5️⃣ ForYouPage.Org
- If You Are New...[Guide to FYP]
- FYP Event 2023
- FYP Event 2024
- About FYP & FYP Summit
- FYP Summit 2024 Guidelines
- FYP 2023 Stats & Photos
- 1st Organizing Meeting
- 2nd Organizing Meeting
- 3rd Organizing Meeting
- 4th Organizing Meeting
- 5th Organizing Meeting
- 6th Organizing Meeting
- 7th Organizing Meeting
- Executive Summary to Potential Partners
- YPA x FYP
- Organizing Committee Parliamentary Rules & Procedures
- 8th Organizing Meeting
- 8th Organizing Meeting
- 9th Organizing Meeting
- 10th Organizing Meeting
- 11th Organizing Meeting
- 12th Organizing Meeting
- 13th Organizing Meeting
- FYP Research
- Changemaker Xchange
- Lookup.live
- Force Of Nature
- GenZ Talks
- The Empathy Alliance
- The Climate Initiative
- The Steve Fund
- Non-Violent Communication
- United We Dream
- We R Native
- Youth Climate Lab
- The Cybersmile Foundation
- Championing Youth Minds
- Youth Mental Health Project
- AmeriCorps
- Instagram Page of @bymariandrew
- Instagram Page of @gemmacorrell
- Color of Change
- Instagram Page of @brenebrown
- Instagram Page of @cocktailsandcapitalism
- Instagram page of @allira.potter
- Managing a Nonprofit Organization by Thomas Wolf
- Instagram Page of @dearmyanxiety
- Instagram Page of @makedaisychains
- July 18 week Instagram Case Studies
- THIS IS AN UPRISING By Mark and Paul Engler
- Ten Essential Skills for Youth Well-being and Self-Actualization
- FYP Core Values & Skills Framework
- Set Boundaries, Find Peace
- The Body Is Not an Apology
- FYP Slay Index Interview Protocol
- FYP Slay Index: Literature Review
- FYP Slay Index
- FYP Governance Documents
- The ForYouPage.Org Manifesto [2023 Original]
- FYP Code of Conduct
- FYP Governance Charter
- The ForYouPage.Org Manifesto
- Amendment I: Duty of FYP Associates, Assistants, Members & Operational Guidelines
- Amendment II: Standard Committee & Accountability
- Start Here: Welcome to ForYouPage.Org's Governance Documents 🌟
- FYP Intern
- FYP Intern 2024 | Key Areas for Development
- FYP Intern 2024 | Program Analysis
- FYP Intern 2024 | POST-PILOT 90-DAY ACTION PLAN
- Social Entrepreneurship Fundementals
- FYP Intern 2024 Summary
- 2024 Summer Intern Job Description
- FYP Wiki
- FYP Archive
- FYP Program Documents
If You Are New...[Guide to FYP]
If you're new to our organization, then here are a few things you can do to get started:
- familiarize yourself with the wiki. Check out our resources, the different pages people have added, and see if we're missing something that you think should be included.
- If you decide you'd like to contribute, go ahead and make an account in the top right corner.
- Creating/editing a page is simple and takes just a few minutes. Please don't delete things that other people have added, and be reasonable with your contributions.
FYP One Year Note
Yesterday there was a significant student employee labor strike at University of Washington organized by our union. As I walked past the picket lines and demonstrations, seeing young people holding their heads and signs high under the bright blue sky of Seattle, I felt so inspired. This scene exactly embodies the spirit we hoped to ignite when we started ForYouPage (FYP). “If we can elevate our agency and get young people across the country to go out to act for what we each believe in, we can end systemic injustices and structural oppression across gender, race, wealth, sexuality, beliefs, and everything” I texted my friends.
Coincidentally, today marks the one year anniversary of FYP’s formation. It all started with a rainy afternoon in the deep Appalachians of Virginia (US) while my college friends and I were getting dinner and boba and joking about how no one uses our school’s counseling services. At one point, staring at a friend who stealthily couch-potatoed into tiktoking, I jokingly said: “mental health is so bad that all we do now is TikTok, get high, and get through the week.” One of my bestie responded “well good for you cuz I’m just trying to get through the day.” My other best friend, sitting on the end of our rusty dog-and-cat-hair-covered $30 couch that my sister and I picked up from Goodwill, holding her Valdomore-colored Baja Blast, immediately started laughing.
She didn’t laugh because it was funny; she laughed because it was so true. And that’s the moment I decided to do something, now. Naturally I dragged my friends with me. Three hours later, the first version of ForYouPage white paper was drafted and our website launched. Within a week, our initial team was formed and our ultimate goal set: to get youth to take risks and exercise agency through advocacy—the key to our flourishing.
What followed was nothing short of exhilarating miracles and heartmelting comradeship. In two weeks we met our dear friends from Japan and Colorado (US)—youth who we had never met before clicked instantly and started working together. In three weeks we launched FYP Wiki, an free open alternative to Wikipedia. While Wikipedia provides a place for shared human knowledge, FYP Wiki provides a medium of shared human passion-a place where community advocates can put together local resources, knowledge, perhaps most importantly, community action to-dos. FYP wiki is a fight with the machines and fundemental techno-solutionism—use information to bring out our humanness instead of scrumbling our humanness to information. Wikipedia facilitates information; we foster connection—by providing a reason for increasingly lonely and seemingly purposeless youth everywhere to gather & work together.
