McCormick New Media Women Entrepreneurs Program

The Institute for Interactive Journalism and the McCormick Foundation are seeking to fund four women-led projects that will rock the world of journalism with the McCormick New Media Women Entrepreneurs.




The Foundation will fund individuals who have original ideas to create new Web sites, mobile news services or other entrepreneurial initiatives that offer interactive opportunities to engage, inspire and improve news and information in a geographic community or a community of interest.




What is your juicy idea? What’s been stirring in your mind? What work do you feel compelled to do? How can you improve or redefine journalism? What new project would give people the information they need to make decisions or help make the world a better place? Whose voice isn’t being heard?




The McCormick New Media Women Entrepreneurs program will give one-time funding of $12,000 to women who have the vision, skills and experience to launch a new venture. These can be solo ideas or team projects spearheaded by women.




Deadline to Apply: April 12, 2010

Venture Interview Series: Pierre Bataille and APAID

Online competitions are becoming more and more popular. Youth Venture teams all around the world are participating and competing in these various online contests for funds, fellowships and all kinds of other opportunities. I recently caught up with one of our European Venture teams, Pierre Bataille from Adapted Physical Activity International Development (APAID). APAID recently competed and won the Unreasonable Institute Fellowship. The Unreasonable Institute required all finalists to raise their own funds in order to cover the cost of the Fellowship. I was curious to get some more details on Pierre’s success.




YV:What is the focus of APAID?


APAID focuses on improving lives of people with disabilities using sport as a tool. Our specificity is that APAID seeks to strengthen other organizations by adapting their activities and policies to enable inclusion of people with a disability. In doing so, we add value to existing programs. We link the strengths of our partners with our expertise in adapted sport in order to create sustainable social change.




YV:What is the Unreasonable Institute and why is this an exciting opportunity for you?


The Unreasonable Institute is a social venture incubator program. It aims to give wings to starting social ventures by enhancing their business skills and giving an opportunity to get starting capital. Why is it exciting for us? Imagine getting a 10 week long capacity-building program to focus on your business plan, product marketing strategy, brand building, professional website building in a classroom shared with 24 other outstanding social entrepreneurs. Furthermore, imagine daily mentorship sessions with top innovators, business people and successful social entrepreneurs that share their experiences with us. Isn’t that super exciting?!!!




YV:One of the requirements for winning the Fellowship is that you have to raise the $6,500 it costs to attend the Unreasonable Institute. You’ve managed to do this not only successfully but also fairly quickly. What do you think has contributed most to your success?


I think that involving the supporters and beneficiaries of our program in this $6.500 quest was the key strategy for our success. Via emailing, social networking, media release, blog posting and meeting with people, we managed to get the word out quickly. Another piece that helped us a lot was the fact that we conducted workshops for students in schools during the same time, and asked their involvement in raising the money in return. So all of a sudden we had almost 1000 amazing students helping us!




YV:What advice or (5) tips would you have for other young people entering similar competitions?



I would advise my fellow social entrepreneurs to mature their ideas prior entering such a competition. Defining a clear need/problem you see in society and finding innovative ways to address it is fundamental to me (by the way, there are great tools available for that on GenV.net). I also believe it is an advantage to work in teams and with a team, as complementary skills are crucial to lead a Venture and make it successful. So find friends and experienced mentors to help you make your Venture happen. Once you have a clear idea about your vision, translate it into a concise, rigorous and measurable action plan. The Venture is nothing if you don’t believe in it. You must keep your motivation, passion, and dedication up. You should also share your failures when you can as they are part of the process. Be humble, be honest. If you manage to take these steps, then you increase your chances to succeed in a competition such as Changemakers.net or the Unreasonable Institute.




YV:What do you think are the most effective ways to get people to change their behavior towards people with disabilities and where do you see your work going forward from here?


At APAID, we believe in the power of sports to unite people and bring messages across. People are interested in sports because it is entertaining, it’s nice. If you try to find out the top-watched prime-time television programs in the world, you will find that the SuperBowl, FIFA world cup and the Olympics are top on the list. Sport gathers people! We use this platform, sports, to raise awareness about the abilities of people living with a disability by involving their communities in a variety of sporting activities. Through this, we give them an opportunity to see and understand the abilities rather than disabilities. Also, by spreading information about the rights of people with disabilities during our gatherings, we create a change in behaviors. Changing the perception of disabilities within the community is important but it is also essential to make people with disabilities realize their potential and realize that they can be major actors and participants in all aspects of society.

