Welcome to Ashoka's Youth Venture on Squidoo!
It is clear that any young person who has an idea for improving his or her community, leads a team, launches a venture and contributes something lasting will emerge transformed from such an experience. Young "Venturers" will know that they are capable of leading and creating change, and it is likely that they will take initiative again and again over a lifetime.
Youth Venture inspires and invests in teams of young people to design and launch their own lasting social ventures, enabling them to have this transformative experience of leading positive social change. Started in the US, Youth Venture is now expanding internationally. As we invest in Venturers around the world, we are beginning to connect them into a powerful global network.
Our Venturers start businesses, civil society organizations and informal programs that address all kinds of social issues, including poverty, health, the elderly, the environment, education, diversity issues, and the arts. Youth Venture helps our Venturers through this process of designing and launching their ventures, providing guidance, how-to's, and a process for designing and pitching a venture idea.
When the Venture team is ready to launch, Youth Venture offers:
* Seed funding of up to $1,000
* Guidance, tools and support
* Allies who provide advice, mentoring and expertise
* A supportive network of fellow Youth Venturers
* Identity as part of movement toward youth-led social change
After the team has launched, Youth Venture works to stay continually involved with the team. Youth Venture also connects Venturers into a fellowship of like-minded young people, helping them see that they are part of something bigger, catalyzing a movement of youth-led social change. This website will help us with our mission of building a global community of Venturers.
Introduction to Youth Venture
The Faces Behind Youth Venture
Humahuaca, Argentina
The members of Basura Verde Proyecto En Accion (Green Trash Action Project) stand at the entrance of their town's local dump. Moved by a school project on the environmental impact of open-air trash dumps, leaders Ayelen and Florencia (front right) began a campaign to recycle all reusable goods in their high school. Next, they began recruiting volunteers to spread this message throughout their small town of Jujuy province, located just miles from the Bolivian border. They are now lobbying city and state government officials to remove and retrofit the current dump site to meet environmental safety standards. Their multi-faceted approach is a prime example of how young people are not only fixing immediate problems, but working to change actual policy in an effort to break damaging cycles in society.
Kyle Taylor, Reprinted Digital Print, 2007© Kyle Taylor 2008
The Faces Behing Youth Venture
Delhi, India
Following a major government decision that angered a majority of young people in India, Ishita realized there was no outlet in her country for young people to express their views on political issues. Believing the only way to have a significant impact was to build strength in numbers, she launched Youth Parliament, a national network of young leaders who could teach, educate and inform government officials on the views and opinions of India's 300 million young people. With more than 500 youth educators across India, Youth Parliament has become one of the country's largest direct advocacy organizations for young people, helping to fight stereotypes of Indian youth while simultaneously giving their generation a more powerful voice in how their country is managed.
Kyle Taylor, Reprinted Digital Print, 2007© Kyle Taylor 2008
The Faces Behind Youth Venture
Hanover Park, South Africa
Fatima, Gershin and Edwina peer stand tall in the field of their high school, where they have become youth leaders of CASE, an organization aimed at curbing gang violence in Hanover Park, known as the most violent place in the World. Through peer mentoring and after school programs, CASE is building a force of youth leaders who do regular community outreach to save kids from being pulled into a gang as well as assist those who want out. Refusing to give in to the gang's constant attempts at fear and intimidation, these young people literally risk their own safety every single day with the goal of saving someone else's life.
Kyle Taylor, Reprinted Digital Print, 2007© Kyle Taylor 2008
Youth Venture Links
- Flickr Youth Venture Photos
- View more Youth Venture pictures and stories.
- Youth Venture Web Site
- Learn more about Youth Venture.
Youth Empowerment in the News
- Orji commends Globacom's youth empowerment initiative
- The state government, through the Ministry of Youth Development, will ensure that youths drawn from the 17 council areas of the state benefit from the ...
- Youth ministry, partners set to okay new youth policy
- Sheriff ML Gomez observed that youth empowerment is his ministry's priority. According to him, the issue of illegal migration among the youths is a big ...
- President Mills receive commendation for investing in Ghanaian youth
- ... has demonstrated its commitment for youth development, creating opportunity for youth empowerment politically, academically, economically and socially. ...
- Nigeria: Bilateral Agreements - Minister Seeks Youth Inclusion
- Nassarawa State Governor, Aliyu Akwe Doma, in his speech said the state had embarked on various programmes meant for youth empowerment especially training ...
Youth Empowerment Reading Recommendations
Ashoka on Squidoo
Ashoka is the world's leading community organization of over 2,000 social entrepreneurs. We champion the newest and most important social change by supporting the entrepreneurs behind the ideas. Ashoka helps these innovative individuals jump start their ideas, grow, collaborate and succeed.-
Ashoka: Innovators for the Public
-
By helping social entrepreneurs across the globe, Ashoka drives social change. Ashoka supports the long-term solutions for every large-scale issue. From youth empowerment in India and Brazil to community development in Poland, Ashoka is there to supp...
