My Eleventh Newsletter
18 April 2001
In the past few weeks I have had the very good fortune to attend in
Denver a pre-conference on youth leadership and a conference on
service learning where I met and have heard vital speakers on
service, advocacy, activism and global concerns. In subsequent
newsletters, I'll report further but allow me to share a few tasty
snippets from lectures and conversations with incredible youth
leaders, great authorities, and terrific activists.
At the pre-conference hosted by Youth Service America
(http://www.ysa.org/ "YSA"), the co-host ( along with the National
Youth Leadership Council -"NYLC"-http://www.nylc.org/) of the 12th
Annual National Conference on Service Learning, I watched an array of
youth from 12 through their 20s gather together in "open space"
workshops to define, learn, understand and posit resolutions to many
issues that adults still haven't truly contended with.
"Service learning" is defined by the NYLC as: "a method of teaching
that enriches learning by engaging students in meaningful service to
their schools and their communities. Through careful integration with
established curricula, lessons gained from hands-on service heighten
interest and enhance academic achievement, service-learning is a
proven key to educational reform that also makes significant
contributions to community development."
From this very large conference (3000 educators and administrators,
incredible youth leaders, foundations and organizations in the area
of youth service), I heard
Then this week, Professor Henry Louis Gates, Jr. gave the Jean and
Irving Stone Lecture at UCLA on the creation of the valuable Encarta
Africana, an almost century old encyclopedic endeavor first imagined
by W.E.B. DuBois in 1909 and finally here. A comprehensive and
growing CD-ROM and book on the world of black history and culture
in-depth from Africa to North America, Latin America, the Caribbean,
and Europe that it behooves all of us to use to understand even more
fully a major portion of the global culture and achievements that
make all of us who we are today. Check out
http://encarta.msn.com/products/info/Africana.asp#prod_desc and
sample its information on Africana.com http://www.africana.com/ .
Where do all of these terrific meetings, lectures and examples meet?
All in the name of increasing our knowledge and our opportunities for
knowledge and betterment of each other throughout the world. This
is what we need demand of ourselves and of everyone to whom we listen
and discuss the concerns of our lives.
My plea, however: that all of these efforts clearly include
education as to the importance of politics. Too often educators,
foundations and others view an awareness of "politics" as a risk,
resulting in potential "uprisings" or youth activating in ways
contrary to the policies and interests of school boards, communities
or funders. They are wrong.
A last comment: when so many youth are gathered together along with
so many in powerful positions to support, why isn't media there? I
am told, "media doesn't cover conventions and conferences such as
this." Why not? When media runs to report the latest school
shooting - less today than at any time in years according to all
studies - why can they not be there for the stories and interviews of
the incredible youth I met in just these few days? We need to let
our print and broadcast media know that we want these stories.
For those new to this newsletter, I am the author of TEEN POWER
POLITICS: MAKE YOURSELF HEARD, a new issue-oriented book for young
Americans on civic and political activism. Engagement is integral to
our democracy and youth and young voters - citizens and residents
already - definitely have the voice, power, intelligence, sense of
justice, passion and energy to give the benefit of their
participation right now! My website http://www.teenpowerpolitics.com
and this newsletter provide updates on current issues along with
resources for change.
HERE'S WHAT WE'LL TALK ABOUT IN THIS NEWSLETTER:
A. Three Important Happenings This Weekend.
A. THREE IMPORTANT HAPPENINGS THIS WEEK!
1. EARTH DAY - April 22, 2001! It's not too late to do something! Check out
resources at http://www.earthday.net/ and a series of articles on
traditional to radical activism in "Happy Earth Day"
http://www.alternet.org/wiretapmag/
2. On Friday, April 20, THE CAMPAIGN TO DEFEND AMERICA'S ENVIRONMENT
will be announcing itself as a part of the Earth Day events! The
campaign is a non-partisan coalition of American's leading
environmental organizations (including Defenders of Wildlife, Natural
Resources Defense Council, U.S. Public Interest Research Group, and
the League of Conservation Voters) formed to protect 30 years of
environmental progress.
3. NATIONAL YOUTH SERVICE DAY April 20 and 21! I spoke about this in
my Seventh Newsletter
(http://www.teenpowerpolitics.com/newsletter7.html). Organized by
Youth Service America (http://www.ysa.org) and the National Youth
Leadership Council, along with Parade Magazine and 65 other national
partners, three million youth and adult volunteers around the country
will join in service to their communities and their world. It's not
too late to join in. Just remember that the efforts made on days such
as this can continue throughout each year.