In the communities we work, people with disabilities have been neglected and underestimated which affects their self-esteem and self-confidence. Through sports we manage to address these psychological aspects as well and help raise their confidence.




YV:What is the most important lesson you've learned from your work as a social entrepreneur?



I’ve learned so much this last year from my work as a social entrepreneur so it’s quite difficult to identify the most important thing. APAID has had a great impact on me both in my professional but also personal life.

One of the great things I’ve learned is the following: When you have an idea that addresses a need in society and you believe in it, you need to go for it, no matter your age, gender, religion, origin, education or area of interest! You will no doubt face failures, successes and find obstacles in your way but, if you can focus on your goals and objectives you will realize that each step moves you forward. If you are able to handle that, opportunities will come!

3 Days Left to Vote in the @15 Community Impact Challege

Voting for the Best Buy @15 Community Impact Challenge ends THIS FRIDAY! Don't miss your chance to vote for your favorite Youth Venture teams.




Don't miss your last few chances to VOTE!

Building Bridges for Peace

Call for Applications: Building Bridges for Peace Program for Palestinian, Israeli and American Teens

July 28-August 16, Colorado

Seeking Common Ground is accepting applications for the 2010 Building Bridges for Peace program, an international leadership development and peacebuilding program for American, Israeli, and Palestinian teens. The program consists of a summer intensive in Colorado (July 28-August 16) and a follow-up program of continued dialogue, leadership training, social activism and civic engagement that takes place in the participants’ home communities. Applicants should be ages 15-19 during the summer of 2010. We invite you to visit us online at www.s-c-g.org for more information and to download a program application (available in Arabic, English and Hebrew). Please contact Aviva Joffe, Coordinator of Programs, at (001) 303.691.2393 or aviva[at]s-c-g.org for details.

Making Youth Entrepreneurial

Here's a great opportunity if you'd like to be in Egypt for a couple days and learn about youth entrepreneurship across the world at the same time!

Making Youth Entrepreneurial:
Lessons learned from MENA Countries on effective policies and programme implementation

International Knowledge Sharing Conference on Entrepreneurship Education

Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt 5 – 7 May 2010

Conference Registration Deadline: April 20, 2010

Hundreds of thousands of school leavers, university graduates and graduates of vocational education and training institutes enter the labour market each year and many of them cannot find a job. Preparing youth for self-employment and enterprise development is therefore considered an important strategy in national education efforts and countries are increasingly introducing entrepreneurship education at different levels in the educational system to orient youth to other career options than wage employment.

Against this backcloth, the ILO under the patronage of H. E., Mrs. Suzanne Mubarak, first Lady of Egypt, and with financial support of the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) and the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) is organising an international conference on entrepreneurship education in Sharm El Sheikh, with a special focus on the Know About Business (KAB) programme, to discuss and share the experiences of these and other efforts with a view to develop better policies and guidelines for the promotion of self-employment and youth entrepreneurship.

The conference is aimed at all policy makers and practitioners involved in the promotion, design and teaching of entrepreneurship education courses in schools, vocational education and training institutions, and higher education from contries of the Middle East and North Africa region and abroad. However, government officials, educators, students and trainees, representatives from students organisations, International Organisations, donors, national and international NGOs, young entrepreneurs association are also invited to participate.

To learn more, visit Youth Entrenet. You can register here.

Vote for Minga in Pepsi Refresh

Minga, a teen-run nonprofit that works to empower youth to end the child sex trade by taking action, has entered the Pepsi Refresh Everything competition to win $25,000 for our PSA Campaign, an initiative to make public service announcements that will educate and empower teens via screens. The top 10 projects in the $25,000 category win. The contest goes until the end of the month. It’s going to take a lot of votes every day to stay in the top 10. There are only 3 days left! Will you help out?




To vote go to www.refresheverything.com/minga. Click on “Vote for this idea”. Then click “No, I’m new here”. Sign in and provide all requested info. Then click “Done”. You’ll be directed back to Minga’s page. Click “Vote” and you’re finished. You will not be contacted by any sites or receive any emails from Pepsi.




Be sure to vote everyday. Voting ends on April 1st.

A Spring of Hope and World Water Day

In honor of World Water Day on Monday March 22, YV brings you the story of a Venturer seeking to bring water to rural African schools.

