Amazing Kids! is proud to highlight the Amazing Kids! of the Month!

Each month, we showcase kids who are accomplishing amazing things.  We hope that by telling their special stories, we will inspire other kids to accomplish their own amazing achievements. 

"I was amazed by the achievements of so many young people, many times much younger than I was.  It seemed as though some kids, barely teenagers, had already accomplished more than some people would in a lifetime!" 

These future leaders are members of the Global Youth ACTION Network, an international group of young people in over 100 youth organizations dedicated to promoting greater youth engagement and giving a voice to the youth of the world, and the Youth Action Council, the organization's U.S.-based network of young people.

Read about the dynamic Youth Action Council in a story below written by one of the amazing youth leaders of the Youth Action Council, Goutam Jois, age 19, a student at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C.-- and maybe you will want to get involved too!

Singer Jewel's Message for Young People on the GYAN website!

Don't forget to check out the special message on their home page (http://www.youthlink.org/) from the singer Jewel to all young people who are trying to make a difference in their communities!

Global Youth Action Network "Take Action" logo!

Check This Out!

Find out how you can apply for a $1000 award for your own community service-oriented project!  Or sign up to be one of the student leaders on the Youth Action Council.  If you love helping make a change in your community, and want to make sure adults understand the needs and concerns of young people today, then be sure to visit their website, http://www.youthlink.org/ to find out more.  Sign up today, and who knows?  You may just become a future leader of your community, your state, or even your country!

As someone once said:  "You never know until you try..."  So what are you waiting for? Time to take some action! 

About Global Youth ACTION Network (Worldwide)
About Youth in Action (U.S.)
Message from Goutam Jois, age 19, National Youth Action Council Leader
Your Chance to Speak Up Too!
Global Youth ACTION Network Links
Contact Information

About Global Youth ACTION Network
(Reprinted from permission from the youthlink.org website: http://www.youthlink.org/)

The Global Youth ACTION Network is an international collaboration among youth and youth-serving organizations to share information, resources and solutions. Its purpose is to promote greater youth engagement. The GYAN creates the opportunity for every young person to be heard, leverages their voices to impact national and global agendas and provides tools, recognition and financial support for youth who take positive action to improve our world - community by community. 

About Youth in Action
(Reprinted from permission from the youthlink.org website: http://www.youthlink.org/)

Youth in Action is the US network of the GYAN with more than 100 youth organizations working to build voice and recognition for young people. In 1996, thousands upon thousands of youth were surveyed to create the National Youth Platform of the United States and two non-partisan youth conventions were held partner to the democratic and republican conventions where youth presented their National Youth Platform to the presidential candidates. The process was repeated this year. See the executive summary of the Foundation of America: Youth in Action.

About Youth in Action
a message from Goutam Jois, age 19
National Youth Action Council leader

The Youth in Action campaign was first launched in 1995 as part of an integrated effort to improve youth engagement and recognition across America's communities.  For the past six years, the campaign has had the goal of creating support and recognition for the diverse values, ideas, and solutions of youth.  In 1996, Youth in Action sponsored the first-ever National Youth Conventions.  Held concurrently with the Republican and Democratic Conventions in San Diego and Chicago, these non-partisan events gave young people from across the country a mechanism to voice their concerns and solutions for America to national and political leaders.

 The following year, Youth in Action created the National Youth Action Council.  The Council served to advise Youth in Action on its direction and also to highlight and represent the 1996 National Youth Platform, the tangible product of the work America's youth had done at the Conventions.  Finally, and most important, Youth in Action began giving out $1000 Youth in Action Awards to young people that initiated positive change in their communities.  The National Youth Action Council determined the criteria and recipients of these awards.

 Over the next four years, Youth in Action expanded the National Youth Action Council, distributed a Youth Action Guide (based on the 1996 Platform), and awarded over $60,000 in Youth in Action Awards.  In 1999, National Youth Action Council members with President Bill Clinton at the White House and proposed a permanent youth advisory component to the Office of the President.

 In 2000, Youth in Action again sponsored two National Youth Conventions.  Hundreds of young people attended in Philadelphia and Los Angeles to draft the 2000 National Youth Platform.  Youth in Action received financial support from the Pew Charitable Trusts, Carnegie Corporation of NY, Higher Ground for Humanity, and Prodigy Communications LP, among others.  Media coverage included USA Today, CNN, NBC Nightly News, and MTV.

 I got involved with the National Youth Action Council in February 2000.  I became involved with the council through my earlier involvement with the YMCA of the USA at the national level.  One of the people I was working with at the time gave me some information about Youth in Action, and I was immediately interested in the tremendous opportunity the council offered to reach out to a broad range of young people across the county.  From the time I began working on the council, I was amazed by the achievements of so many young people, many times much younger than I was.  It seemed as though some kids — barely teenagers — had already accomplished more than some people would in a lifetime!  

 I began to appreciate another aspect of the work I do during the National Youth Conventions.  Here, I met interested, eager youth from Philadelphia and Los Angeles — but many times, they were unsure as to how they could get involved in their communities.  It was tremendously rewarding to see that the work that I was doing as part of the Council was enabling other young people to get involved in similar pursuits and to make a difference in their communities.

 I hope to continue with this type of work over the next few years.  After my three years of service on the council, it is my intention to stay involved in organizations or jobs that will allow me to reach out to young people and recognize or enable their community service and activism.

The National Youth Action Council is currently accepting applications for vacancies on the council.  Also, encourage all active young people to apply for the $1000 Youth in Action Awards.  Applications for both can be found online at http://www.youthlink.org/ .  The deadline for this year's council applications is May 1, 2001.  The deadline for award applications is March 31, 2001.

Contact information:

Goutam Jois, 19
National Youth Action Council

Georgetown Univ., Box 577541
Washington, DC 20057-7541
(202) 784-7889
goutam@youthlink.org

Speak Up!  You (yes, you! ) can have a chance to voice your opinion and be heard in the next National Youth Platform!  Follow this link and answer the questions to make your voice heard: http://www.youthlink.org/gyanspeakup.html

To read a copy of their 2000 National Youth Platform, download the Word document from the youthlink.org website at: http://www.youthlink.org/NationalYouthPlatform2000.doc

Global Youth ACTION Network Homepage
http://www.youthlink.org/index.html

More about Global Youth ACTION Network and Youth in Action (The USA Network of the GYAN)
http://www.youthlink.org/gyanaboutgyan.html

Youth in Action $1000 Campaign link:
http://www.youthlink.org/gyantakeaction.html

List of Global Youth ACTION Network and Youth in Action programs:
http://www.youthlink.org/ourprograms.html

FOR MORE INFORMATION: 

Global Youth ACTION Network
211 E. 43rd St., Suite 905
New York, NY 10017
United States

tel: +1 (212) 661-6111
fax: +1 (212) 661-1933

General Questions:
gyan@youthlink.org

Youth in Action and Foundation of America

Mr. Peter Raducha, Executive Director 
Foundation of America,
Youth In Action Campaign 
43-D Malaga Cove Plaza, 
Palos Verdes Est, CA 90274 

Telephone:
1 (310) 373-3359 

E-Mail: peter@youthlink.org