In two months we met our phenomenal mentor at Mental Health America. With their marvelous support, Two months later, at Bohemian National Hall in New York City, we made UN Conference happened with 60 representatives from more than 15 major mental health groups in the US and youth leaders from all over the country—Michigan, Colorado, Missouri, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, California, DC…A collective of ten youth leaders showcased to the world our efforts to address the mental health crisis. On that day Sept 15th 2023, we proudly proclaimed to the world and to ourselves what youth are and always capable of.
Today, FYP has gathered more than 500 youth dreams & projects across 90 countries and 2000 active advocates in our communities and networks. Our young associates, friends, and partners are working as globally as persuading and advising Prime Ministers of powerful countries and leaders of United Nations, and advocating as locally as building community gardens, fighting regional troubled teen facilities, and helping friends disconnect from social media. All of these accomplishments are driven by a broke but faithful youth team running almost exclusively on volunteers. Our faith is the kindness of the people. One of our earliest team members, who once battles with mental health, started a communal food truck with nothing but one like-minded coworker and are now serving 150 meals to the low income communities of New River Valley every Tuesday without a fail.
Tomorrow, FYP will venturing out further, organizing the next fully youth-led gathering at UNGA79, expanding our Wiki & community infrastructure with more resources to help youth connect and serve, and, thanks to our committed friends & passionate partners in California, taking charge in becoming part of a larger effort in shaping youth-centric workforce development, higher edu reform, and social entrepreneurship advancement in the era of AI future. All these achievements are thanks to the loving individuals and stakeholders who staunchly want to do something for us. ForYouPage started with youth and by youth but has never been just about the youth. FYP would never have been possible without the sounding support of our parents, mentors, and those who have dedicated their lives and time to our happiness and the happiness of future generations. We may not say it often enough, but we love you all so very much.
What is FYP? It is a network hub where youth leaders, youth centric nonprofits, and stakeholders intersect with everyday youth who long to step out and step up. It is a youth group made of a bunch of 20-year-olds, some of whom took 4 hours just to book ‘scary’ airline tickets. It is a free version Slack, a half abandoned Discord, an expansive [rly overpriced] wix site, and an open source wiki tool running on crappy personal server and gpt-generated css codes. You may notice there are no mention of any individual’s name in this writing. That is because, as much as I strongly wish to give shoutouts to our fantastic friends and mentors who made it all possible, FYP, at its core, is just an idea—the idea that we youth have agency to ourselves and can act for something good for others, for you; the idea that though we could drifted to the depths of low zone of anxiety depression to the extent of global mental health crisis, we could also dance up to the top of high zone challenging international landscape changing national policies disrupting the status quo and annoying the crap out of power-holders. These are all part of us and , no matter which parts you are in right now, it will all be okay. FYP is an idea of agency and compassion, owned by no one, and by everyone.
We have a simple vision for FYP—we envision a world where one day all the tiktok Instagram YouTube short social media content with #fyp can be just a bit different—not just content of entertainment and unrealistic influencers and fifity shades of negativity but content of genuine advocating youth, artfacts and evidence of hope, agency and compassion.
I want to personally say thank you to all the youth leaders, mentors, friends. I’m proud and honored to meet and work alongside with each one of you. ForYouPage is not a miracle. You are. Thank you for all you do.
Marx
05/15/2024, Seattle, with mint tea
What is ForYouPage.Org
What is FYP
ForYouPage (FYP) is a fully youth led close knit community, a network/resource hub, a safe space that embodies the idea of agency and compassion, connecting youth leaders, youth-centric nonprofits, and stakeholders with everyday youth who aspire to step out and do something for our community, our world.
Vision:
We have a simple vision-a world where social media with #fyp can be just a bit different—not just content of entertainment and unrealistic influencers and fifty shades of negativity but content of genuine risk-taking advocating youth, artifacts and evidence of hope, agency and compassion
Theory of Change
We believe that by mobilizing grassroots youth advocacy and empowering risk-taking, we can rebuild the agency and compassion disrupted by technology, thereby addressing the mental health crisis and paving the way for individual and collective flourishing in the face of today's challenges.
Core Value
Agency, Compassion, Togetherness, Authenticity, Humor
Core Offerings
FYP Wiki: a free, open alternative to Wikipedia & Technology that provides a medium for shared human passion, enabling community advocates to collaboratively compile local resources, knowledge, and community action plans, fostering connection and get alienated & lonely youth to work together towards a common purpose
FYP Summit: The FYP Summit is an annual fully youth-led gathering that highlights the pinnacle of youth agency, compassion, and collective, and reverses power dynamic -brings together youth advocates & stakeholders to fundamentally take the conversation in addressing the mental health crisis and drive change in the global mental health & advocacy landscape.
