“Never apologize for your passion!” was the response from Supriya Pillai, Executive Director of Funders’ Collaborative of Youth Organizing to Marlene Berg, from the Institute for Community Research in Hartford. Ms. Berg is the Program Director for the organization’s Youth Action Research Initiative (YARI) program. The YARI youth members have immersed themselves in research and have created numerous action campaigns on community issues such as teen dating violence and educational reform practices. Clearly the momentum for youth organizing is growing and Ms. Berg, along with her fellow colleagues are inspired by the youth work in Connecticut.
On Thursday, April 28, 2011 Perrin Family Foundation hosted their annual Social Change networking event at Stepping Stones Museum for Children in Norwalk. Adult allies and mentors from 20 Connecticut organizations gathered from around the state to talk about the growing youth organizing movement taking place across the state. Throughout Connecticut youth are tackling big issues that directly impact their lives. Local environmental and food justice issues are being combated as youth grow organic produce and deliver it to the inner-city bodegas. Harsh realities of the school to prison pipelines within Connecticut’s education system are being revealed via creative media. Other action campaigns address; bullying, supportive classroom environments for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender students, and reform in the foster care system, to name a few.
This event was facilitated by staff from Funders’ Collaborative on Youth Organizing (FCYO) headquartered in New York City. FCYO is a coalition of foundations representatives working together in supporting youth lead social change campaigns across the United States. Additionally, FCYO provides resources and toolkits to organizations seeking out such support. For more information please visit the website at www.fcyo.org.
The Perrin Family Foundation founded in 1994, is committed to providing equal opportunities for children and young adults to lead safe, productive and creative lives. The foundation strongly believes youth voice is an essential component in helping to build healthy communities. The Perrin Family Foundation funds a continuum of youth leadership skill building in Fairfield County as well as youth engagement and social change programs throughout the state in under resourced communities. For more information, visit the website at www.perrinfamilyfoundation.org.
