Website for YOP USA

We need volunteers who will link www.YOPUSA.org to their websites, blogs, newsletters or emails. The more we have the more exposure the organization will get, and the faster it grows. This also lets the search engines know YOPUSA has exposure other places than YOPUSA and places the name up higher on the search pages.
Thanks for your help,
Janice

An update from Sandy:

The purpose of the Youth On Purpose project is for each individual to know the peace of God within, and for the youths, their families, and their communities to be a living demonstration as leaders of the end of separation on the planet.

As of Friday, Janice E. has completed the Certificate of Incorporation for the State of Washington for Youth On Purpose USA, and we are officially a non-profit in Washington. She will continue with the process to complete our total non-profit status for the IRS. She now has to write a budget for the IRS for the non-profit for the next three years. I am very excited because she expects to have this completed by this Friday, April 4. Janice Edin will also be making a special website called Youth On Purpose USA.

In addition to myself, the following people will be on our Board of Directors:

Ria Bordian, Treasurer
Dylan Brashear
Kena Brashear
Dale Jacobson
Jackie Jacobson
Valerie Shahan, Secretary

We also have an advisory committee. If you would like to be part of the Youth on Purpose USA foundation or the summer camp, please let me know. We have many volunteer positions as well as paid positions to fulfill. We have two possible dates for the summer camp, July 11-20 at Sahale Retreat Center in Tahuya, WA, and July 7-17 at The Firs in Bellingham, WA. We will have 60 youths in the first Youth On Purpose summer camp in the US. 10-15 of these youths can come from anywhere in the world, and they will be part of our international youths. We are now accepting applicants for the program. The application form will be posted on the website.

CONFERENCE CALL THURS MAR 20

This international conference call is scheduled for 10:00 am PST / 7:00 pm CET so that friends from other times zones can participate and offer input.

AGENDA
1) Introductions
2) Designate someone to record the Minutes.
3) Input from friends in other time zones.
4) KEY QUESTIONS DISCUSSION - Choose questions to explore.
5) Review immediate activities and assignments, including establishing a timeline for 2-3 people to complete the budget.

The purpose of #4 is to generate valuable information into a format ready to extract from for proposals, presentations, media, interviews, etc.

KEY QUESTIONS: Adapted from a standard grant application.
1. Describe how the program contributes to healthier life choices.
2. How does the program contribute to a reduction of academic failure and drop-out?
3. How will the max. # of participants be served without sacrificing a quality experience (i.e. the camp, as well as the year long follow up program)?
4. Describe any partnerships you have, or hope to have, with public or private entities.
5. What opportunities does the program provide? Cover things that aren't already written in the one-page proposal or on flyers, or go into more detail. Why are these opportunities so important? Hint: Focus on what makes this program so different from others.
6. How does the program provide opportunities to directly experience and understand the natural world?
7. Decide in detail how you will incorporate on-going evaluation, assessment, and reporting.
8. Describe demographics of people participating in the program. If possible, use percentages.
9. Describe how the program specifically serves youth at-risk.
10. Discuss the program's educational goals (as they would be described for a grantor/funders, such as Boeing/BP/other. What are the objectives as they pertain to: (a) awareness, (b) knowledge, skills, abilities, (c) critical thinking, discernment, decision-making, (d) behavioral change, and (e) environmental stewardship.

Please review the list of organization names presented, listed in the right column.

Grant Guru Tips

Collaboration - There are at least two kinds of collaboration in the preparation of a grant proposal. The first kind is (1) who internally in your organization will collaborate with you in preparing and caring out the proposal? (2) Involve outside entities to create strategic alliances and team up for greater grant success.

"Grantwriters typically find that collaboration is an essential ingredient in preparing a grant proposal. By collaborating, you are showing your potential funder that your solution has involved many different points of view. The collaborating individuals and agencies will help your [community] come together to provide [youth] with the best possible approach at solving the issues that are at the heart of your proposal." ~ Gary Carnow, Grant Guru.

Gathering your grant team is essential. Include all stakeholders (i.e. key organizers, a youth representative, a parent). Find a time when everyone can attend and give out copies of the RFP. Determine when the grant is due and plan backward from the deadline. Schedule enough time to write, review several drafts and to fill out any required forms. Look for signature pages and determine who must sign. Some proposals require support letters and other attachments. Allow enough time to copy, collate, and send the proposal. As a grant facilitator and as a group, (a) schedule the meeting dates, (b) describe the activities to be accomplished, and (c) assign responsibilities. Provide each team member with a copy of your task chart.(4)

For more Grant Guru tips, incl. tips for evaluation planning, please refer to: http://www.techlearning.com/blog/grantguru/

From Lorne

~ Great work Krista!! I hugely admire the work you have done. . . your work ethic. . . and your process. I am happy you are choosing to continue your involvement with YOP even though it is in a different or reduced role. Love Lorne

Blog Continues

The blog is an online bulletin board and work space for YOP and can be used for:

• Meeting information - times, locations, and agendas.
• Sharing updates.
• Posting work for collaboration.
• Sharing quotes, learning, and inspiration.
• Expressing gratitude and/or acknowledging someone.
• Conducting a poll/survey for feedback and information.
• Posting feedback/suggestions.

and more. . .