A Spring of Hope

During the summer of 2005, Brittany Young and her mother Joanne Young traveled to South Africa. While enjoying Africa's vibrant culture, the two decided to visit a local rural school, Beretta Primary. When they got to the school they were greeted by 1,200 students all eager to learn, but in a building with a few small, dirty classrooms and no running water. The lack of water made life difficult for the students. The gardens – their only source of food – went dry and they had to walk miles to get to the nearest government pump. To help these students, Brittany decided to start her Venture “A Spring of Hope,” with the goal to bring water to rural African schools.

Today, Brittany and her Venture’s team has raised over $10,000. With the help of construction managers and geohydrologists who support A Spring, they have built wells at Beretta and other African schools. To continue to spread awareness about the importance of water, the team has also returned to South Africa to film a documentary about the Beretta’s conditions and how lack of water effects education and students’ lives.

Currently a student at the University of Pennsylvania, Brittany continues to work on spreading awareness of the growing world water crisis that kills 4500 children every single day. On World Water Day, Monday March 22, A Spring of Hope is sponsoring a "Toilet Queue" at the University of Pennsylvania and universities and high schools across the US - an outdoor demonstration line for a single toilet to bring attention to the world water crisis and break a world record for the longest line for a toilet! Check out the event on facebook.

If you would like to get involved with A Spring of Hope or open up a chapter at your own school in order to help fund well construction at rural African schools, click here.

Greek Summer: American Farm School

Ever wanted to go to Greece? Immerse yourself in the culture and beautiful countryside of Greece while improving the quality of life of rural communities.

The Greek Summer program, created in 1970, promotes intercultural exchange between Americans and Greeks under the sponsorship of the American Farm School, an independent, nonprofit school serving the rural youth of Greece and the Balkans.

The program is designed for young people who are enthusiastic about immersing themselves in another culture, contributing to the quality of life in a rural Greek village, and having the opportunity to make great new friends. Through the years, the American Farm School has built a tradition of helping Greek villagers meet their evolving needs through community service projects carried out by Greek Summer participants. During Greek Summer, young Americans undergo their own metamorphosis of thought and spirit as they work to accomplish set goals. The intensity of the experience leads participants to realize new potential and discover resources within themselves and each other.

Program Dates for 2010: June 27 through August 6.

US Social Forum

Venturers, here's a great opportunity to connect with people of all ages seeking to build a movement and create social change!

US Social Forum
June 22-266, 2010
Detroit, Michigan
Registration now open!

The US Social Forum (USSF) is a movement building process. It is not a
 conference but it is a space to come up with the peoples’ solutions to the 
economic and ecological crisis. The USSF is the next most important step in our
 struggle to build a powerful multi-racial, multi-sectoral, inter-generational,
 diverse, inclusive, internationalist movement that transforms this country and
 changes history. We must declare what we want our world to look like and we 
must start planning the path to get there. The USSF provides spaces to learn 
from each other’s experiences and struggles, share our analysis of the problems 
our communities face, build relationships, and align with our international 
brothers and sisters to strategize how to reclaim our world.

You can register as an individual or as a group, propose a workshop/presentation, or request a visa to attend here.

Global Pulse 2010

Stay tuned for Global Pulse 2010 — an unprecedented online brainstorming event launching March 28th @ 7 p.m. New York Time.

For three days, Global Pulse 2010 will bring together thousands of socially-engaged individuals and organizations from around the world to discuss how to help better our world and communities. Via IBM's "Jam" solution, you can share your ideas — and collaboration with others — on 10 hot-button issues.

Don's Net Café --Finalist in the @15 Community Impact Challenge

Introducing Don's Net Café from Santa Barbara, CA. Don's Net Café is one of the 15 finalists in the @15 Community Impact Challenge.




Dons Net Café is a group of high school students based at Santa Barbara High School founded seventeen years ago, when the group’s teacher and an IRS agent started a Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (V.I.T.A.) free tax site. They were the first high school to ever be issued an Electronic Filing Number (EFIN) from the IRS. This year, they were recognized by the Los Angeles branch of the IRS as the "best (VITA) tax site in the nation." In addition to running a free tax preparation site however, Dons Net Café runs a number of programs to help the environment, such coordinating beach cleanups, graffiti removal, and an extensive electronic waste recycling program.




If selected as a challenge recipient, Dons Net Café would use the grant to supply their VITA site with supplies and maintain the professionalism of their services. As a high school with little resources, there are not enough basic supplies such as ink and paper for printing out tax forms to meet the demand of all the community members who wish to utilize them. Dons Net Café would use any additional money to expand their services to members of their local community college and parents of students at other local schools, as well as provide food and other basic necessities for underprivileged employees of VITA.












