Guide for Youth

National Organizations for YOUth

The Freechild Project (TFP) offers the most comprehensive scan of youth action ever made available to the public in the United States and Canada. With broad categories of information, TFP offers resources for social change by and with young people. TFP is not affiliated with non-profit, foundation, or corporation, and is supported by grassroots activists throughout the world.

The Freechild Project

PO Box 6185

Olympia, WA 98507-6185

360-753-2686

info@freechild.org

JustAct

JustAct is a national, nonprofit organization promoting youth leadership and action for global justice. Founded by students in 1983 as the Overseas Development Network, the organization has been a forum for thousands of young people to address global issues such as social inequity, human rights, and environmental sustainability.

Earth Force

Global Rivers Environmental Education Network (GREEN) at Earth Force provides opportunities for young people to understand, improve and sustain watersheds in their community. GREEN empowers young people to learn more about water quality within their watershed and use their findings to create solutions.

Youth Activism Project

Website for the Youth Activism Project, a private, non-partisan organization to encourage young activists. Great list of media outlets, fundraising opportunities and national organizations looking to empower youth.

Activism 2000 Project

P.O. Box E

Kensington, MD 20895

1-800-KID-POWER

info@youthactivism.com

Alliance for Justice

Alliance for Justice offers training for young adults (age 15-25) in advocacy and direct action organizing to stop gun violence. Technical assistance for young people engaged in advocacy campaigns to end gun violence. Matching Challenge Grant up to $10,000 to support youth-led organizing. Includes a 250 page stand-alone resource guide to aid youth-led social change.

CoMotion

CoMotion is about learning to tackle a problem in your community through action and mobilization. CoMotion works to build youth activism by providing training and technical assistance to youth led efforts on the issue of gun violence across the country. If you want to stop gun violence in your school or community, call CoMotion at (202) 822-6070.

Foster Care Youth United
Foster Care Youth United, which began publication in June, 1993, is the only bi-monthly magazine written by and for young people in foster care. FCYU is designed to give a voice to young people living in the system by providing a forum for an open exchange of views and experiences by those most impacted by foster care.

Generation Net
This website asks, "If you could change any U.S. law or policy, what would it be?" and enables members to democratically choose their top priorities. The group then organizes grassroots campaigns for the changes they've chosen. GenerationNet.org's offline campaigns will take the issues to the politicians on their home turf, while they're campaigning for re-election.

Global Youth Action Network

Website for the Global Youth Action Network, an international collaboration among youth and youth-serving organizations to share info, resources and solutions. Also, the website for Youth in Action, the US network of GYAN.

GYAN

211 E. 43rd Street. Ste. 905

New York, NY 10017

(212) 661-6111

gyan@youthlink.org

Harlem Live

Harlem Live broadens youth's view of the world using technology and journalism while fostering understanding through diversity. Harlem Live covers events, people, issues throughout Harlem, learning as young men and women the processes of journalism, web creation, professional growth and so much more.

LA Youth: Youth News Service

Essays and opinions written by teens in LA to go along with print newspaper intended to provide "free speech and creating for young people a journalism program that fosters critical thinking, writing skills, literacy and civic education." Topics include juvenile justice, homophobia, bereavement, entertainment and more.

Latin American Youth Center

Latin American Youth Center programs help youth develop critical thinking and leadership skills and, through the visual and performing arts specially, address cultural differences and difficult social issues. The LAYC supports youth and families in their determination to live with dignity, hope and joy, emphasizing Respect, Synergy, & Trust.

ListenUp!

Since January, 1999, ListenUp! has assisted more than 1,000 youth from diverse backgrounds in the researching, writing, production, editing and distribution of their own media. This project lets youth know that their work and voices are important and valued while contributing to an open climate for youth media production.

PEACEFIRE

Young perspectives on censorship in media and the Internet. Links to stories from other news sources.

VOX

VOX is an independent newspaper written by and about Atlanta-area teenagers. Print publication features essays, reporting pieces and creative writing, and is distributed monthly during the school year.

VOX

Youth Communication

229 Peachtree Street NE, Ste. 203

Atlanta, GA 30303

(404) 614-0040.

Youth Advocacy Coalition

Youth Advocacy Coalition advocates for and with young people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender in an effort to end discrimination against these youth and to ensure their physical and emotional well being. NYAC's many programs include a National Youth Summit in Washington DC to bring youth and adults together for advocacy.

YO! (Youth Outlook)

YO! is a newspaper written by and for Bay Area youth. It is distributed 10 times a year to schools all around the Bay Area. YO! includes essays, reporting pieces, cultural reviews and poetry. It's last page is writing by incarcerated youth.

YO! Youth Outlook

660 Market Street, #210

San Francisco, CA 94104

(415) 438-4755

International Organizations for YOUth

Global Youth Connect

Global Youth Connect is a global organization, led by and for young people, which supports and encourages youth activism for human rights and social transformation. Our mission is to build and support a community of front-line activists from around the world, and to inspire a new generation of young people to work for human rights and social transformation. GYC was created by a steering committee of young people from around the world, and is led by a Board of Directors made up entirely of youth.

Global Youth Action Network

The Global Youth ACTION Network is an international collaboration among youth and youth-serving organizations to share information, resources and solutions. Its purpose is to promote greater youth engagement. The GYAN creates the opportunity for every young person to be heard, leverages their voices to impact national and global agendas and provides tools, recognition and financial support for youth who take positive action to improve our world - community by community.

The United Nations Youth Unit

The Youth Unit is the focal point within the United Nations system on matters relating to youth. It has been set up to do four things: enhance awareness of the global situation of youth and increase recognition of the rights and aspirations of youth; promote national youth policies in cooperation with both governmental and non-governmental youth organizations; strengthen the participation of youth in decision-making processes at all levels; and encourage mutual respect and understanding and peace among youth.

SUGGESTED CITATION: Fletcher, Adam. (2001) FireStarter Participant Guidebook. Olympia, Washington: The Freechild Project. www.freechild.org/Firestarter

© 2001 by The Freechild Project, PO Box 6185, Olympia, Washington 98507, (360)753-2686, info@freechild.org. All rights reserved. Parts of this Guidebook may be quoted or used as long as the author and organization, Adam Fletcher, The Freechild Project is duly recognized.

No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted for commercial purpose without prior permission. Please contact The Freechild Project, PO Box 6185, Olympia, Washington 98507, (360)753-2686, info@freechild.org, for information about reprinting this publication and information about other publications.