FYP Community: FYP Discord (for everybody): https://discord.gg/fvV2h4JNVt, FYP Slack for internal teams, close collaborators, high profile/privacy preferred advocates) [invite only]
Home
Official Website | Our Manifesto| Our Governance Charter | FYP One Year Note (*new )
Start the wiki from here: Books
Welcome to the Wiki.ForYouPage.Org: your source for youth advocacy on the web.
Get Involved
If you want to help contribute to ForYouPage Wiki, then you’ve come to the right place. Keep reading to learn how.
You have just taken your first step toward getting involved. Before you get started, we ask that you please observe the ForYouPage.org and FYP Code of Conduct. It’s not very long and it will help you get started.
Once that’s done, check out the step-by-step instruction on how to use the wiki.
Teams
The Teams page showcases the diverse and passionate individuals, their works, and their stories.
You can find information about who we are, what we do, and how to contact us. Using these pages, teammates are able to communicate and coordinate projects.
Governance and Membership
We strive to be decentralized but we believe basic rules are still needed. Like most communities, we have our rules and governing body.
Anyone can join and participate in most, if not all, of our Teams and Projects. But if you want an “@foryoupage.org” e-mail address, it has to be earned. Find out how in our Membership documentation.
FYP 5 Values & 4 Principles
FYP 5 Core Values
Agency
FYP aims to fiercely highlight our agency and elevate the agency of all youth. With this goal in mind, we ensure the organizing committee has complete autonomy in decision-making. The base funding for the entire event is pre-secured with no strings attached for complete freedom.
Further, we take a radical stance on capitalism and believe that money, the very element that brings accountability, also diminishes agency and intention. As such, all associate and direct builders of of FYP will not be compensated. We will make every attempt to secure further funding, with the first priority being scholarship awards not rewards for all participating youth, but this is not guaranteed in practice and, more importantly, not guaranteed by principle. However, we do recognize how broke we all are, so paid positions are available on request.
Compassion,
Everything fyp does is about the people, people, people. We believe that all people are fundamentally kind and that compassion is the element that truly bonds people together and the bridge that can help us overcome differences in interests, beliefs, identities, and groups. We ask that all that associate with FYP practice compassionate nonviolent communication with everyone we interact with, our family, our friends, our colleagues, and our “foes”. More detailed guides here.
Togetherness,
Needless to say. No one needs to be and should feel alone. Within the personal boundary, FYP aims to foster togetherness. We are all in this together.
Authenticity,
Humor & Fun
Humor is the bridge that brings all of these principles together. Humor shows vulnerability. Jokes tell things real. Most importantly, we are a bunch of 20 year olds, and the whole point of this is to have fun and PARTYY🍻YY.
FYP 4 Principles
Principle 1: Take risks. FYP's reach extends as far as prime ministers and billionaires, not because we possess world-altering genius, but because youth in our community have the audacity to imagine and the courage to reach out. Be bold, dream big, and fearlessly reach out to make our voices heard.
Principle 2: Be critical. As Plato said, "The unexamined life is not worth living," and at FYP, we encourage you to critically examine everything we do as a community, every aspect of our work, and the actions of everyone involved and associated. FYP is one of the largest recognized youth community. Each one of the youth associates are leaders of the field and community and the conversation we are creating today have a significant impact tomorrow on all youth. we encourage you to critically reflect & examine everything.
Principle 3: Emphasize grassroots and underserved communities. FYP believes there is no point doing anything if it doesn’t actually help the people, the struggling youth, the vulnerable. We committed to amplifying the voices of those who are often overlooked or marginalized
Principle 4: Take care of yourself. It would be pretty funny if a mental health advocate developed mental health issues from building work on mental health, so of all, the biggest priority is your own well being. And the first to-do is to make yourself happy. And then do the event and remember to prioritize self-care, set boundaries , and reach out for support when needed.
Wiki To-Dos
Case Study
Check out our case study book here.
We do "case studies" on various organizations, groups, and social media accounts in an effort to better understand the environment that operate in as an NGO, and to better understand the digital environment that we exist within. We examine other organizations that are pursuing similar goals, and social media accounts that we aim to emulate in terms of engagement and content. If you'd like to help with this process, all you have to do is make an account to start creating and editing pages.
What we need help with:
- Improving information density on existing pages: if you see a page missing information that you would consider helpful, feel free to add that information
- Citation: much of the information in the "Case Study" book is directly from that organization's website/social media, but (especially for larger/more influential groups) there might be information that isn't directly on the website that you'd like to add. If so, please cite your source as needed with a [1] superscript and a citation at the bottom of the page.
- Performing case studies: for us, these case studies are about learning from what other groups do, but for you, we'd like these pages to be resource hubs. If you have a resource that you think people should know about, whether it's focused on mental health, climate change, or any of the other thousands of issues that people might face in their day-to-day life, please create a page for it! We have templates available for exactly that purpose.
- Page standardization: Many of the pages currently (as of July 2023) existing have non-standard layouts, as well as some less-than-ideal grammar from our members whose first language isn't English. We could use some help getting these pages up to speed.
- Page tags: Each page should have tags associated with it that denotes the organization's location, issues they address, and whether they are an NGO. Keep an eye out for missing tags.