Between March 15-April 2, 2010, you get to decide which five of the 15 finalist teams of young social entrepreneurs will each receive $5,000 and which five teams will receive $1,500 each to expand their local ventures. So be sure to cast your vote on at15 between March 15 - April 2, 2010.

T.G.I.F. – Turn Grease Into Fuel--Finalist in the @15 Community Impact Challenge

Introducing T.G.I.F. – Turn Grease Into Fuel from Westerly, RI. T.G.I.F. – Turn Grease Into Fuel is one of the 15 finalists in the @15 Community Impact Challenge.




T.G.I.F—Turning Grease into Fuel, a project of the Westerly Innovations Network, aims to recycle used cooking oil into biodiesel to help heat needy peoples’ homes through the harsh New England winters. Instead of other expensive and fossil fuel-emitting alternatives, TGIF promotes bio-fuel. They have worked with various biodiesel companies to create a sustainable system: TGIF signs up restaurants to give them used cooking oil, restaurants process the oil and donate a portion to local charitable agencies, which then distribute the oil to the families for heating assistance. With sixty-five restaurants from two states and eight towns participating in the project, TGIF can generate 30,000 gallons of biodiesel per year. They have so far distributed 3,000 gallons of Bioheat® to three local charitable organizations and helped more than two dozen families by providing them with emergency heating assistance.




If selected as a Challenge recipient, WIN and TGIF would be able to increase the reach of their oil recycling program and help communities in other towns establish their own student community service teams to spread their project. Such activities require funding for extensive campaigning and advertising. To expand the reach of their residential oil recycling program, TGIF would use the funding to install 5 more waste cooking oil receptacles. In addition, TGIF would target fundraising savvy and locally connected Parent Teacher Organizations, traveling around New England to present the project to PTOs and explain the benefits.














Between March 15 - April 2, 2010, you get to decide which five of the 15 finalist teams of young social entrepreneurs will each receive $5,000 and which five teams will receive $1,500 each to expand their local ventures. So be sure to cast your vote on at15 between March 15 - April 2, 2010.

AYFEEO--Finalist in the @15 Community Impact Challenge

Introducing AYFEEO from Bellevue, WA. AYFEEO is one of the 15 finalists in the @15 Community Impact Challenge.




Inspired by the realization that not every child has access to the basic school supplies necessary for education and desiring to give back to their community, AYFEEO is comprised of high school students who run back-to-school supply drives to ensure that every child in the Greater Bellevue area – impoverished or not – has an equal, fair opportunity to learn and succeed in school. Locally, AYFEEO hopes to grow to completely supply elementary school children in the Greater Bellevue Area, and internationally, they hope to fund teaching salaries and school supplies in Guatemalan villages. Since its founding this past summer, AYFEEO was able to supply about 100 local elementary students and donate supplies and $750 to the Guatemalan village of Sarstun.




If selected as a Challenge recipient, AYFEEO would expand their organization by including members of other middle and high schools within their school district. By expanding to encompass every major high school in our district, we would be able to include and involve more of our peers in creating change within our community and abroad. As a result of having multiple “chapters” with separate budgets, AYFEEO would be able to hold multiple simultaneous drives and fundraisers as opposed to being able to hold a single drive at a time. With the increased funds, AYFEEO could not only raise more awareness locally about the need for equal educational opportunities and collect more supplies, but they could also broaden their efforts internationally and pay for a teacher’s salary in Sarstun for a year












Between March 15-April 2, 2010, you get to decide which five of the 15 finalist teams of young social entrepreneurs will each receive $5,000 and which five teams will receive $1,500 each to expand their local ventures. So be sure to cast your vote on at15 between March 15 - April 2, 2010.

Young Entrepreneurs of Canada: Inaugural Youth Social Entrepreneurship Conference re:Vision

On March 27-28, 2010, YSEC is bringing together the top 100 young changemakers in Ontario to re:Vision change.




Do you fit the follow criteria?


1) Are 17-34 years old


2) Have previously demonstrated leadership


3) Are committed to making a living while making change




Over two days, you’ll connect with leading experts in social enterprise and learn how to supercharge your initiative, harness innovation for your work, and make your projects sustainable.




At re:Vision 2010, you’ll:

• Learn to align mission & sustainability


• Target root causes and systemic solutions


• Participate in a community of thought leaders & practitioners

Register here.

121 Reach--Finalist in the @15 Community Impact Challenge

Introducing 121 Reach from Alpharetta, GA. 121 Reach is one of the 15 finalists in the @15 Community Impact Challenge.




