America’s resources; available at no charge, are useful when planning youth-service opportunities in your community. Available at www.gysd.org, they include:

• Informational posters
• Planning toolkit
• Strategy guide
• Media training manual
• Fundraising and support tips
• And much more!

Join Our Efforts!
There are already 14 projects planned across Michigan for the 2010 Global Youth Service Day with the possibility of engaging more than 980 youth. Won’t you join these efforts?

And please note, although the 2010 GYSD is scheduled for April 23, 24, and 25 – any service project planned this spring can be considered part of this large-scale effort. Whether it’s an event occurring as part of the annual National Volunteer Week, or a project slated for the end of this school year, please consider submitting it as a 2010 GYSD event.

Get involved in this unique opportunity – for more information visit www.gysd.org or www.michigan.gov/volunteer.

State Farm Companies Foundation is the Presenting Sponsor of Global Youth Service Day.  The State Farm Companies Foundation is a tax-exempt private foundation that was established in 1963 and is funded by State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company.  State Farm Companies Foundation provides charitable support for K-12 public education initiatives that are national in scope in the areas of systemic improvement, service-learning, and teacher excellence.  For more information about State Farm Companies Foundation, please visit www.statefarm.com/about/part_spos/grants/foundation_grants.asp.