Although I will admit that would be amazing, National Youth Week is not about freebies (some times it is) it is a week long ‘festival’ to celebrate the diversity, energy, and amazing-ness of youth today! FINALLY – A week where youth are given props for all the amazing things they do in our communities!!! (insert applause here). FINALLY- A time to really see how youth contribute and exist in our communities and for once to give youth the well-deserved spotlight!
National Youth Week has been an annual event in May for the past 14 years! And this year runs from May 1-7th.
I found this amazing breakdown of the GOALS of National Youth Week by the Youth Action Network and I’d like to share them here because sometimes you just can’t say it any better so you may as well quote it!
This year Youth Week 2010 will focus on creative activism, and will highlight creative ways in which youth are contributing to dialogues of social justice as well as their communities as a whole.
Goals of the Week ¸ CHALLENGE concerned youth to take concrete steps from awareness to action¸ BUILD a strong global network of youth working for just and sustainable communities¸ CELEBRATE the initiative and creativity of young people¸ PUBLICIZE positive examples of youth initiative and activism¸ PROMOTE critical youth participation in and access to democratic processes and media.
http://www.youthactionnetwork.org/
What a powerful message!
So here are a few suggestions on how to spend your free time during National Youth Week this year:
Go through the GOALS above and see how many you can use or work on this week.
- Sign up here http://www.london.ca/d.aspx?s=/YouthWeb/NYW/default.htm to be involved in the planning for next year in London!
- Check out your community! Go somewhere you haven’t been before!
- Dust off your to-do list… and DO those things you’ve been meaning to do to stay involved.. volunteer, read that book you’ve been missing, go visit that friend you’ve lost touch with.. Or just go to the park, lay in the sun and breathe!
- Join the National Youth Week Facebook page!
- Take a look at the amazing things you and your friends have been doing (I’m sure there your list will get quite long if you take the time to search) and celebrate!
- Put together a few friends and do something amazing for your community – garbage clean up, donate old clothes to Street Connection (youth helping youth), or give up that beloved box of Mac & Cheese to the food bank.
- Just take a minute to think “ I am an amazing person”
- Most importantly… take care of yourself! Mind Body and Spirit!
- Comment on this blog and tell us how you spent or would like to have spent your National Youth Week – or share an event with the rest of the readers!
Written by Melissa
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