Finally, I chose a personal posting from a decade ago. As I was going through the papers in my mom's desk after she died this fall, I found a print-out of my column for Connect for Kids (SparkAction's predecessor site), "What My Mother Taught Me." The lessons that I wrote about have stayed with me for almost 60 years! I hope they have provided the moral anchor for my work and my life.
Tara James
Sr. Outreach Associate
2011 was quite a roller coaster ride for most child and youth advocates. In DC, there was a lot of wrangling over policy and budget issues that tested the resolve of even the most seasoned policy wonks. (Sequester anyone?) In the real world, we heard a lot about families' increasing needs as resources continued to dwindle. So it's probably no surprise that my top moments are a mixed bag of highs and lows -- all of which contributed to a memorable year. With this kind of set up, it'll certainly be interesting to see how 2012 turns out.
The State of Young America. Released just a few weeks ago, this report paints a picture of a generation struggling to gain a foothold in today's financially insecure America.
Young People Change the World! Time and again this year we saw stories about young people who are changing the world in ways big and small. I'm constantly inspired by the remarkable work they're doing in such challenging circumstances. Nina, the 19-year-old cyber bullying prevention guru from New Jersey was just one of many such stories that stuck with me.
Millennials Think Big. Just when I thought big dreams and big goals had gone the way of VHS and 8-track tapes... This year, some great organizations led by young people jumped into the fray and offered up compelling solutions to perplexing problems like college completion and that pesky little deficit problem. One of my favorite was Roosevelt Institute College Network's Think 2040, which offered a vision, a plan and a budget for a Millennial America.
Stopping the Ryan Budget. Last April when Rep. Ryan (R-Wisc.) proposed a budget that would drastically cut funding for social service programs, our community rallied to tell Congress that reducing the deficit on the backs of the poor was not the way to go. This amazing response was inspired in part by the excellent analysis of the folks over at the Center on Budget Priorities and Policy who always help us see the forest for the trees.
Young Minds at Google Zeitgeist Americas 2011. The Young Minds competition gave some remarkable young people the opportunity to rub elbows with world leaders in a variety of fields at Google's Zeitgeist Americas 2011. Today's world leaders geeking out with the leaders of tomorrow? Nice.
Alison Beth Waldman
Editorial Assistant
As a newcomer to youth advocacy, my year was full of lessons. In many ways, this was a frustrating year to learn the ins and outs of federal policy, but I was buoyed by the tireless drive I saw in experts, advocates and young people themselves. I loved seeing SparkAction's social network grow, and see the networking power my generation can tap. Here are some of my favorite moments:
Hash Tag #CPNC11. In April, I attended the Campus Progress National Conference. Forget the awesome panels and celeb speakers, (hello, President Bill Clinton and Van Jones!), the best part was the advice I got: that young people can make change if we keep it simple, get and share accurate information, and stay focused. It was a shot in the arm.
Youth Voices: Prescribed Addiction. Our Youth Voices area is one of my faves; the stories are always earnest, always real. 2011's "Prescribed Addiction" series really tugged at me and opened my eyes to what it's like to struggle with substance abuse in the juvenile justice system. It takes a lot of guts to speak honestly about the wrongs you've committed in order to help expose a bigger truth.
Millennials Speaking Out for their Futures. In April, young, unemployed Americans got spiffed up and took to the street for the Briefcase Brigades, a national day of action at state capitols (and in DC) to address the unemployment crisis. I had a chance to follow around some "Brigaders" and record their stories.
Karen Pittman on Youth Engagement. One of my favorite musings from the youth development master Karen Pittman is her guest appearance on the podcast "Please Speak Freely" in October. She talks about the importance of effective strategies for encouraging rigorous practice, while still letting creativity and risk-taking thrive in youth development. (And I'm not just saying that because she's my boss' boss.)
Getting Social. We saw a big jump in our use and response to social media this year. As our social media coordinator, I did a lot of testing and analyzing to learn more about effective social media advocacy. We owe a big thanks to the many other social media experts who were willing to share their secrets for a good cause. Some of my favorites were a snazzy Prezi presentation, some quick words from blogger Seth Godin, and tips from consultant Kivi Leroux Miller.
Eddy Ameen
Blogger & Curator of SparkAction's Youth Rising series
2011 started and ended in nervous talks about how the big guys were making decisions effecting the little guys. 2012 could bring more of the same if we let it. Maybe you are not ready to occupy, but you can easily find the data you need to help you represent those among us who've been disenfranchised.
Here are a few of the stories that did just that for me.
We Can't Help Homeless Youth if We Don't Count Them - Though I've now turned my writing to features on youth doing incredible things around the country, the timing is right to highlight this blog on its anniversary: my call for more communities to follow DC's example of comprehensive counts for its unaccompanied homeless youth. We are well past our time to acknowledge their existence and provide better data that will lead to stronger interventions and more funding.
When We Ban Kids from School, the Damage Goes far Beyond Academics - This eye-opening story was one of many on SparkAction in 2011 characterizing the school to prison pipeline, and the growing outcry against insufferable policies in our schools where playground tousles become prison sentences.
Tax Breaks vs. Program at Risk in FY2012 - Sometimes lots of words make a point. Other times, a simple graphic gets to the heart of the matter. The numbers may be different with each new battle over the federal budget, but the cuts to our nation's most vulnerable are never excusable when juxtaposed against wicked fleecing, as they are in this simple illustration.
The Common Good Forecaster- Sticking with visualization of important data, this tool put numbers on how important educational attainment is for my own state and county; the more our kids learn, they more they earn, the longer they live, and the less crime they will succumb to.
Thanks for being part of our community, and for all your great work, everyone.
Here's to a healthy, happy and productive 2012!
