We have some AMAH-ZING news to share…
Fundación Neo Juventud is proud to announce that we have received a 2012 Starbucks Shared Planet Youth Action Grant from the International Youth Foundation.
Neo Juventud is among 19 youth-led projects to receive a 2012 grant award through the Starbucks Youth Action Grants program.
Our project entitled, “Design for Good,” was chosen through a competition established in 2008 by the International Youth Foundation (IYF) and Starbucks in order to make grants available to young leaders who have participated in YouthActionNet® fellowship programs. YouthActionNet® strengthens and scales up the impact of youth-led social ventures around the world. To learn more about the Starbucks Youth Action Grants program, visit their site.
I was lucky enough to be a 2008 YouthActionNet® Global Fellow as the founder of Starting Artists, Inc. where I met some of the most incredible and inspirational people in the world.
Design for Good is an incredible opportunity for the youth of Neo Juventud and for Palmar as a whole. I will be teaching teenagers how to provide creative services to local businesses in order to encourage community-based tourism to the area and to teach students how to be creative and entrepreneurial. The youth will receive training, stipends, and ongoing classes for a year and the businesses will benefit from printed materials, photography and video services, and web design. The students will even make Palmar’s first printed map and website.
I’ll be teaching everything from photography to video to graphic design just like at Starting Artists! Paul will teach business, entrepreneurship, and engineering basics. He’s especially excited to have a science club where students will conduct experiments in a fun environment.
We’re done with the construction phase of the physical Art & Design Center where we will teach all of these classes and now we’re in the middle of decorating (my favorite). At the end of the month we will host the Neo Juventud Halloween Party and then an official Grand Opening party in mid-November. I’ll be sharing lots of photos soon.