121Reach is a tutoring organization in which high school tutors mentor middle-school-aged tutees. Through a one-to-one mentoring system, high school tutors not only help students with their studies, but also guide them through one of the most difficult periods of their lives.




121Reach was started to tackle education at a time when most kids view learning as a burden rather than a privilege. By providing free academic support to middle school students, 121Reach solves the problem of high tutoring fees while also creating an environment for uninhibited learning. Through the course of the program, tutees and tutors build lasting relationships that allow tutees to not only improve their academics, but also to gain a positive influence on t heir lives. Since 121Reach’s founding in 2008, they have impacted over 200 kids in their community.




If selected as a Challenge recipient, 121Reach will use the additional funding to enrich tutoring for each tutee through field trips and other interactive academic resources. They will also capitalize on the scalability of the program model and work to open new chapters of 121Reach across the nation.









Between March 15-April 2, 2010, you get to decide which five of the 15 finalist teams of young social entrepreneurs will each receive $5,000 and which five teams will receive $1,500 each to expand their local ventures. So be sure to cast your vote on at15 between March 15 - April 2, 2010.

Woofin & Hoofin --Finalist in the @15 Community Impact Challenge

Introducing Woofin & Hoofin from Wheaton, IL. Woofin & Hoofin is one of the 15 finalists in the @15 Community Impact Challenge.





Woofin & Hoofin is a non-profit association run by Glenbard West High School students who combine their passion for running and love of animals to host 5K races and donate the proceeds to local animal shelters and organizations such as the Human Society to combat animal cruelty. After hosting their first 5K and one-mille “Doggie Dash” June 2009, Woofin & Hoofin raised over $5,000. After the race, the non-profit gathered their procedures and advice gathered to author a guide to hosting a 5K, now free online (woofinhoofin.org/page9.php) and currently being used by 5K directors in across the US and in Honduras. Also wanting to help other young people make a difference, they recently ran a nonprofit workshop at the local high school.




If chosen as a Challenge recipient, Woofin & Hoofin hopes to increase their efforts in regards to the education of future leaders and non-profit planners by holding frequent seminars at local high schools help other Woofin & Hoofin groups get started in other locations. Funds will allow for the organization to provide further resources to groups using our guide, even including some small loans to groups to help with initial start up costs. They would also expand their local race, possibly increasing the frequency of the 5K and further deepening their connections with animal shelters to develop a more diverse approach to the eradication of animal cruelty.















Between March 15-April 2, 2010, you get to decide which five of the 15 finalist teams of young social entrepreneurs will each receive $5,000 and which five teams will receive $1,500 each to expand their local ventures. So be sure to cast your vote on at15 between March 15 - April 2, 2010.

SeniorLink--Finalist in the @15 Community Impact Challenge

Introducing SeniorLink from Newton, PA. SeniorLink is one of the 15 finalists in the @15 Community Impact Challenge.




In today's world, there exists an unfortunate “digital divide,” a chasm that hampers or prevents communication between senior citizens and their children and grandchildren, one that isolates elders in nursing homes and retirement communities who are away (both physically and emotionally) from their families. The members of SeniorLink believe that by educating senior citizens in the field of modern technology, one can effectively bridge the digital divide and in doing so, reintegrate them into the families and society in which they long to belong. As a registered 501c3 non-profit, SeniorLink has served senior citizens residing in two nursing homes/retirement communities in Bucks County, Pennsylvania: teaching typing skills to residents and helping send emails to family members. They have collected over 100 computers via donations from the community, as well as 10-20 printers.




If selected as a Challenge recipient, SeniorLink would fund its current national expansion venture, through which high school and middle school students all over the country would be able to establish their own local SeniorLink chapters. Once local chapters are established throughout the country, SeniorLink will have the potential to reach hundreds and perhaps thousands of senior citizens, seniors who may have always desired the ease of communication that comes with computers, but may never have had the time to learn. There are many beneficial externalities that will result from such an expansion, including a positive sustainable use for used computers, and a general sense of community cohesiveness that many areas lack, especially intergenerationally. To do such a thing, funding would be used to refurbish SeniorLink’s website, print and distribute local chapter application information and refurbish computers.










Between March 15-April 2, 2010, you get to decide which five of the 15 finalist teams of young social entrepreneurs will each receive $5,000 and which five teams will receive $1,500 each to expand their local ventures. So be sure to cast your vote on at15 between March 15 - April 2, 2010.

Minga--Finalist in the @15 Community Impact Challenge

Introducing Minga from Newton, MA. Minga is one of the 15 finalists in the @15 Community Impact Challenge.





