Happy New Year!

January is National Mentoring Month
For information on mentoring, visit this Web site: www.whomentoredyou.org.


Plea for photos for the YPII E-chronicle
The YPII E-chronicle is in need of new photographs of youth. Please email photos for which you have a photo release to sgeis@indianagrantmakers.org.


Great Grants/Super Service Activities & YP Jam '05
It is a perfect time to think about planning ahead for the summer YP JAM 2005 as you are getting involved in super service activities or awarding great grants. The YP JAM 2005 will be held on July 6th and 7th at Franklin College.

Each organization attending YP Jam 2005 is invited to present and share a story of the best grant funded or community service activity implemented.

Each group will need to create a display board with pictures and information and make a two minute presentation on the activity/grant. This is an opportunity for participants at the YP Jam to hear creative ideas from others all across Indiana... and beyond! YP Jam participants will select the "greatest grant/super service activity" and cash prizes will be awarded to continue future great works!

Last year, young people from South Madison County went home with a $500 prize to grant or invest in a worthy community cause. Funds were awarded on behalf of the Moore Foundation.

The YP Jam 2005 brochure will be available to download from the YPII Web site in late January or February.

New Web site Encourages Youth Volunteering
A new Web site, www.usafreedomcorpskids.gov, designed to show elementary and middle school students how they can start making a difference by volunteering is now available and includes resources, ideas, and information to help parents and teachers engage America's youth in their communities.

The Web site includes four sections:

• for kids (elementary school students)
• youth (middle school students)
• parents, and
• teachers

The site has volunteer ideas for youth, online games to show how volunteering can be fun and rewarding, service stories from the President and Mrs. Bush, and information on how to earn the President's Volunteer Service Award. The site also has Internet links to other Federal Web sites about volunteering and sites designed for kids and youth, information on how to contact the President and USA Freedom Corps, resources for parents to find service projects for their child, and information for teachers about how to bring service-learning to their classroom or school.

For more information: www.usafreedomcorpskids.gov.

Leadership Development and Asset Building in Faith Communities
The new issue of Search Institute's electronic newsletter focuses on engaging young people as leaders in their places of worship. A summary of topics included in the recent issue includes:

• Strategies for Strengthening Youth Engagement
• Understanding the benefits and power of engaging youth as leaders
• How to discern whether your congregation is ready for youth as leaders
• How to link youth leadership to rites of passage
• 10 tips for moving toward youth leadership in congregations
• Insights from Research
• Study participants believe youth service and leadership are lacking in congregations
• Assets in Action in Congregations: Youth Engagement
• How training youth as leaders and educating the congregation go together
• Engage young people to engage their families

See Search Institute's newsletter.

The Giving Book
A new book about giving was released in November. This book provides an exciting, interactive journey where children can understand more about the power of giving and philanthropy and create a scrapbook of their dreams and wishes for the world.  Visit the YPII Web site to learn more.

Ten Good Reasons to Volunteer
With January 17, 2005 being Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, (www.mlkday.org), now is a great time to be planning a "day on" volunteering. To learn more about Martin Luther King, Jr. Day and how you can volunteer, visit www.mlkday.org.

Volunteering allows you to:

1. Show that you can be responsible
2. Make a difference
3. Gain experience
4. Make new friends
5. See new places
6. Learn new skills
7. Have fun
8. Explore career options
9. Set an example
10. Educate others about causes you care about

A day of fun and learning for all middle school and high school youth and it's FREE!!

The Wayne County Youth Summit, planned by Youth As Resources of Wayne County youth board members will begin with keynote speaker Rick Stoddard from the Indiana Tobacco Prevention & Cessation agency and include multiple educational and motivation workshop sessions. Closing speaker, Dave Leedy, will deliver an enthusiastic, humorous and inspirational message aimed at motivating youth to get involved in their community and to make a difference. The day will end with a celebration of youth including music provided by a local DJ and social time.

Registration deadline - January 28, 2005

Contact Mary Jo Ward for more information.
Youth As Resources of Wayne County
765-939-1808
yarwayne@firstbankconnect.com

Please forward the E-Chronicle on to others or send e-mail addresses to us and we will see that they are added to our list. If you received this as a forward and want to be added to the list, please send a message to ypii@aol.com. If you no longer wish to receive emails from YPII, just send a message to ypii@aol.com.

For more information, contact:
Jerry Finn (812) 923-2065
The Youth Philanthropy Initiative of Indiana (YPII)
32 East Washington Street, Suite 1100
Indianapolis, Indiana 46204
317.715.6709, YPII@aol.com, www.YPIN.org

...growing lifelong philanthropists who give of their time, talent, and treasure for the common good.

Supporters of the Vision
Center for Youth as Resources, Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University, Clowes Fund, Community Foundation of Southern Indiana, Community Partnerships with Youth, Emmis Communications, Indiana Association of School Principals, Indiana Association of United Ways, Indiana Commission on Community Service and Volunteerism, Indiana Dollars for Scholars, Indiana Grantmakers Alliance, Indiana Humanities Council, Indiana Youth Institute, Indiana Pacers Foundation, Indiana Association of Cities and Towns Foundation, Indiana Youth Commission for Service and Leadership, Indiana Youth Services Association, Indianapolis Colts, The Jewish Federation of Greater Indianapolis, Legacy Fund of Hamilton County a CICF affiliate, Marion County Commission on Youth, The Mary E. Ober Foundation, Moore Foundation, Youth As Resources-United Way of Central Indiana, Youth Connections and 4-H/Youth Development.