FYP Event 2023
Guidelines
- Define Objectives: Articulate the objectives of the UN Science Summit. Determine the key messages to be conveyed and the desired outcomes of the event. These objectives will guide all communication efforts.
- Identify Target Audience: Identify the primary and secondary target audiences for the summit. This may include government officials, scientists, researchers, policymakers, NGOs, and the general public. Tailor communication messages and channels to suit each audience segment.
- Craft Key Messages: Develop concise, impactful, and evidence-based key messages that align with the summit's objectives. These messages should highlight the importance of science in addressing global challenges, promote collaboration, and emphasize the potential impact of scientific advancements.
- Stakeholder Engagement: Identify and engage with key stakeholders involved in the summit, such as participating scientists, governmental representatives, and relevant organizations. Establish regular communication channels to keep stakeholders informed and engaged throughout the planning and execution stages of the summit.
- Media Outreach: Develop a comprehensive media outreach plan to generate widespread coverage and create awareness about the summit. This should include press releases, media briefings, interviews, and op-ed placements in influential outlets. Leverage both traditional media channels (print, television, radio) and digital platforms (websites, social media, podcasts) to reach diverse audiences.
- Social Media Strategy: Develop a robust social media strategy to engage the public and increase participation in the summit. Create dedicated social media accounts and utilize hashtags to promote the event. Regularly share updates, informative content, and highlights from the summit. Encourage stakeholders and attendees to share their experiences and insights on social media.
- Website and Online Presence: Design a dedicated website for the UN Science Summit. Ensure that it provides comprehensive information about the event, including the agenda, speakers, registration details, and background materials. Regularly update the website with relevant news, press releases, and post-event resources.
- Content Creation: Produce compelling content, including articles, videos, infographics, and podcasts, to showcase the summit's themes, highlight scientific breakthroughs, and promote discussions on relevant topics. Collaborate with scientists, experts, and influencers to contribute to content creation.
- Partnerships and Collaborations: Collaborate with relevant organizations, scientific institutions, and industry leaders to enhance the summit's reach and impact. Establish strategic partnerships for joint communication efforts, content creation, and promotion. Leverage their networks and resources to amplify the summit's message.
- Post-Summit Communication: Plan post-summit communication to sustain momentum and foster continued engagement. Share comprehensive reports, findings, and outcomes of the summit with participants, stakeholders, and the wider public. Encourage ongoing conversations, follow-up actions, and collaborations to maximize the impact of the summit. This will focus on the UN Summit of the Future in 2024
- Evaluation and Feedback: Regularly assess the effectiveness of the communication strategy by monitoring media coverage, social media engagement, website traffic, and attendee feedback. Collect feedback from stakeholders and participants to identify areas for improvement and implement necessary adjustments in future communication efforts.
https://sciencesummitunga78.sched.com/event/1NvvV/convenors-training-session-communication-strategy
Outreach
UN Science Summit
US district
3-7 youth leaders
- founders
- mental health related
The idea of the second session is to bring together 5-10 youth mental health advocates and invite 20-30 funders/foundations where youth can present their social ventures and interact with stakeholders that can help them.
reach out 15 youth leaders (us), 5 youth leaders (outside us)
Hi,
It was so nice to meet you finally! This is a follow-up regarding the UN Science Summit!
In short, we have two UN sessions. One session focused on tech, social media, and youth well-being. The second session focuses on youth advocacy. The idea of the second session is to bring together 5-10 youth mental health advocates and invite 20-30 funders/foundations where youth can present their social ventures and interact with stakeholders that can help them.
To make this event most helpful to grasstop youth leaders, this is co-organized with them and so the exact format is still in discussion. The tentative date is Sep 15th (Friday evening), and the tentative location is Glasshouse Chelsea NYC.
Do you want to have a quick call about this sometime this week?
Warmly,
Proposal
See formatted most up-to-date version here
Topic
Mobilizing Grassroots Youth Advocacy with Education Institutions: the Future of Global Social Justice, Community Building, and Youth Flourishing
Introduction and Aims
From climate change to human rights abuses, from global democracy crisis to divisive emergent technologies, for many urgent issues of our times, youth want to help, to advocate, and to fight for what we believe in.
Youth is the future. Youth advocacy is the future of global sustainable development and social justice. To us individual youth, advocacy means something beyond. It means not only doing good to the communities that have nurtured us but a valuable opportunity to step out of our comfort zones and grow through helping others, the key to our own flourishing.
We have a dream: to find ways to mobilize all grassroots youth for advocacy, thereby, with our own hands, advancing a sustainable globe, engaging our local communities, and bringing flourishing to all youth. And education institutions provide critical pathways.
Education institutions not only shape and mold the minds of the next generation, equipping us with the knowledge, skills, and values necessary to address pressing societal issues, but more importantly, serve as the community hubs where youth can find like minded peers, critical mentorships, and plugs to local and broader communities where we can get involved with or make a advocacy project happen.
