Stay in the Mix ...With Summer Service!

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Who: Nonprofit organizations -- and students -- throughout the United States
What: Sparking interest and generating commitment to service
When: This summer and year round
Websites: Youth Venture, Break Away, Do Something.org

Did you know...

• This year, about 30,000 students will take "alternative breaks" during spring and summer vacation to participate in student-led community service programs.
• Still, only 1 in 10 K-12 students perform community service during the summer.

Sources: National Center for Education Statistics and Break Away

Student Voices
Someone had posted a message on my high school's underground student website saying all mentally retarded people should be killed. In language reminiscent of the days of Hitler, the posting called mentally retarded people useless, and even a "plague."

Until I saw those words, I had never worried about what might happen when my little brother, who has autism, gets to high school. That one classmate's ignorance and intolerance nauseated me.

Although most people aren't hateful, I have noticed that a lot of people aren't aware of the issues faced by people with disabilities. In fact, many people don't even know what autism is. So, I decided to do something about it.

After recruiting my friend Rachel to help me brainstorm, we came up with a plan.

First, in order to promote awareness and tolerance of autism and other neurological disorders, we wanted to write and publish a series of educational, illustrated children's books about mental disabilities. We would present and donate these books to elementary schools in our area and give copies to the local library.

I saw a newspaper article about Youth Venture, which provides funding to teenagers who want to organize community service projects or start a business, I sent in an application and the organization accepted our idea!

Now, many months later, Rachel and I, along with several other friends, are able to achieve our goal.
-- Excerpted from Jessica Leving's essay, "Teen Launches Autism Awareness Project"

Discussion Questions

• What would you like to change or improve about your community?


• What steps could you take to achieve that change?


• What kind of difference do you think you can make?

Activity Ideas

• As a culminating activity to students' yearlong explorations with boundary-crossing, have students write a letter to their parents or guardians, explaining that they've been "mixing it up" all school year and have really enjoyed meeting new people. Students can ask parents to help them "stay in the mix" over the summer and provide some ideas on how they might do this. Work on the letters together in small groups, brainstorming ideas. (Grades K-7)
• When students think "summer job," cooking and serving fast food often comes to mind. Nonprofit organizations, however, often search for interns during the summer months. School counselors can help students investigate area nonprofits. Consider organizing a job fair for interested students. (Grades 8-12)
• Youth Venture helps students plan community-improvement projects for the summer. For particularly adventuresome students, suggest Break Away where students can organize a small group to travel and work in another community. The site offers a planning guide. (Grades 9-12)

Books in the Mix
Summer Opportunities for Kids and Teenagers ($30) offers information about community service projects as well as other learning experiences for summer vacation.
(All Grades) Peterson's Guides; ISBN# 0-768-91891-X

It's Your World -- If You Don't Like It, Change It: Activism for Teenagers ($8.99) invites students to change the world. Chapters include fighting racism, environmentalism, ending war, stopping HIV/AIDS and defending women's rights.
(Grades 7-12) Simon Pulse; ISBN# 0-689-87448-0