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Community Awareness

Community Awareness

To take meaningful philanthropic or civic action in our communities, we must get to know our community resources and needs. These activities help us explore the strengths and issues that make up our community. Understanding your community nonprofits and other resources is an important step in making informed decisions as engaged and justice-oriented citizens.  

Explore and Address Community Issues 

These issue-area toolkits help youth explore the issues they have identified as areas of need in their community or what they care about. Each toolkit includes background on the featured issue, community connections, project ideas, and planning guides.

 

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 Get to the Root Activity

In this activity, participants use critical thinking to deconstruct an issue they care about. They identify a problem, explore the root causes and effects, and research who the experts and people most impacted are. This is a great way to build community, use creative expression, and come up with different approaches to collaboratively make a difference.

 

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Open Doors to Your Community

Get to know the nonprofits that address the unique needs in your community. Each "Open Doors to Your Community" guide is a virtual door that leads young people to the actual door with ideas for engagement and a brief video overview including:

  • the work of the organization.
  • the needs addressed.
  • the ways for youth to take voluntary action.

 

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Map Your Community Assets

This activity guide helps youth explore what is in their community and how people and organizations are connected. They map specific resources related to an issue they care about. They may already know their focus, or they can determine an area of interest through the activities about self-awareness here. 

 

View Guide

Community Awareness

To take meaningful philanthropic or civic action in our communities, we must get to know our community resources and needs. These activities help us explore the strengths and issues that make up our community. Understanding your community nonprofits and other resources is an important step in making informed decisions as engaged and justice-oriented citizens. 

Self Awareness

These resources help young people understand their own identity and who they are in relationship to others. Believing in the power of their own voices and actions is an important step in youth engaging responsibly in a diverse and interconnected community. 

Engaging Youth

Why do communities want to involve youth of all ages and life experiences as changemakers and leaders? Because we believe youth make us better. Learning to Give and the Council of Michigan Foundations are proud to share the following resources to help organizations welcome youth voice and action. We share best practices for quality and meaningful youth engagement of their time, talent, ties (network), testimony (speaking up), and treasure.