Recognizing the potential of education in nudging social change, this event brings together most prominent grassroots youth leaders from the United States of America, United Kingdom, India, German, Japan, China, Nigeria, Pakistan, and Turkey. The session consists of two parts. In the first part, youth leaders will share our experiences, success stories, and insights on our advocacy journey, how we mobilize the peers, and how education institutions helped facilitate our work. In the second part, grassroots leaders from across the globe will showcase their work, big or small, their experiences, their needs, and their dreams and hopes.
Keywords
Youth Advocacy, Community Building, Partnership, Well-Being, Education
Sustainable Development Goals
Direct Goals
Goal 4 QUALITY EDUCATION
Goal 3 GOOD HEALTH AND WELL-BEING
Goal 17 PARTNERSHIPS FOR THE GOALS
Goal 11 SUSTAINABLE CITIES AND COMMUNITIES
Related Goals
Goal 1 NO POVERTY
Goal 2 ZERO HUNGER
Goal 5 GENDER EQUALITY
Goal 6 CLEAN WATER AND SANITATION
Goal 7 AFFORDABLE AND CLEAN ENERGY
Goal 8 DECENT WORK AND ECONOMIC GROWTH
Goal 9 INDUSTRY, INNOVATION AND INFRASTRUCTURE
Goal 10 REDUCED INEQUALITIES
Goal 12 RESPONSIBLE CONSUMPTION AND PRODUCTION
Goal 13 CLIMATE ACTION
Goal 14 LIFE BELOW WATER
Goal 15 LIFE ON LAND
Goal 16 PEACE, JUSTICE AND STRONG INSTITUTIONS
Expected outcomes
We are a global group of youth leaders who are united in utilizing youth led community projects as a catalyst for positive social change and meaningful impact in our communities.
We intend for the session to have the following objectives:
- Showcase grassroots youth advocacy efforts and inspire more youth to participate in advocacy and community work
- Foster a discussion across youth leaders of different country on what’s the most effective way and strategy to mobilize more peers for advocacy, especially with with education institutions
- Amplify the stories, efforts, struggles and needs of young changemakers from around the world advocating for a variety of issues
- Build a coalition of renewed youth leaders as an unifying voice for change and an open community where we can help each other and empower more that seek changes
Social Media Campaign
Objective:
To mobilize grassroots youth advocacy and showcase the impactful work of young advocates in the field of mental health, while raising awareness and promoting positive conversations around mental well-being.
Target Audience:
1. Young people aged 13-25 who are passionate about mental health.
2. Community organizations and local groups focused on mental health.
3. General Instagram users interested in mental health advocacy.
Campaign Plan:
1. Pre-Campaign Preparation:
- Identify key partners: Reach out to local mental health organizations, youth groups, and influencers who are actively involved in mental health advocacy to collaborate and amplify the campaign's impact.
- Define campaign hashtags: Create unique and impactful hashtags that represent the campaign's goals and encourage participants to use them when sharing their content, such as #YouthAdvocates4MH or #MentalHealthChampions.
- Create branded graphics: Design eye-catching and informative graphics related to mental health, advocacy, and self-care. These visuals should reflect the campaign's spirit and be easily shareable on Instagram.
2. Launching the Campaign:
- Campaign Announcement: Create an engaging and informative post introducing the campaign. Explain the purpose, objectives, and how participants can get involved. Encourage users to follow your account for updates and share the announcement to reach a wider audience.
- Call for Stories: Request personal stories from participants about their experiences with mental health. Ask them to share a photo or video along with a caption using the campaign hashtags. These stories will create a sense of empathy and community, encouraging others to open up and share their journeys.
3. Content Strategy:
- Feature Youth Advocates: Highlight the work and achievements of young mental health advocates. Regularly post interviews, spotlights, or success stories of youth who have made a difference in the field. Use visuals and captions that inspire and motivate others to get involved.
- Educational Content: Share informative and educational posts about mental health, addressing common misconceptions, coping strategies, self-care tips, and available resources. Ensure the content is easily digestible and visually appealing to engage the target audience effectively.
- Collaborations and Takeovers: Partner with local organizations, influencers, or experts in the mental health field. Arrange Instagram takeovers, where they can share their knowledge, experiences, and provide valuable insights. This collaboration will broaden the campaign's reach and lend credibility to the cause.
4. Engaging the Audience:
- User-Generated Content: Encourage participants to share their own mental health advocacy efforts, community events, or initiatives. Repost their content, giving credit, and use the campaign hashtags. This will create a sense of belonging and empower others to contribute.
- Q&A Sessions: Host regular Instagram Live or Stories Q&A sessions with mental health professionals, advocates, or influencers. Allow followers to submit questions and engage in real-time conversations about mental health, advocacy, and related topics.
- Contests and Challenges: Organize contests or challenges related to mental health and advocacy. For example, ask participants to create a short video sharing their self-care routines or post a creative artwork representing mental well-being. Offer prizes or shout-outs to the winners, which will motivate others to participate.
5. Call to Action:
- Volunteer Opportunities: Promote local volunteer opportunities in mental health organizations or community centers. Provide information on how interested individuals can contribute their time and skills to support mental health initiatives.
- Donation Drives: Highlight fundraisers or donation drives by grassroots organizations that focus on mental health. Encourage followers to contribute and share the campaign to raise awareness and reach fundraising goals.
