Youth Service
Which of the following is one of Youth Service's goals/purposes?
a. Help young people and democracy thrive
b. Create a culture of participation
c. Register & educate new, young voters
d. All of the above
All of the above!
In addition to helping young people and democracy thrive, creating a culture of participation, and registering and educating new, young voters, Youth Service urges young people to lead awareness, service, advocacy, and/or philanthropy projects to achieve global goals.
Jaylen Arnold, who was diagnosed with Tourette's syndrome, OCD, and Asperger's as a child, started the Jaylen's Challenge Foundation at just the age of 8 to inspire young people to stand up against...
a) Bullying
b) Peer Pressure
c) Discrimination in sports
d) Drugs and Alcohol
a is correct!
Because of his differences, Jaylen was often bullied by other students at his school. He decided that instead of fighting back, he could stand up for other children who are bullied because they are different. He started the Jaylen’s Challenge Foundation, a nonprofit that educates children across the United States about how they can prevent bullying.
When she was just 10 years old, Abigail Lupi founded the CareGirlz organization, which was made up of volunteers who...
a. volunteer at local animal shelters
b. helped immigrant children feel welcomed in their new schools
c. visit children's hospitals and assisted-living / nursing homes to spend time with children and elderly folks
d. give old / unused toys and clothing to children in homeless shelters
c is correct!
After visiting her grandmother in a nursing home, Abigail became aware of the loneliness many nursing home residents struggled with. To support and comfort these residents, she founded the CareGirlz organization. Volunteers sing, dance, and do other interactive activities at the sites that they visit. The organization went on to also serve children's hospitals!
What is March's National Day of Service?
Cesar Chavez Day
What is September's National Day of Service?
9/11
Roughly how many young people (ages 5-25) participate in community service?
a. Less than 5%
b. 10-15%
c. 20-25%
d. 40-50%
c is correct! Even though youth participation rates are near record-high levels, we’re still leaving 3 of every 4 young people out. Participation rates are even lower among youth from underserved, historically excluded low-income communities and communities of color.
Malala Yousafzai was born in Pakistan in 1997. At age 15, Malala was shot and nearly killed for speaking out in favor of what?
a. Freedom of religion
b. LGBTQ rights
c. Girls' rights to go to school
d. World Peace
c is correct! After speaking out for girls' rights to learn, Malala was shot in the head by a masked gunman on her way to school. She survived and decided to continue her fight for girls' and women's educational rights. She established the Malala Fund, a charity dedicated to giving every girl an opportunity to achieve a future she chooses. She received the Nobel Peace Prize in December 2014 for her efforts, becoming the youngest ever recipient of the prize at 17 years old.
Jazz Jennings, an advocate for transgender youths, and her family were first given a platform to speak about their experience when they appeared on whose TV show in 2007?
a. Oprah Winfrey
b. Barbara Walters
c. Whoopi Goldberg
d. Ellen Degeneres
b is correct!
Jazz's mother appeared on Barbara Walters' show in 2007 to talk about her daughter's journey as a transgender child. That same year, Jazz and her family established the Trans Kids Purple Rainbow Foundation to support other trans kids and their families. Jazz's foundation has raised over 100 thousand dollars and has helped almost 7,000 people.
Veterans Day falls in which month?
November! November 11th is Veterans Day.
What is January's National Day of Service?
Martin Luther King Jr. Day
Roughly what percentage of 18-19 year old first-time voters (people who were eligible to vote for the first time) voted in 2018 in the US?
a. 5-10%
b. 20-25%
c. 30-40%
d. About 50%
23% of eligible first-time American voters (18-19 year-olds), and only 28% of American 18-29 year-olds voted in 2018. But, things are starting to change as more young voters are voting. In 2020's presidential election, new voters between the ages of 18 and 24 accounted for 10% of the votes!
At 11 years old, Marley Dias was frustrated that most children’s books she saw didn’t represent the cultural diversity of herself or her peers. That’s why she decided to launch the #1000BlackGirlBooks Twitter campaign to collect and donate books that would help black girls feel seen. At the latest count, roughly how many books was Marley able to collect/donate?
a. 5,000
b. 8,000
c. 9,000
d. 13,000
d is correct!
According to her website, marleydias.com, Marley has collected over 13,000 books!
At the 2017 Forbes’ Women Summit, she said of her experience, “I’m working to create a space where it feels easy to include and imagine Black girls and make Black girls like me the main characters of our lives.”
In the Summer of 2016, a group of indigenous youth ran 2,000 miles, over 3 weeks, from North Dakota to Washington D.C. They brought a petition that protested the building of what on their native lands?
a. New highways
b. An airport
c. Oil pipelines
d. A nuclear power plant
c is correct!
The runners brought a petition with more than 140,000 signatures against the construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline. While the pipeline was still constructed, there are still many indigenous youth initiatives aimed at protecting native lands and water.
Here's an easy one!
True or False: National Days of Service are the only days on which it's important to contribute to a good cause.
Well, in our opinion, this is false!
National Days of Service are a great opportunity to draw attention to the work that so many people are doing each and every day. They're also a great opportunity to get involved if you aren't already. But every day is a great day to serve your community!
