YES has got some awesome projects in the works for the 2010-2011 year - check it out to see how you can be involved! The main ones are...
Congregational call-down: Over the past few weeks, YES members have been in the process of calling all the congregations in our district to make a connection to DREs, youth advisors, and youth. We especially wanted to find out what we could do to help congregations that have traditionally been less involved with PNWD youth programming take full advantage of all the opportunities at the district level.
How you can help: If there is something you would like to see the district do or improve regarding the needs of your congregation's youth group or program, talk to a YES member. We want to know how we can help, and it would be great to hear it directly from the youth, since we've mostly been talking to DREs and advisors on our calls.
Spirit Corps: This fall con, we'll be seeing some improvements to Spirit Corps, including a more active and defined role for process observers and color-coded energy maps to track how the atmosphere in the various "hang-out areas" changes over time. Sound cool? Come to con to see it in action.
How you can help: Sign up for Spirit Corps, of course! It's loads of fun, and you get to help strengthen the awesomeness that is the con community!
Social action project 1: In light of the UUA (national) focus on immigration justice and the recent decision to hold the UUA General Assembly 2012 in Phoenix, Arizona as a "Justice GA", we'd love to do an immigration-related, district-wide social action project; perhaps applying for UUA
grant money as needed. It would be a great way to build PNWD youth interest in attending GA 2012. We are presenting this idea to the University Unitarian Church youth group as an option for this year's SPAG theme, but if that doesn't work out, we'll look to other possibilities.
How you can help: Educate yourself on immigration issues (this piece by UUA President Peter Morales is an interesting place to start) and look into attending General Assembly. We'll let you know more ways you can help with this once we figure out what the project is going to look like.
Social action project 2: Our idea is that every youth group that wants to participate will organize a showing of The Laramie Project (a film about Matthew Shepard, a gay man who was killed in 1998 in Laramie, WY, a victim of hate crime) at their church. The movie showing would be a fundraiser for an appropriate charity (TBD) and would take place in February in honor of Valentine's Day and the right of all people to love whomever they choose, regardless of gender.
How you can help: Spread the word in your youth group and throughout the district and spearhead a showing in your congregation! We will soon be providing resources to help you start organizing.
This blog! We're planning to have two posts per month, one by a YES member and one by another PNWD youth.
How you can help: You're already contributing to the blog just by reading it (thank you). If you want to help even more, spread the word - tell your youth group, Facebook friends, parents, DREs, etc to check out pnwdyouth.blogspot.com. In addition, if you have an idea for a post, let us know!
Hope you all are having a great start to the school year, and I look forward to seeing you (or meeting you, if I haven't yet) at fall con!
In faith,
Sonrisa Alter
YES Co-chair
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