- Advocacy Toolkit: Develop a downloadable advocacy toolkit that provides resources, templates, and guidelines for youth interested in becoming mental health advocates. Share the toolkit through Instagram posts and stories, encouraging followers to access and utilize it.
6. Monitoring and Evaluation:
- Track campaign engagement: Monitor the campaign's reach, impressions, and engagement metrics regularly. Analyze which types of content and posts resonate the most with the audience to refine the campaign strategy and focus on what works best.
- User feedback and testimonials: Encourage participants to share their feedback and testimonials about the impact of the campaign on their mental health advocacy journey. Use these testimonials to showcase the campaign's success and build credibility.
By implementing this Instagram social media campaign plan, you can effectively mobilize grassroots youth advocacy for mental health, showcase the important work of young advocates, and promote positive conversations surrounding mental well-being. Remember to adapt and iterate based on the specific needs and interests of your target audience. Good luck!
🌟 Join the Mental Health Movement! 🌟
👥 Calling all passionate youth advocates! 👥
Are you ready to make a difference in the world of mental health? Join our grassroots youth advocacy campaign and let your voice be heard! Together, we can create a positive impact and empower others to take control of their mental well-being.
💪🏼 Here's how you can get involved: 💪🏼
2️⃣ Advocacy Action: Be a voice for change! Use our ready-made graphics and templates to spread awareness about mental health. Share statistics, tips for self-care, or information on local resources. Tag friends and encourage them to join the conversation.
3️⃣ Community Collaborations: Connect with local organizations and community groups that focus on mental health. Partner with them to organize workshops, awareness campaigns, or fundraising events. Together, we can create a support network and reach a wider audience.
4️⃣ Volunteer Opportunities: Get involved on a deeper level by volunteering your time. Sign up for mentorship programs, helplines, or local support groups. Share your experiences on Instagram using #VolunteerForMentalHealth to inspire others to join in.
5️⃣ Youth Spotlight: We believe in celebrating the incredible work of young advocates. Every week, we'll feature a youth advocate making a difference in mental health. Tag us in your posts using #Youth4MentalHealth and #GrassrootsHeroes, and you could be the next spotlight!
🌈 Together, let's break barriers and build a mentally healthier future for all. 🌈
Don't forget to follow us for updates, resources, and to stay connected with the movement. Together, we can create a world where mental health is a priority and support is readily available for everyone.
📢 Spread the word! Share this post and tag your friends who are passionate about mental health. Let's mobilize our generation and make a lasting impact!
#MentalHealthMatters #Youth4MentalHealth #GrassrootsHeroes #BreakTheStigma #MentalHealthMovement
Openning Remarks
Good evening everyone. Thank you all for being here. My name is Marx, I’m the founder of foryoupage, the organizer of the event. [but if you don’t like the food today it’s Joanna and Ruhani’s fault]
It is my very great honor to welcome you this evening on behalf of all of us at ForYouPage and on behalf of all our amazing advocates to our session at the United Nations Science Summit.
Today’s session is about mental health. It’s about our take on the mental health crisis. As we stand here, we are experiencing the worst youth mental health crisis of our lifetime.
1 in 7 youths are experiencing a mental disorder globally.
In US, in Italy, in Belgium, in Japan, in South Africa. Search up youth mental health crisis + country and you get almost the same result.
1 in 2 of all high school students in US feel persistently sad
1 in 5 have considered that the alternative to life was better, which is ending their life. And 1 in 10 havehas attempted suicide.
18-25-year-olds felt they were worse off across every aspect of well-being: happiness, health, meaning, character, relationships, and financial stability. When we first started foryoupage, I asked my friend “ havehas has the mental health issues become so bad that all we do is trying to get through the week?” And my friend said “no, I’m just trying to get through the day.” And that is not an exaggeration. It’s a very real statement that we will never say to ppl outside of our age group.
What has madeke mental health issues so bad? To me it makes sense.
This is a time where climate change makes our future on earth less hopeful than ever.
As a GenZ, it’s not fun to hear that the earth, where we have to live for the next 50 years minimum [45 if you eat too much cheetos] is going to be the least habitable place in human history. Once in a lifetime heat wave. Once in a lifetime flood. Once in a lifetime hurricane. I can hear the sound of our future melting as the ice sheet the size of Greenland vanishes . No Planet B. We feel like our future is heading to a 2012 Disaster movie except this time we are in the front seat. [Immersive cinematic experience is only fun as it stays cinematic.] Studies shows 62% to 75% of youth are worried, sad, or even afraid of climate change.
This is also a time where digital tech and social media-interconnectivity makes us disconnected more than ever.
Real in person relationships have been replaced by virtual ones. 95% of the information is communicated through nonverbal cues yet texting with bald emoji faces becomes the primary way we connect. If we want a significant partner, our generation hashave no way but to go tinder one. If we want to hear the voice of a old friend, we can’t even call them. “Are we that close that we can call now?” even if we miss them very much. Social relationship, the most critical predictor for happiness, has become a green bubble blue bubble game.