Minga is an organization founded by high school students that is widely recognized for their work in spreading awareness about child prostitution and the global child sex trade in media outlets such as NYTimes.com, the Boston Globe, and Time Magazine. Through film, media, clubs, public speaking, outreach and partnerships Minga has reached thousands of teens and has stimulated public critical reflection about the roles that children play in society. It has revealed how their over-sexualized image helps perpetuate their exploitation. Additionally, through fundraisers such as a “Don’t Pimp My Ride” car wash and road trip and online awareness campaigns, Minga has fundraised over $75,000 to build a rehabilitation center for exploited children in the Philippines and support a rehabilitation center in Boston.




This year, Minga will inspire 1,000 young people to take actions that raise awareness about the child sex trade in their communities. If selected, Minga will use the funds to make this goal a reality by speaking to 5,000 youth directly and reaching another 2 million youth through public service announcements. Currently, the Child Compact and Protection Act is in the House of Representatives. This bill aims to address child trafficking worldwide, and acknowledges that ending the child sex trade begins with preventing youth from becoming involved. Minga plans to work on becoming a part of this bill, and working with the federal government to ensure every child in the U.S. learns about the child sex trade. Supported by Challenge funding, their "Let's Get Real" campaign encompasses speaking engagements, club chapters and PSA programs. They also plan to build their network through both online and offline projects.











Between March 15-April 2, 2010, you get to decide which five of the 15 finalist teams of young social entrepreneurs will each receive $5,000 and which five teams will receive $1,500 each to expand their local ventures. So be sure to cast your vote on at15 between March 15 - April 2, 2010.

Listen Up! – A New Initiative of Lil's MDGs--Finalist in the @15 Community Impact Challenge

Introducing Listen Up! – A New Initiative of Lil's MDGs from Derry, NH. Listen Up! – A New Initiative of Lil's MDGs is one of the 15 finalists in the @15 Community Impact Challenge.




Lil’ MDGs is a non-profit with chapters of students passionate about international development worldwide, who’s mission is to leverage the power of the Internet and digital and social media to educate, engage, empower, and inspire children to help meet the United Nations Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). They have been recognized internationally countless times for their efforts, most recently by the United Nations as the best practice in e-content and technological creativity, demonstrating young people’s potential to create outstanding digital content and serving as a platform for people from all UN member states to work together to meet the MDGs.




Listen Up! is a new initiative of Lil’ MDGs to help children between the ages of 5 – 10 understand the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) through a series of real-life movies, animations, songs, and games. While the animations and many of the lyrics will be conceptualized by Lil’ MDGs, the organization will use funding from the Challenge to work with previously identified professionals and recording studios to develop the songs and animations. These will then be will included on the website so young children can have fun while learning about important issues that affect both their local and global communities. The creations will also be made available on YouTube for easy viewing and on CDs/DVDs as appropriate to schools and libraries to make it available to a larger audience.










Between March 15-April 2, 2010, you get to decide which five of the 15 finalist teams of young social entrepreneurs will each receive $5,000 and which five teams will receive $1,500 each to expand their local ventures. So be sure to cast your vote on at15 between March 15 - April 2, 2010.

Lincoln Climate Action Club--Finalist in the @15 Community Impact Challenge

Introducing Lincoln Climate Action Club from Woolwich, ME. Lincoln Climate Action Club is one of the 15 finalists in the @15 Community Impact Challenge.




Chloe Maxmin started the Lincoln Climate Action Club (CAC) as a way to raise awareness and share her interest in the fight against global warming with her peers. Over the years, CAC has started a no-idling policy in the school parking lots; collected batteries and ink cartridges for recycling; sold town-wide reusable bags; and visited local elementary schools to educate younger people about the effects of global warming. Club members are highly active in the community, participating in energy audits, speaking at local conventions, and giving presidents about eco-awareness at community venues and other local schools. With such widely successful initiatives as their reusable bag campaign, CAC has garnered substantial media attention from outlets like the Sundance Channel and heightened eco-awareness in their school and wider community.




If selected as a Challenge recipient, Lincoln CAC will work on an initiative focusing on power consumption awareness by purchasing Google Power Meters to distribute to local businesses and their school. The club will also install two solar panels on the roof of their school, a central meeting place for their town. Through helping the community measure and reduce power consumption, the CAC will set an example for their town as a whole to kick start a large scale renewable energy campaign within the community.














