Youth Summit 2007
By Heather Tran-Son-Tay

The Youth Summit 0-0-7 at the March of Dimes Volunteer Leadership Conference was a blast! On October 18-21, new agents [code for youth volunteers] for the season were trained and sent off on their own respective missions to advance the mission of the March of Dimes in their schools, on their campuses and in their communities.

The three-day summit started with a Youth Rally on Thursday evening after a long day of lobbying. After getting pumped up for babies, 007 agents put on their game faces for an intense Color War: Red Team vs. Black Team. The Black Team emerged victorious, breaking the 18 point tie by guessing the amount of money it costs a family for a healthy delivery and hospital stay. According to March of Dimes literature, it costs approximately $1,700 for a normal hospital stay. Can you imagine how much it would cost for a premature birth and treatment of the baby in intensive care?*

Friday was filled with workshops about how youth can get involved with the March of Dimes and what the youth can bring to the table as well. We rounded out our day with a Marvelous Casino Night, filled with games, dancing and fondue!

Saturday marked the end of a fabulous training weekend together: After the Team Youth Awards breakfast and send-off, the final slide show reminded us of the great time we spent together and how TEAM YOUTH volunteers are making a difference in the lives of all babies!

*Average cost of a premature birth is $41,610.

The March of Dimes was founded in 1938 by President Franklin Delano Roosevelt. President Roosevelt encouraged everyone in the United States to send a dime to the White House to help fund the fight against Polio. The response was astounding; thousands upon thousands of dimes flooded the White House mailroom.

It was this idea of asking everyone to participate by simply giving a dime to the cause that made the March of Dimes succcessful and helped find a cure for Polio.

Now with Change for America's Babies, we have that same idea. Many of our partners are participating in this campaign to support the March of Dimes, including FBLA-PBL! While some groups might simply be satisfied with being the best, Arkansas FBLA has vowed to top their performance from last year.

The March of Dimes Arkansas Chapter invited FBLA club officers to attend a Change for America's Babies kickoff luncheon on October 21. At the luncheon the clubs shared ideas, were educated on March of Dimes programming opportunities and received awards for their outstanding success last year.

In his closing remarks, the FBLA Arkansas State President challenged each and every club to top their numbers from last year, and judging from the enthusiasm in that room, there is no doubt that they will do it! Building on past success, FBLA-PBL is poised to lead the efforts again this year. In the 2006 coin campaign, Arkansas FBLA-PBL led the way raising more than $40,000! FBLA chapters all over the state held penny wars, Jail and Bail events, and various competitions to keep the coins flowing in.

Nettleton High School received the Top Youth Fundraiser Award for their outstanding participation in the campaign, and the chapter was the top participant in the country.

So, what will you do to ensure Change for America's Babies? For more information on the Change for America's Babies campaign, please visit marchofdimes.com/change. 

Mile of Dimes®

One of the most interesting March of Dimes fundraisers is the MILE OF DIMES®! You can raise more than $9,000 for healthy babies and have a lot of fun along the way!

How can you do it? What supplies do you need? Get all the answers on the Team Youth Web site; then send us your story!

Teen Vogue and Lucky brand jeans present the “Sweet Charity Contest.”  The Dec/Jan cover girl will award one lucky winner $5,000 for her favorite charitable cause.

To learn more and enter, visit teenvogue.com

COSMOGirl! and Maybelline New York will award a $20,000 scholarship to one lucky girl for her efforts in making the world a better place.

For information on how to enter, check out the Dec 2007/Jan 2008 issue of COSMOGirl!

Do Something and GameStop have teamed up to award grants of $500 to anyone in the U.S. age 25 or under who has a great idea for a community action project. They fund a grant each week!

Talk to your local March of Dimes about your project idea (enter your ZIP code on the Team Youth Web site). Then apply online!

* March of Dimes Team Youth  * FBLA-PBL  * Key Club   
* Circle K   * Gamma Sig Sig   * Delta Sigma Phi
* America's Promise   * FCCLA
* Top Ladies of Distinction Top Teens of America * Healthy Teen Network