User:Nonukes/One World Youth Project

One World Youth Project (OWYP) is a non-profit 501(c)3 corporation founded in Massachusetts. Its goal is to create a more knowledgeable, compassionate, skilled, and understanding generation of global citizens while at the same time inspiring youth to take effective action now.

Origin
The organization was founded in 2004 by then 18 year-old Jessica Rimington from Massachusetts, United States. Her involvement in youth activism began when she was twelve and joined the Jane Goodall Institute's global environmental and humanitarian program for youth, Roots and Shoots. She was one of two U.S. students chosen to represent the Jane Goodall Institute and the U.S. at the Earth Summit 2002 in South Africa (held in conjunction with the World Summit on Sustainable Development). As the Youth Correspondent for the Jane Goodall Institute she has also attended World Refugee Day, the Bioneers Conference in California, and the United Nation's Peace Youth Summit. Jessica is a founding member of the Roots & Shoots Youth Leadership Council.

Organization
OWYP is entirely run and operated by a volunteer staff of university-aged young people. It is not an organization or initiative under the umbrella of a larger entity. OWYP remains true to its original identity: an organization run by youth for youth.

Mission: One World Youth Project is a youth-for-youth powered movement linking schools globally in service-learning to prepare the next generation for the globalized 21st Century.

Vision: Our vision is a just world built through the actions of empowered, discerning and empathetic generations of global citizens. OWYP helps young people build leadership skills and empowers them to create a lasting, positive impact in their communities. It is our belief that recognizing one’s existence in a global community of shared challenges at a young age, promotes a future of cross-cultural collaboration.

Program: From 2004 to 2009, OWYP has focused on bringing the world to middle and high school classrooms making it possible for young people to learn about and communicate with other parts of the globe without having to physically leave their school. In five years we have engaged 67 schools in 26 countries and 12 USA states, impacting the lives of thousands of young people.

One World Youth Project is a youth-for-youth powered movement linking schools globally in service-learning to prepare the next generation for the globalized 21st century.

Program
OWYP focus on bringing the world to under-resourced middle and high school classrooms making it possible for young people to learn about and communicate with other parts of the globe in depth without having to physically leave their school. In five years (2004 to 2009) OWYP connected 67 schools in 26 countries and 12 USA states, impacting the lives of thousands of young people. In addition, OWYP participants have designed and implemented over 40 service-learning projects. The OWYP educational program allows youth to explore and better understand their own community, while learning about the community of their sister-group overseas. Each sister-group pair is assigned one of the United Nations Millennium Development Goals on which to focus their year-long study and communication. Each sister-group ultimately takes action on their UN [Millennium Development Goal] through a local service project. Unlike US-based programs like SIT, ThinkImpact, AFS or Experiment in International Living, as well as the traditional university study abroad program, OWYP connects youth without demanding the resource-heavy element of travel.

Publications
OWYP has written and published two MDG guides:

Educator's Guide to the Millennium Development Goals (in collaboration with TakingITGlobal )

A Guide to MDG Action (in collaboration with Youth Service America )