For ideas or to tell the world about your projects:
B. MORE CURRENT NEWS AND CONCERNS
1. Zero Tolerance - I keep talking about this issue. While some
schools and communities are applying their tests more rationally, yet
others are increasing their fearfulness and here are two articles to
think about.
2. Elections. The Spring cycle is still ongoing. Many local
elections are still to be held and in cities like Los Angles, runoffs
will beheld in June for the Mayor of one of our nation's largest and
most diverse cities. We must never forget to get involved, voter or
no, in these "local" elections and remember that the even larger
federal ones loom always.
3. Media Literacy and youth activism - in "Violent 'Times' ", an
April 17th article in the Village Voice
(http://www.villagevoice.com/issues/0115/ladd.shtml), Donna Ladd
reports on the attempts of Youth Force, a group of South Bronx teens
who advocate responsible coverage of teens to be taken seriously
(they were not) by the New York Times in terms of its reporting on
youth violence, specifically their coverage of the Santee shootings.
4. Parent Power. Parents as well as teachers are realizing that
standardized testing and the necessary preparation for such testing
are not answers to better quality education. Read (a) Kate Zernike's
April 13 NYTimes article," Top-Scoring Suburb Set to Boycott Tests
New York Imposed.' Even though their children are high scoring,
many parents in Scarsdale, NY are holding their children back from
school to boycott and make the statement that these tests interfere
with true education.
http://www.nytimes.com/2001/04/13/nyregion/13WEST.html and (b) a
related article, " High-stakes test prep robs the three R's."
http://fyi.cnn.com/2001/fyi/teachers.ednews/04/17/test.preparation.ap/index.html?s=8
C. MAKE YOURSELF HEARD! OPPORTUNITIES FOR INVOLVEMENT
1. Well of course, National Youth Service Day and Earth Day this weekend!
D. YOUTH ACTIVISM
Rowlett, Texas. At a population of 47,000 it is the second fastest
growing municipality in Dallas County. The mayor is 29 years old (25
or so when he was first elected) and now, Kenneth Surgenor, age l9
and an Eastfield Community College freshman, is running for a City
Council seat, the youngest ever to run. Concerned with the negative
stereotype of youth, he's got the answer: that it's time for youth to
stand up and let their concerns be known. To those who claim he's
inexperienced, he says "Inexperience is only a hindrance if you let
it be." and reminds that many who run for office are new to the
experience as well. And he's been political since he was in
elementary school!
Kenneth says that age doesn't permit one to be a bystander. Although
he knows that his chances of being elected are slim (he doesn't have
the money, support or time to run a full campaign and he's against
two opponents), he's definitely in there, proposing the formation of
a separate school district for Rowlett (now served - often not well -
by the overcrowded Garland district from which he just graduated);
setting up crime prevention committees within the many Rowlett
subdivisions; stressing continued communication between neighbors,
neighborhoods and the council to increase community and governmental
involvement with one another; and supporting his school bond
proposals with projections of increasing community-based business
development and job opportunities.
And he's encouraging youth to get out and vote. Whether or not they
vote for him is not as important to him as the fact that they "just
do it."
I've enjoyed interviewing Kenneth and will try to report upon his
success in the May 5th election. Whether or not he becomes a
councilman, Kenny advises me this will certainly not be the last time
we hear about. Check out
http://www.dallasnews.com/metro/rockwall-rowlett/335087_surgenor_11roc.html
E. SEVERAL RESOURCE ARTICLES I AM READING
a. The Electronic Policy Network's articles on their featured
members, a large listing of policy-making organizations dealing with
issues of today. The full list is at
http://www.epn.org/members/members1.html
Check out TEEN POWER POLITICS: MAKE YOURSELF HEARD and its companion
website, http://www.teenpowerpolitics.com. TPP was written as a guide
and a tool for activism. If ever that tool was needed, it is now.
Again, please let me know of a concern or activity you would like me
to tell others about. And send this on to others and suggest that
they e-mail me if they would like to be added to this list (or if
they wish to be removed).
Thanks for taking the time to read this! If you received this twice,
please let me know as I refine my list.
Sara Jane Boyers
1. Earnest and active educators speak about how civic education and
service can become pro forma in our schools from kindergarten on.
From Sen. John Glenn: "Service learning can be used as a source of
literacyŠ civic literacy."