Outside of the little time that we do manage to spend with our friends in person, we tend to spend it with screens. A typical day for my friend is going to school during the day, and cominge home to watch netflix or doom scroll tiktok until 3am. Infinite scroll and endless entertainment are eating away our agency.
And I think that’s the issue. It’s the loss of agency. This is a time where what we are experiencing not only a rise in mental health issues such as anxiety and depression, but a broader feeling of powerlessness, of loss of agency, and of feeling not in control over our own lives.
It’s the feeling that no matter what we do, we can’t stop ice from melting or the temperature from rising.
It’s the feeling that no matter what we do, we will never be as good looking as the person on instagram, or as life fulfilling as the person v-blogging in Maui or having seven golden retrievers on Tiktok.
It’s the feeling that no matter what we do, we make little difference to our own lives, and little impact to the world around us.
And that’s why today’s session is not only about mental health but about something deeper. It's youth agency. It’s about gaining agency, self-efficacy, and empowerment through youth advocacy. Because to us, advocacy is more than just giving back to the communities that nurtured us.
Advocacy provides a platform for us to step out of our comfort zones. As the journeys and work many of our speakers will show today, advocating for an idea is not a simple path doable with a press of a red button but a long arduous journey full of double challenges and risks.
Advocacy provides a platform for us to meet like-minded peers, and work as a collective. The most touching thing to me personally has always been how much, in this space, people are willing to help and support each other’s work. [other than the fact we all broke]
And most importantly, advocacy provides a platform where we channel our passions into meaningful action, exercising our power to create an actual impact to the causes we care about.
From promoting mental health awareness through art and music, to leading a month-long campaign against social media, and from organizing dialogues for addressing climate anxiety, to building mental health programs within higher education establishments. And many many more efforts. Today you will hear their story.
A study shows for young people who have high levels of climate anxiety, if they also have high levels of activism, then we didn't see any higher levels of depression symptoms. Not more antidepressants. Not more therapies. Advocacy itself is a solution to the mental health crisis.
Because to advocate is to exercise our power, our self efficacy, our agency.
To know that we cannot stop ice melting, but we can do what we could to plant a tree, grow a community garden, to host a climate anxiety peer support group and make what is around us a little more sustainable, a little more supportive.
To know that we will probably never be as life fulfilling as the person having seven golden retrievers on tiktok, but we have the power to volunteer at a homeless shelter, to convince a friend to uninstall instagram, to start a mental health club, or to make a documentary to a cause and make best time of our life however the way we want.
To know that we can and we do make a difference to our lives. and that no matter how anxious or sad or lonely or depressed we could be as of this moment we will be better
no matter how hopeless the climate change issues, mental health issues, the mass shooting issues the human rights issues the gender inequality, poverty, democracy and many many other issues too dark to mention, we can make it a little bit better, make the world a little more sustainable, a little more just, a little more happier, through our own hands, today.
To know we are in charge. This is the key to our own flourishing.
ForYouPage has a simple goal. We want to bring together all youth advocates as a community and mobilize many more to join us in advocacy. Today’s session has a simple goal. We want to showcase a variety of different ways in which we are making an impact in mental health advocacy, and how we can work with science/educational institutions to mobilize more peers in grassroots advocacy.
I know many of you who are attending our session today educators, advocates, scientist, policymakers, and parents, you have dedicated your work to addressing youth mental health issues, to youth well-being, and to sustainable development goals. I know we don’t say it enough but as youth we want to tell you we don’t take it for granted. as youth we want to tell you the work that you do, the work that you have dedicated a significant portion of your life to has made a difference. And we truly truly appreciate it. And we want to work with you, together to ensure the future of our generation in the years to come. With your exceptional support, we arrived here. Standing on the shoulder of giants, we made it today. This is our take on mental health issues. This is an event by youth, for you.
I want to once again thank you all for coming here today, for your work in the space, and for your unwavering support to us.
FYP Event 2024
About FYP & FYP Summit
What is FYP
ForYouPage (FYP) is a fully youth led close knit community, a network/resource hub, a safe space that radically embodies the idea of agency and compassion, connecting youth leaders, youth-centric nonprofits, and stakeholders with everyday youth who aspire to step out and do something for our community, our world.
Vision:
We have a simple vision-a world where social media with #fyp can be just a bit different—not just content of entertainment and unrealistic influencers and fifty shades of negativity but content of genuine risk-taking advocating youth, artifacts and evidence of hope, agency and compassion
Theory of Change
We believe that by radically & compassionately mobilizing grassroots youth advocacy and empowering risk-taking, we can rebuild the self-efficacy and authentic connection disrupted by technology, thereby addressing the mental health crisis and paving ways for our individual and collective flourishing in the face of today's challenges.
Core Value
Agency, Compassion, Authenticity, Togetherness, Humor
Core Offerings
FYP Wiki: a free, open alternative to Wikipedia & Technology that provides a medium for shared human passion, enabling community advocates to collaboratively compile local resources, knowledge, and community action plans, fostering connection and get alienated & lonely youth to work together towards a common purpose
FYP Summit: The FYP Summit is an annual fully youth-led gathering that highlights the pinnacle of youth agency, compassion, and collective, and reverses power dynamic -brings together youth advocates & stakeholders to fundamentally take the conversation in addressing the mental health crisis and drive change in the global mental health & advocacy landscape.
