Empowering Youth to Serve

On Monday Jan. 18, 2010, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, the Newberg High Green School Leadership Class implemented a Newberg Clean up Day at Ewing Young Park. The students in actuality created three different projects which all happened during the week of MLK Jr. Day. The Clean up Day was the project which involved the most people. On that day 145 people, ages 5-60 pulled invasive species and picked up trash around the park for 3 hours. Throughout the rest of the week, the other two projects ran a food and household items drive to benefit Henderson House and an animal food drive to benefit the Humane Society.

The students envisioned, created, and implemented these projects with the support of a HandsOn Americorps Member. The Americorps member began by facilitating a discussion around the issues the students saw in the community and a brainstorm of potential projects. Through one class session a week for six weeks, the Americorps member gave students tools and support, including management of all volunteers, for creating successful projects. She also attended a kick-off assembly and a wrap up social celebration for the Green School.

For the next semester the Green School Leadership Class will be picking one project to work on, most likely a return to Ewing Young Park, and then will split up into groups to work on different aspects of the project: marketing, working with the Parks Department, etc. The Americorp Member will attend one class session a week again to bring training, logistical support and volunteer management to the students.

If you would like to bring a Volunteer Leadership Training and other technical supports to the young people with which you work (not limited to schools) to help them create their own successful volunteer projects, please contact your Americorp representative at HandsOn Mid-Willamette Valley.

Marion County: (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) (503)363-2651

Polk County: (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) (503)363-1651

Yamhill County: (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) (503)363-1651

Check out our Photo Gallery of Youth Service Projects

Haitian Relief

As the Haiti recovery efforts intensify, HandsOn Mid-Willamette Valley, as a part of the HandsOn Network continues to structure its efforts for maximum impact, realizing that recovery and restoration will be an extremely long-term effort, with different skills needed at different times along the way. Please visit the HandsOn Network’s page on Haiti to see what they are currently working on.
HandsOn Network