2. Students from schools with advantage AND from many schools
without, speaking of deeds small and large in service and activism,
reaffirming that we only have to let others know of the deeds to open
the floodgates to engagement;
3. The need to understand service as an EQUAL partnership between
those better advantaged and those less so, the benefits not just
traveling one way.
4. The necessity of understanding the global ramifications of civic
engagement and from Kumi Naidoo, CEO of Civicus
(http://www.civicus.org), on the challenge of governance today: how
elected governments and citizens (definitely including youth!) SHARE
RESPONSIBILITY in the structures that they form.
5. Jonathan Kozul's strong admonitions that we understand how
education is still not serving our nation's children when schools are
so unequally supported.
6. Strong definitions (to be discussed in a later newsletter)
contributed in an energetic workshop of educators and activists of
what civic engagement really means, what it promises and what it does
for our society.
Knowledge of government and the ways in which things get done
must be taught hand in hand with service. It is an essential element
of the tool box of "civic literacy" and the "risk", if there is any,
must be taken if our goal is to turn out true citizens who are
concerned for what is happening in our world. We must confront and
educate about ALL the alternatives out there for youth to use to
engage themselves and others. They are already doing so and the many
stories I hear inspire optimism and a sense of security that if many
more are aware of what youth is now doing and can do even better and
in larger numbers, then there is a chance for all of us.
From TEEN POWER POLITICS (pg. 86): "The bottom line: If you
want to make a change for yourself and those you care about, or if
you want to preserve what's now that you like, then you must do
something Š.. government can't or won't solve all the problems. Some,
although significant to us, are too small for government to deal
with. Voting, community service, and activism are intensely
interrelated, and each can have a direct effect on the other. For
example, legislative policy can add or deny support to a social
program. Community and social work can carry out the goals of major
legislation."
Check out Bill Alexander's article in Youth Today, " Youth
Organizing Comes of Age"
http://www.alternet.org/wiretapmag/story.html?StoryID=10682
B. More Current News & Concerns.
C. Make Yourself Heard! Opportunities for Involvement
D. Youth Activism
E. Resource Articles That I Am Reading
a. It was an Earth Day recycling demonstration she attended
when she was 12 that inspired Laura-Beth Moore to successfully fight
to bring curbside recycling to the entire city of Houston, placing
her on its waste management board when she was 15! Check out my
profile of Laura-Beth on page 23 of TPP.
b. Buy Green! Check out the Utne Green Marketplace,
especially their "Top 5 Earth Day Picks."
http://utne.greenmarketplace.com/greenmarket/index.html?siteid=[siteid]&cart=9876031361003904
a. The website, http://www.defendenvironment.org/ , will launch
tomorrow (Thursday) April 19th. And watch NBC's The Today Show on
Friday morning (the 20th) as children from schools across the country
present their fellow students' letters asking President Bush to take
whatever steps necessary to continue to protect the environment.
Joined by major celebrities, the kickoff will continue at 11:15 -
12:00 PM at Manhattan's Earth Elementary School.
b. I have been asked to be part of the outreach of this important
coalition as we join together to speak on behalf of our children and
future generations in protecting our environment and the species who
inhabit it. This is true whether we are speaking about the Arctic
Refuge (more below), poor workplace conditions affecting our nation
or world's workers and families, or environmental justice where
polluted rivers or air condemns our children so often in
disadvantaged areas.
Tom Soto, a great environmental activist in California so
aptly says, "I often cite Cesar Chavez as one of our nation's first
'real' environmental activists. He saw something that no one else
cared to see: That poor workplace conditions not only contribute to a
poor spiritual environment, but also contribute to poor health
conditions and poor environmental quality. What is bad for grapes is
most likely bad for us, our children and our unborn."
I urge you to check out the defendenvironment website, sign
the petition and keep in continual touch with respect to these issues
in the coming years.
c. To help you determine your own views with respect to this
environmental campaign:
(1) "Earth Last" on American Prospect for a view of how the
approach to the environment is being politically manipulated today.
http://www.prospect.org/webfeatures/2001/03/sobel-l-03-21.html
(2) "Where's Ralph?", a discussion of what the various
coalitions, the Campaign one of them, are doing under today's
administration. http://www.salon.com/politics/feature/2001/04/17/environment/index.html
(3) Kim Murphy's Los Angeles Times article (16 April)
reporting on two varying views in two towns most affected by renewed
drilling in one of the energy target areas, the Arctic Refuge, "2
Villages, 2 Views of the Dynamics of Oil" http://www.latimes.com/news/nation/20010416/t000032313.html
(4) Today's Washington Post article, "Bush to Keep Lead
Emissions Rules Decision on Clinton Policy Follows Flak on Other
Environmental Issues" documenting the effect of citizen organized
efforts on the administration's decisions: "The announcements were
part of an environmental makeover Bush has undertaken in the
aftermath of a ferocious reaction by environmental groups and foreign
governments to a number of his early environmental decisions."
