Video Clip and Discussion Guide: Amanda Gorman, the U.S. Youth Poet Laureate, shared this poem "Earthwise" in 2018 on the stage in front of other climate activists. Through discussion, youth examine environmental stewardship and our role as caring citizens.
Being outside, caring for plants and animals, and conserving natural resources are often a young person’s first experience with environmental stewardship. Young people looking to a sustainable future may learn about the wonders of nature, aging water pipes, environmental contamination, plastics in the ocean, overuse of natural resources, and air pollution. This toolkit shares resources to learn, connect, and take action now as environmental stewards to assure a sustainable future in harmony with the gifts of nature.
Choose activities from nine categories to add fun and learning to your youth group! Learning to Give, in partnership with the Council of Michigan Foundations, developed this set of activities to support youth philanthropy knowledge, skills, and action. These videos, activities, ideas, toolkits, and discussion starters support a year of youth group philanthropy engagement.
To better understand what youth in the community care about, the youth group develops a survey to sample students at the local high schools. Survey participants identify the most pressing issues they feel are affecting youth. This helps youth grantmakers determine which grants to award to impact what is most valued by the youth in their community. This may also be used in pro-active grantmaking.
We are taught to love all humans and help others, but as a society we tend to be less empathetic when we come face-to-face with someone experiencing homelessness and poverty. Breaking the general stereotypes associated with homelessness and poverty with information and ideas may greatly help individuals who are experiencing such struggles. This toolkit provides information, activities, and resources to help youth use their voice, heart, and hands to take big and small actions for a meaningful purpose.
An important part of philanthropy is grantmaking, which is a gift of money to a nonprofit organization that is doing good things in the community. This guide defines philanthropy, the nonprofit sector, foundations, and grantmaking and then explores the purpose and parts of the grantmaking process.
