Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Back to School with YUGA!

What does "Back to School" mean to you? ... Back to homework? ... Practice for sports teams? Hopefully, back to school means back to YUGA, too!

Many of our YUGA Chapters across the country are dusting off their toolkits and getting ready for another year of projects, events, fundraisers, and workshops about global issues. As voted upon at YUGA Camp, our current campaigns are Global Poverty, Climate Change, Child Exploitation, HIV/AIDS, and Because I Am a Girl. Visit the YUGA Website to download all of our toolkits and get ideas for your next YUGA meeting here!

YUGA at Cranston East High School didn't waste a moment before getting their chapter moving. Their first meeting started with an icebreaker about AIDS, followed by a discussion about the issues they wanted to address throughout the year.

Cranston East also participated in Plan UK's A Hand in my Future campaign, collecting pictures of hands with a message about the importance of youth in decision-making. Says 16-year-old Colette from the UK, "A Hand in My Future is about reminding decision-makers that children and young people have the right and the ability to make a difference to the significant development issues that will affect the next generation’s future.” View a selection of the hands they collected, and visit their website to read more about their campaign!

Their YUGA meeting ended with a plan to collect cans at their school's football game. "Not only our we helping the environment," says Luis, "but we're also able raise money by personally bringing the cans to the recycling plant." A great way to fund raise, raise awareness of environmental sustainability, and have a great time, too!
Above, Cranston East YUGA members promoting recycling at the football game!

For ideas or help with your YUGA meetings, contact Corrie at corrie.bonham@planusa.org- and come to the next YUGA New England meeting on October 17! 11:30-1:30 at the Plan USA Office, 155 Plan Way, Warwick RI 02886. We'll be discussing plans for the year, activities for your YUGA chapter, and get updates about what's been going on at YUGA Centeral!

No comments:

Post a Comment