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wpdyn/articles/A288562001Apr17.html?GXHC_gx_session_id_FutureTenseContentServer=10df818efc747c66&referer=email
c. Also check in regularly to the Center for Environmental
Citizenship http://www.envirocitizen.org/ . For young people from
high school through college, their EarthNet newsletter, training
academies and standards for accountability by our elected
representatives on environmental issues are valuable tools to join
with and use in the complex decisions we make on the environment.
http://www.SERVEnet.org or email nysd@ysa.org. If you received
Parade in last Sunday's newspaper, check out their cover story with
great examples of youth activism and service and ways in which you
can be involved.
a. From the April 8 NYTimes, "Zero Tolerance Policies Change Life at
One School", where the journalist returns to his high school to
comment on the changing times.
http://www.nytimes.com/2001/04/08/living/08HIGH.html?pagewanted=all
b. From Salon.com, "The White House reportedly plans to frisk
toddlers. [at Easter celebration]".
http://www.salon.com/politics/red/2001/04/13/blue/index.html
a. The Nation has set up a comprehensive electoral reform website at
http://www.ips-dc.org/electoral/.
b. A comprehensive article in American Prospect by Joshua Green upon
the effects of the 2000 census and redistricting and how this will
affect elections from 2002 on.
http://www.prospect.org/print/V12/7/green-j.html
Armed with a serious study the 16-18 year-olds conducted from
January through March 2000 of the 93 articles on teens in the NYTimes
(I HIGHLY recommend that you download the report from the article,
"In Between The Lines: How The New York Times Frames Youth"), the
teens protested the continual negative reporting especially about
youth of color and the narrow presentation of incarceration as the
only solution. Read this article, the report and examine ways in
which all of you can present to the media effectively ways to change
their coverage. Media can be receptive if enough of you can frame
the issues of concern as effectively as Youth Force.
a. Check out the teens' partner in the study, WE INTERRUPT THIS
MESSAGE http://www.interrupt.org, a "national non-profit media
strategy and training center dedicated to building capacity in
grassroots and public interest organizations to conduct traditional
media work as well as to reframe public debate and interrupt media
stereotypes."
b. Read Mairone Daniels' very thoughtful WireTap essay, "The Violence
Will be Over-Televised"
http://www.alternet.org/wiretapmag/story.html?StoryID=10740
2. Digital High, "a teen e-zine, owned by KnightRidder.com, which is
completely written, designed, and edited by youth" is looking for
writers and editors. http://www0.mercurycenter.com/digitalhigh/biz/freesignup1.htm. They want professionally crafted stories and editorial standards (worth
looking at for any article you write or edit) and they pay! "We seek
to express honest voices and concerns rather than prepackaged
bubble-gum content from 40-something "youth" editors. Our writers are
smart, cutting-edge, worldly--and passionately devoted to expressing
our point of view. "
3. The National 4-H Council is full of activism ideas that go way
beyond the cornfield. They keep an informative monthly calendar of
events in youth service and activism, grants and awards opportunities
and resources at
http://www.fourhcouncil.edu/Market/whatsnew/resources/. For a
listing of great surveys and reports on youth and youth & family
issues:
http://www.fourhcouncil.edu/Market/whatsnew/resources/youthdev.htm#Surveys%20and%20Reports
b. A 2-part article on WireTap about the pros and cons of online
communities for youth Š and the involvement or non-involvement of
adults too. Start at
http://www.alternet.org/wiretapmag/story.html?StoryID=10644
sjboyers@teenpowerpolitics.com
http://www.teenpowerpolitics.com
TEEN POWER POLITICS: MAKE YOURSELF HEARD A Millbrook
Press/Twenty-First Century Book ISBN: 0-7613-1391-5, paper $9.95/ISBN
0-7613-1307-9 hardcover, $25.90
© 2001 Sara Jane Boyers