Between March 15-April 2, 2010, you get to decide which five of the 15 finalist teams of young social entrepreneurs will each receive $5,000 and which five teams will receive $1,500 each to expand their local ventures. So be sure to cast your vote on at15 between March 15 - April 2, 2010.

Hives for Lives--Finalist in the @15 Community Impact Challenge

Introducing Hives for Lives from Devon, PA. Hives for Lives is one of the 15 finalists in the @15 Community Impact Challenge.







Hives for Lives is a company that sells honey and donates the proceeds toward cancer research. Founded by Molly and Carly Houlihan in memory of their grandfather who passed away from esophageal cancer, these two young beekeepers started Hives for Lives in order to raise money and join the fight to eradicate cancer. With the help of other kids who volunteer their time and expertise tending the hives and bottling and selling honey, Hives for Lives works with local beekeepers across the country and sells their products in stores like WholeFoods. To date, they have donated over $160,000 (about 25,000 jars of honey sold!) to regional cancer centers such as Mayo Clinic and St. Jude’s.




If chosen as a Challenge recipient, Hives for Lives would use the funds to increase honey production and sales in order to raise more funding for cancer research. On the wholesale end, the company would investigate more honey distributors and attend trade demonstrations to spread their brand and increase wholesale sales. In terms of retail, Hives for Lives will use the funding to build more hives, especially at a local zoo in order to educate more youth about beekeeping.











Between March 15 - April 2, 2010, you get to decide which five of the 15 finalist teams of young social entrepreneurs will each receive $5,000 and which five teams will receive $1,500 each to expand their local ventures. So be sure to cast your vote on at15 between March 15 - April 2, 2010.

Film School 101--Finalist in the @15 Community Impact Challenge

Introducing Film School 101 from Los Angeles, CA. Film School 101 is one of the 15 finalists in the @15 Community Impact Challenge.




Driven by a lifelong passion for filmmaking, Brian Montgomery started Film School 101 after his school lost its Film Department funding. As club dedicated to helping young filmmakers produce short films by funding the Film department, Film School 101 raises money through holding two film screenings of by new and upcoming filmakers every five weeks. While the first screening brings in studio executives who share film knowledge and critiques with students, the second screening sells tickets for a larger audience. Throughout the years, Laces Film School 101 has been credited by many community members as helping give the push needed for a student to develop their passion for film.




If chosen as a Challenge recipient, Film School 101 will use the funding to get more professional equipment, have larger screenings, provide more scholarships for graduating film club students to attend film school, and expand the club’s activities and membership across the city. Professional equipment will allow the club to give students a better “hands-on” feel of what they will work with in their future film careers while larger screenings will enable increased outreach to other students. Ultimately, funding will support expansion and quality of what the club offers, helping Film School 101 gain a reputation as a great film program across the city.













Between March 15- April 2, 2010, you get to decide which five of the 15 finalist teams of young social entrepreneurs will each receive $5,000 and which five teams will receive $1,500 each to expand their local ventures. So be sure to cast your vote on at15 between March 15 - April 2, 2010.

Eye for the Future--Finalist in the @15 Community Impact Challenge

Introducing Eye for the Future from Piscataway, NJ. Eye for the Future is one of the 15 finalists in the @15 Community Impact Challenge.




Inspired by scenes of child poverty and lack of education in India, Malvi Hemani began EYE for the Future, a youth non-profit with over 13 chapters at different schools in New Jersey. With the belief that it is possible to change the futures of underprivileged children “in the blink of an eye” if one has the passion to do so, EYE for the Future has held numerous fundraisers such as walk-a-thons, and raised over $17,000 since its founding.




If selected as a Challenge recipient, EYE will continue working toward its goal to impact at least 20,000 children by 2011 by funding their pursuits of education and building at least one school, library, or computer lab. They will put the funds to their current project, building a computer lab with the Helen Keller Institute and Ratna Nidhi Trust for blind children in India. EYE and Ratna Nidhi Trust are splitting the costs of the lab, funding 25 computers with specialized Braille programs.













Between March 15-April 2, 2010, you get to decide which five of the 15 finalist teams of young social entrepreneurs will each receive $5,000 and which five teams will receive $1,500 each to expand their local ventures. So be sure to cast your vote on at15 between March 15 - April 2, 2010.

Everybody Dance Now--Finalist in the @15 Community Impact Challenge

Introducing Everybody Dance Now from Santa Barbara, CA. Everybody Dance Now is one of the 15 finalists in the @15 Community Impact Challenge.





