Light Up Your School in Pink & Blue!
By Kaylen Mallard

I know you've seen them; those motivational posters that exist in practically every classroom. One of them reads: "Knowledge is Power." Though cliché, it’s true. Knowledge is power, especially knowledge about our health, and how it can affect the future health of our babies.

As youth, you have the power to educate yourselves and your community about this connection. An excellent way to wield your power is by participating in our Light Up Your School in Pink & Blue contest.

Lighting up your school doesn’t have to mean pink and blue light bulbs casting a glow on the math classrooms. It can be an internal lighting with balloons or a sea of pink and blue T-shirts. The key to a successful lighting is the message accompanying the colors. Public service announcements about premature birth and healthy lifestyle choices, school assemblies and lighting ceremonies involving health messages are what really drive school lightings.

Make “Knowledge is Power” something more than what is on a poster in home room. Enter our Light Up Your School in Pink & Blue contest and make an impact. To enter you must fill out an entry form and be a member of Facebook®. The grand prize is $1,000 and the satisfaction of having successfully empowered yourselves through education. Happy lighting!

It’s fall! And that means Prematurity Awareness Month is fast upon us. In November, you may be speaking frequently about the March of Dimes. Here are a few speaking tips to get your message across. Hopefully the mnemonic device will help you recall the information quickly!

The mission of the March of Dimes is to improve the health of babies by preventing birth defects, premature birth and infant mortality.

Developments. The March of Dimes funds scientific research that has led to breakthrough developments, such as surfactant therapy and the call for regionalized NICU's (neonatal intensive care units).

Involvement. The March of Dimes is a volunteer-driven organization. Youth advance the mission through fundraising, awareness activities and educating their peers on why smoking, drinking, improper diet and lack of exercise may affect their future families.

Moving and Shaking. The March of Dimes lobbies for state and federal legislation that impacts child and maternal health, such as smoking cessation, S-CHIP and newborn screening.

Education. The March of Dimes educates women of childbearing age on various preconception, pregnancy and post-pregnancy concerns. It also educates youth on the importance of healthy lifestyles, and the general public on how infant health affects the U.S. as a society.

Service. The March of Dimes offers direct service programs such as NICU Family Support® and an online community to meet the emotional needs of families experiencing premature birth or birth defects at shareyourstory.org.  
 

Every Baby Has a Story ^SM

Help us celebrate all babies... those born healthy and those who need our help to survive and thrive.

Visit Every Baby Has a Story to tell us your story! And look for the Story Bus in your area; it's making 16 stops in 4 weeks!

Know a business or community leader who has partnered with youth in advancing the cause of service-learning? Nominate them for a State Farm Service-Learning Champion Award.

Find the nomination form here. Perhaps someone in your community has been a champion for babies and helped the March of Dimes through service learning!

Due: Dec 1, 2007

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