While every disaster is devastating, the response of ordinary people, particularly young people, has been inspiring. Often times, however, these young people have gone untapped as a resource when it comes to responding to disasters.

Through the Youth: Ready to Respond program, the Points of Light Foundation & Volunteer Center National Network is helping young people plan for and respond to the health, safety, and security concerns associated with natural and man-made disasters. Under the program, ten local partnerships are developing and implementing service-learning projects. The two-year program is funded by Learn and Serve America.

The local partnerships are:

• Eureka Senior High School/Volunteer Center of the Redwoods, Eureka, CA
• Los Angeles Unified School District/Volunteer Center of Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA
• Orange County Department of Education/Volunteer Center Orange County, Santa Ana, CA
• School District of Manatee County/Volunteer Service of Manatee County, Inc., Bradenton, FL
• Valparaiso Community Schools/United Way of Porter County Volunteer Center, Valparaiso, IN
• Carroll County Public Schools/Volunteer Carroll, Westminster, MD
• Reeths Puffer School District/Volunteer Muskegon, Muskegon, MI
• Grandview Heights Middle School/FIRSTLINK, Inc., Columbus, OH
• Defiance City School District/The Volunteer Connection for Defiance County, Defiance, OH
• Green Bay Area Public Schools/Volunteer Center Inc. of Brown County, Green Bay, WI

The program seeks will share what it has learned and developed with the larger service-learning community through resource materials and technical assistance conference calls.

Resource Materials
By the end of the year two, the Foundation will develop three publications that will be available to the broader service-learning community, including a Project/Curriculum Ideas publication, an Effective Practices publication, and a Homeland Security Issues Based Curriculum.

Technical Assistance Conference Calls
The Foundation will host up to two technical assistance calls this year for the broader service-learning community on issues related to homeland security service-learning projects.

For additional information on the program contact Nina Langlie at NLanglie@PointsofLight.org or (202) 729-8151.