It might be useful to post some of the work that requires collaboration so that you can easily re-visit it down the road through the archives. It's more organized than emails because the stream of input is all in one place in the order it was given. You don't need to keep track of a dozen emails and they can be re-visited through the archives.

Krista

Working Together | Brain Storms

Adapted from the article "Partnering for High Impact" by Cassandra O'Neill from the CharityChannel LLC(2) highlighting the 'seven norms of collaboration'(3).

The tools we use every day in Youth On Purpose to clear and grow make us a learning community. We collaborate and organize this program as a community engaged in reflection and action. Here are seven skills/norms for consideration -

#1 Spirit of Inquiry: Promote a culture or community of learning. Explore what people mean rather than making assumptions.

#2 Pausing: A simple pause can allow time for reflection. Learning comes from reflecting, not from doing.

#3 Paraphrasing: During the POCC training, we explore the use of dialogue and practice pacing back what a person has said. This is important to confirm that we heard what was said, and that what was said was actually meant.

#4 Probing: Ask for more details and clarification to increase understanding.

#5 Putting Ideas on the Table: One of the principals of successful brainstorming is that no criticism is allowed. Our creativity is unleashed when we focus exclusively on generating ideas.

#6 Paying Attention to Self and Others: Watch and listen to how people are responding and reacting, and adapt the conversation to positively impact the group.

#7 Presuming Positive Intentions: People can get caught up in perceiving negative intentions for a behavior they are noticing. When people make assumptions without checking, and then report negative intentions as fact, it can lead to misunderstandings which are not based in reality.


Brainstorming & the Creative Process

State clearly that you are brainstorming, i.e., "Please reserve criticism until . . ."

Putting ideas on the table allows for the best thinking of a group and incorporates many perspectives and experiences. Criticism can really inhibit creativity. Keeping this in mind can result in more creative decision making and higher impact. Nothing is evaluated, put down, or thrown out. You can even toss in a few humorous or ridiculous ideas to ease tension.

The rule for brainstorming is "anything goes". If you really can't accept an idea for some reason, remember norm #7. Simply suggest "That's one idea. What are some others?" When people appear stuck, encourage the group in a way that promotes a stretch in awareness or thinking. Be patient. Allowing for things to emerge is the key to meaningful conversations. Allow others to figure out what to do rather than tell them what you think they should do (1)(3).

Please refer to the bottom of the blog for links to further information.

2008 YOP Work | Plan

If you would like to review the Work Plan to see where you might be able to offer support and feedback to the program, please email Krista or submit comments here.

Feb 27th Conference Call | Meeting

The following people united in the 7:00 pm PST call, including Ria Bordian, Jackie Jacobson, Sandy Levey-Lunden, Lorne Rubinoff, Len Satov, Krista Voigt, and a new member, Dawna Jones, who is from Vancouver, B.C. Welcome Dawna!

Today we discussed our plans for youth outreach, set priorities for the next few months, and added activities to the 2008 WorkPlan.

Future Meetings - We've decided to schedule 2 mid-day calls (PST) over the next six months to receive input from Jack Barnard, and other international friends from the UK, Sweden, and Halifax. Our regular meetings are typically scheduled every two weeks. It's helpful to check the blog prior to each call-in for information/ materials needed, and please note that call-in details are removed from the blog after each meeting.

What's Next?

You are welcome to join us on WED FEB 27th at 7:00 pm! The purpose of the next conference call will be to chart-out our course for the next few months with a priority focus on publicity and youth outreach. If you are interested in joining us, please e-mail for details. If you are calling from outside North America, we need your RSVP 24 hours in advance. youthonpurpose@gmail.com

Cast your vote!

During the February 21st conference call, six team members dialed-in to the challenge of twisting and forming a set of values to work through and live by. We also bent the mission statement into shape, making it sound and feel clear. Please review these to the right here in the blog and participate in the poll for purpose. Vote on the language and the focus that feels right to you. Your feedback is always en-joy-ed and appreciated.

Feb 21 Conference Call 7-8:30 pm

During the next conference call, we'll be tweaking YOP's MISSION and VISION. We will go over the ones from previous YOP programs (posted here), ask questions, and share ideas. We'll also jump into identifying or giving shape to a set of VALUES, a few groundrules for conducting business. Join this unconventional group of creative folks on February 21st - Listen in, participate, and feel free to be a little off-the-wall ! Newcomers of all ages welcome!

Feature Volunteer

SHERRY RIESENBERG - You may know her from some of the workshops or from your last visit to Sandy's place. "Sherry is the person who often approaches people when they come through the door. She is the team meeter and greeter! She will put her hand on your arm or offer a cozy hug." It's no surprise that Sherry is an RN. You really get the feeling she cares about how you are doing, and when she isn't there, it kind of feels like something is missing! THANK YOU Sherry!