Everybody Dance Now! (EDN!) uses hip-hop dance to create positive outlets for at –risk youth in Santa Barbara. They have offered free, high-quality dance programs to over 750 underprivileged children and teens in Santa Barbara County, holding 11 weekly classes in Santa Barbara and 4 weekly classes in Menlo Park and East Palo Alto. Founded by a 14-year-old inspired by the expressive and creative power of dance in 2005, EDN! provides a creative alternative and outlet for at-risk teenagers, service learning through outreach performances, cultural diversity and education through international dance classes, and pre-professional dance exposure.




If selected as a Challenge recipient, EDN! would better serve the middle school students in Santa Barbara, students at a critical age facing many important life choices and different pressures, by offering programs directly on middle school campuses. EDN! will additionally increase the number of teaching locations among all Santa Barbara schools, increasing their reach to more students at risk of joining gangs. EDN! would potentially also create a more sustainable business model by offering fee-based dance and service-learning for students who can afford them, generating the income to support work in the community when grant money runs out.












Between March 15 - April 2, 2010, you get to decide which five of the 15 finalist teams of young social entrepreneurs will each receive $5,000 and which five teams will receive $1,500 each to expand their local ventures. So be sure to cast your vote on at15 between March 15 - April 2, 2010.

Empower Our Youth--Finalist in the @15 Community Impact Challenge

Introducing Empower Our Youth from Wellesley, MA. Empower Our Youth is one of the 15 finalists in the @15 Community Impact Challenge.




Having enjoyed the sense of self-confidence and empowerment practical self-defense had given her in high school Thuy Pham was surprised to learn that a very small number of schools in Massachusetts offered them. None of these schools are in inner-city districts, where there are the highest chances of females facing date rape, altercations, and domestic violence.




Concerned by this fact and wanting to share the benefits of such a class to these populations, Thuy started Empower Our Youth, a non-profit of teens working together to help other teens. It seeks to provide self-defense and self-esteem building classes to public schools, especially inner-city schools, in hopes of preparing all students with the life skills to safely approach and overcome any dangerous social situation in their future. In addition to organization members who give presentations about sexual violence to female students in different local schools, Empower our Youth has also set the foundations for seven different schools to integrate full self-defense programs into their fitness departments by next year. Since its founding, Empower Our Youth has funded self-defense classes in a number of different schools, impacting over 400 female and male students and empowering females for a lifetime.




If selected as a Challenge recipient, Empower Our Youth would fund more self-defense classes to additional inner-city schools in Massachusetts, and possibly expand to schools outside of the state. The organization would also utilize film and online media websites to present a documentary on the positive impact of EOY’s self-defense classes ultimately spread general awareness about the prevalence of sexual violence against women.








Between March 15 - April 2, 2010, you get to decide which five of the 15 finalist teams of young social entrepreneurs will each receive $5,000 and which five teams will receive $1,500 each to expand their local ventures. So be sure to cast your vote on at15 between March 15 - April 2, 2010.

Drinking Water for India--Finalist in the @15 Community Impact Challenge

Introducing Drinking Water for India from Plainsboro, NJ. Drinking Water for India is one of the 15 finalists in the @15 Community Impact Challenge.




A 5013c non-profit, Drinking Water for India run by a group of students at Princeton Day School seeking to bring safe, clean drinking water to villagers in India by installing tube wells in rural communities. Concerned by the disparity in the ease of gaining drinking water between the US – where one just has to turn on a faucet – and India – where villagers often walk for miles to reach a water source, Drinking Water for India is driven by the desire to provide the right of clean water to everyone. To date, they have built 17 wells in rural India (with another 5 wells in progress!), helping over 30,000 villagers.
Each well provides clean drinking water to an average of 1,800 villagers for over 10 years. They have also involved 11 schools in the US in their cause (with approximately 200 students involved), spreading empathy for the hazards of unclean water that Indian villagers have to endure among students.




Drinking Water for India would use the Challenge grant to build 3 more tube-wells in rural India and expand their mission from just building wells to supporting Rainwater Harvesting. These would be implemented in 5 different regions in India where the organization has already built tube wells. As the rainwater collects, it eventually drips down to the water table underground, and replenishes the supply of the nearby well and other existing water sources. As such, the new Rainwater Harvesting initiative would also ensure that farmers of the villages have better crops.









Between March 15-April 2, 2010, you get to decide which five of the 15 finalist teams of young social entrepreneurs will each receive $5,000 and which five teams will receive $1,500 each to expand their local ventures. So be sure to cast your vote on at15 between March 15 - April 2, 2010.