... a better tomorrow! by Tejas Jani

YGC Steering committee embarked on this journey a few months ago. The launch date was set, and though it seemed that it was questionable to meet our date, this team - that I am so humbled to be part of - made it happen. 

The orientation and the two days of the retreat were the most amazing experiences that followed! I have spent times leading sessions and in different meetings at work and in other leadership efforts, but it felt different being among the youth of our community. When I got in front of the YGC class of 2016 and asked "Hey guys, how are you all doing?", the whole group answered, "Great", and a voice from the class followed, "How are you doing?". You don't see that with the grown ups, I thought instantly. You don't feel that sense of genuine wonder, to know how am I really doing? Their presence was so genuine and unique that I was moved.

It started so many questions in my mind, seeing the young leaders around our community and their amazing thought process! We don't have to even direct them, we just have to open them up to the ideas of service to others, how to be a servant leader, teach them the concepts of leadership and humanity - put all this knowledge in the middle of the group; and they will take it, soak it all up, and do something totally unique with it. My parents and my sister are all in education industry, except me, and this all was made so clear to me in that moment, the amount of joy they must receive in giving the gift of knowledge to the young minds. 

I am beyond humbled by this experience. On one hand working with the most awesome team of YGC Steering committee, and the other hand seeing what these young leaders will do in the remaining six months through their journey, more importantly after these six months! Time will tell, but I am anxiously waiting and watching in the front row seat - imagining ... a better tomorrow!

Tejas 

Jessica Jackson- YGC Steering Committee Journey... So far :)

So what has my YGC journey been like so far? To be honest it's been a whirlwind but a fun one. With the steering committee I experience a phenomena I generally only have when working with youth, or meeting with a client as their therapist.  The phenomena is flow.  If you're not familiar with flow it's an incredible moment that many athletes call being in the 'zone'.  Positive psychologist Mihály Csíkszentmihályi defines the state of flow as "being completely involved in an activity for its own sake. The ego falls away. Time flies. Every action, movement, and thought follows inevitably from the previous one, like playing jazz. Your whole being is involved, and you're using your skills to the utmost."

With the YGC steering committee we are focused on the best interest of you, the participants in the program.  We our focused on our mission ' to teach young adults leadership skills and the importance of service and philanthropy'. The Steering Committee meetings are very productive and surprisingly fun, like so much fun that I look forward to our meetings. I feel a sense of community with the team we are on a journey together, we have mutual interests in youth, philanthropy, and enjoying this awesome journey of life.  I feel we understand and respect the unique viewpoint of each team member and we value the impressive contribution each one of us brings to the program. We are able to joke and banter and have an incredible time, all while accomplishing the objectives laid out for that meeting.  I'll be honest, for me a key selling point is that the group is comprised of some amazing bakerswho bring delicious baked goods and yummy coffee for me to devour... I mean savor.  I can truly say that being a part of YGC has been one of the most rewarding experiences I've had and I hope each one of you who pours into this program with your talents, openness, and valuable contributions completes this program with a similar sentiment.

Warmly,

Jessica Jackson

YGC Steering Committee Journey by Dr. Pennie Gray

To say the past few months have been a whirlwind would be quite an understatement! Since about mid-July, a team of incredibly dedicated, smart, and clever people have been working diligently to launch the inaugural program of YGC! These people constitute the Board of Directors of YGC, and I consider myself truly fortunate to count myself among them. I hope you will all be able to get to know your Board of Directors and see firsthand what it means to be a passionate, active, contributing member in this community. In fact, you’ll find that every adult connected with YGC is passionate about its mission, and each of us brings a unique talent to the leadership team.

In addition to putting in hundreds of hours planning YGC, we have also debated, collaborated, and come to consensus on myriad issues, guided always by the question, “What would be best for the participants?” Yes, some of the issues we grappled with were perhaps less important—Should we serve sandwiches or pizza?—but others carried considerable weight, like the high standards to which we hold you, the YGC Class of 2016.

You see, we truly believe in the incalculable potential you each hold: the potential to enact positive change in our community and in our world; the potential to lead others; the potential to develop collaborative, powerful relationships that accomplish more than any one of you might accomplish alone. And we believe in the potential of your accomplishments to ripple throughout our community and the world and leave both better for those who will follow. Welcome to each of you. May you find the coming months challenging, enlightening, and fulfilling. 

Bloomington-Normal non-profit "For A Better Tomorrow" begins effort to ready youth for a life of leadership

Bloomington-Normal non-profit "For A Better Tomorrow" begins effort to ready youth for a life of leadership

Bloomington/Normal, IL — September 27, 2015 – Local non-profit “For A Better Tomorrow” (FBT) will introduce the inaugural Youth Global Citizen (YGC) Class of 2016 at 4:30 p.m. on Friday, October 2, 2015 at the Normal City Hall located at 11 Uptown Circle. The group will include 19 diverse and talented local high school students. For a complete list of participant names visit:  tiny.cc/YGC15

The YGC is an eight-month experiential learning youth enrichment program that empowers young adults by imparting leadership skills and the importance of service and philanthropy. Over the length of the program, participants will experience five intense learning sessions and engage with two local and two international non-profit partners. This real-world collaboration will help them to gain greater understanding of the value of community-enhancing organizations.

Participants will also make a positive impact on the non-profits. Groups of five participants will be paired with the organizations and receive $1,000 in seed money to fundraise. FBT will match every dollar up to $5,000 the participants secure, meaning each organization could receive $10,000 or more toward philanthropic efforts. 

The Bloomington-Normal non-profits are Labyrinth Outreach Service to Women and the Promise Council. The international organizations include Aple Ghar and Sri Vidhya; both are non-profits in India that FBT has been providing support to for the past three years.

“The goal of this initiative is not only to benefit these young participants and these four organizations, but the communities they will serve throughout their lives,” said Tejas Jani, FBT Marketing Committee Chair. “These young, talented individuals have a lot to offer, and we are excited to be a part of their leadership journey.” Tejas Jani, FBT Marketing Committee Chair.”  

Learn more about YGC at: ForBetterTomorrow.org/YGC. Inquiries about the YGC event should be directed to Jani at tejasjani1@gmail.com.

About FBT 

The FBT non-profit organization is comprised of passionate and philanthropic global citizens and donors who seek to practice “accountable philanthropy through service and leadership.” The organization raises funds for non-profits to use for specific efforts that may sustain their impact on the citizens they serve. More than 99% of donations to FBT go directly to non-profit efforts, and FBT liaisons who partner with benefiting non-profits ensure that funds are used transparently and appropriately.