What was Veterans Day originally called?
a. Armistice Day
b. Fallen Warriors Day
c. War Heroes Day
d. None of these — it was always called Veterans Day!
a is correct!
Then US President Woodrow Wilson declared the very first 'Armistice Day' on November 11th, 1919. About 30 years later, it started to be commonly called Veterans Day.
"I have often said that every individual counts, every individual has a role to play, and every individual makes a difference. Global Youth Service Day proves it." Who said it?
a. Jane Goodall
b. Jimmy Carter
c. Michelle Obama
d. Ruth Bader Ginsburg
Jane Goodall said it! Jane Goodall, who started her career in environmental activism studying chimpanzees, founded the Jane Goodall Institute in 1977. She later founded Roots & Shoots, an organization dedicated to youths addressing environmental issues in their communities. The organization has local chapters in over 140 countries with over 8,000 local groups worldwide that involve nearly 150,000 youth.
At just 15 years old, Greta Thunberg started skipping school to demand that the Swedish government take stronger action against climate change. She went on to establish Fridays for Future, an international movement of students skipping school on Fridays in order to demand social/political action to address the climate crisis. In recognition of her work, Greta received which award in 2019?
a. Time's Person of the Year
b. Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Award
c. Nobel Peace Prize
d. All of the above
a is correct! Time magazine named her Person of the Year at just age 16.
After first learning about climate change, Thunberg became depressed and anxious for several years. When she started protesting, her parents did not support her activism. However her father said that he had to "respect that she wants to take a stand. She can either sit at home and be really unhappy, or protest, and be happy." She channeled all of her negative thoughts and feelings into something positive, and has contributed to a worldwide movement!
When she was just 5 years old, Sophie Cruz gained national attention after asking which public figure to advocate for undocumented immigrants in the US, like her parents?
a. Kamala Harris
b. Harry Styles
c. Leonardo DiCaprio
d. Pope Francis
d is correct! Here is a short passage from her letter:
“I have a right to live with my parents. I have a right to be happy. . . . Immigrants just like my dad feed this country. They deserve to live with dignity. They deserve to live with respect. They deserve an immigration reform.”
In honor of Nelson Mandela, South Africa's first president and an extremely important racial justice activist, Mandela Day is a National Day of Service in which month?
a. January
b. October
c. June
d. July
d is correct!
Starting in 2009, July 18th marks an annual celebration of Nelson Mandela’s life and a global call to action for people to recognize their individual power to" make an imprint" and change the world around them.
Random Acts of Kindness Week happens in which month?
a. January
b. February
c. October
d. November
February!
This year, at Kearny, students and staff celebrated RAK Week by writing thank you notes to our amazing lunch ladies! However, any month is a great opportunity to spread gratitude and kindness, so don't wait until next February to do so!
Youth Service America (YSA) is aiming to get 50% of young people involved in volunteer service and civic engagement by which year?
a. 2026
b. 2030
c. 2035
d. 2040
a is correct! Beginning in July 2021, YSA’s work is focused on increasing youth participation rates in volunteering and service, voting and civic engagement, and joining and leadership to 50% by July 4, 2026. YSA hopes to have 100% participation a decade later, so that no one is left out of participating in our democracy.
Minnesota Congresswoman Ilhan Omar is the first Somali-American and the first naturalized citizen from African to serve in the US Congress. Her daughter, Isra Hirsi, who is still only 16 years old, has led hundreds of youth strikes nation-wide to help address which two issues? (pick two)
a. Racial Justice
b. Immigration Policies
c. Climate Change
d. LGBTQ+ Rights
a and c are correct!
Driven by her identity as a Black Muslim woman in this work, Isra has been a longtime advocate for intersectionality and diversity within the climate justice movement.
She is the Co-Founder and Co-Executive Director of the US Youth Climate Strike. She led the organization of hundreds of strikes across the world on March 15th, which involved around 1.6 million students in over 120 countries leaving school to protest inaction against climate change.
Hirsi started her climate activism her freshman year of high school by joining her schools environmental club.
https://time.com/5554775/youth-school-climate-change-strike-action/
Param Jaggi is an inventor who is trying to change the world through his passion for environmentalism. When he was just 16 years old, he created the Algae Mobile, a device that...
a. uses algae to clean drinking water sources, like lakes and rivers
b. converts CO2 emissions from cars into oxygen
c. helps reduce carbon emissions from the ocean
d. turns algae into clean energy used for electricity and heating
Next month, in May, we will celebrate which National Day of Service?
a. Nelson Mandela Day
b. Join Hands Day
c. Ghandi Day
d. International Women's Day
b. Join Hands Day!
"A nationwide volunteer day to bring young people together with adults to create new and better relationships by working as a team within their own neighborhoods."
March 8th recognizes what?
a. Earth Day
b. International Sibling Day
c. International Women's Day
d. International Teachers' Day
c is correct!
International Women's Day takes place on March 8th and recognizes the social, cultural, political, and economic potential and achievements of women across the globe, as well as the work that is still to be done!