FYP Community: FYP Discord (for everybody): https://discord.gg/fvV2h4JNVt, FYP Slack for internal teams, close collaborators, high profile/privacy preferred advocates) [invite only]
More Readings:
FYP Formation Manifesto, FYP One Year Note
FYP Summit 2024 Guidelines
Guiding 5 Values & 4 Principles
Values
Authenticity
We want the final event to be a high-fidelity reflection of what we, as a collective and committee of youth, want and can make happen by ourselves. If, for instance, without the pressure of accountability from compensation, we can only organize a small event, then we believe that is a true reflection of our current state. If the genuine state of youth today involves depression, feeling lost, and getting drunk or high or doom scroll every day, we bravely embrace and showcase that reality. FYP believes that to empower is to confront—the first step in solving any problem is to admit proudly showcase that there is one and showcase who we are. FYP is a safe space that doesn't suppress but aims to unleash. This event is about authenticity, about be fierce, be you.
We ask you to be fiercely authentic during your involvement and association with FYP.
Agency
The event aims to radically highlight our agency and elevate the agency of all youth. With this goal in mind, we ensure the organizing committee has complete autonomy in decision-making. The base funding for the entire event is pre-secured with no strings attached for complete freedom.
Further, we take a radical stance on capitalism and believe that money, the very element that brings accountability, also diminishes agency. As such, all official committee members and participants will not be directly compensated. We will make every attempt to secure further funding, with the first priority being scholarship awards not rewards for all participating committee members, but this is not guaranteed in practice and, more importantly, not guaranteed by principle. However, we do recognize how broke we all are, so intern and paid positions are available if interested in swapping.
The organizing committee and general partners will have complete independent power to design the event, choose partners, speakers, participating youth and stakeholders however we see fit. FYP may have some organizational goals such as evaluation of events, expanding wiki and community, but again the organizing committee has complete agency so it is completely up to committee member to choose to implement them or not.
We ask you to be fiercely autonomous during your involvement and association with FYP.
Compassion
Everything fyp does is about the people, people, people. We believe that all people are fundamentally kind and that compassion is the element that truly overcome any differences in interests, beliefs, identities, and groups and bonds people together. We ask that all that associate with FYP to practice compassionate nonviolent communication with everyone we interact with, our family, our friends, our colleagues, and our “foes”. More detailed guides here.
We ask you to be fiercely compassionate during your involvement and association with FYP.
Togetherness
Needless to say. No one needs to be and should feel alone. Within the personal boundary, FYP aims to foster togetherness. We are all in this together.
We ask you to be fiercely together during your involvement and association with FYP.
Humor & Fun
Humor is the bridge that brings all of these principles together. Jokes tell things real. Humor shows vulnerability. Most importantly, we are a bunch of 20 year olds, and the whole point of this is to have fun and PARTYYYY.
We ask you to be fiercely partying during your involvement and association with FYP.
Principles
Principle 1: Take care of yourself. It would be pretty funny if a mental health advocate developed mental health issues from organizing a mental health event, so of all, the biggest priority is your own well being. And the first to-do is to make yourself happy. And then do the event and remember to prioritize self-care, set boundaries , and reach out for support when needed.
Principle 2: Take risks. FYP's reach extends as far as prime ministers and billionaires, not because we possess world-altering genius, but because youth in our community have the audacity to imagine and the courage to reach out. Be bold, dream big, and fearlessly reach out to make our voices heard.
Principle 3: Be critical. As Plato said, "The unexamined life is not worth living," and at FYP, we encourage you to critically examine everything we do as a community, every aspect of this event, and the actions of each committee member. Each one of the organizing committees are leaders of the field and the conversation we are creating today can have a significant impact tomorrow on all youth. we encourage you to critically reflect & examine everything.
Principle 4: Emphasize grassroots and underserved communities. FYP believes there is no point doing anything if it doesn’t actually help the people, the struggling youth, the vulnerable. We committed to amplifying the voices of those who are often overlooked or marginalized
FYP 2023 Stats & Photos
Our inaugural Youth Mental Health Summit at the Science Summit at UNGA78 brought together 60 in-person participants from across the country, representatives from more than 12 major mental health organizations, and engaged 500 online participants. The event featured 10 youth advocate speakers and marked a significant step in showcasing youth voices in mental health advocacy.
Last Year Organizers & Speakers: Maddie Freeman, Tamaki Hoshi, Bruny Kenou, Yoelle Gulko, Mariama Bah, Sahith Kancharla, Maksim Batuyev, Brandon Bond, Andrew Frawley
Last Year Attending Groups: Mental Health America, California Child Trust, HopeLab, Bring Change to Mind, The Good Life Movement, Active Minds, The Jed Foundation (JED), UN, citiesRISE, Fountain house, Global Citizen
1st Organizing Meeting
KickStart Meeting Agenda & Notes
May 24, 2024
FYP Event | Youth Mental Health Summit 2024
General Chair Vision & Expectation Alignment 1:00 -1:15PM PST
Opening & Icebreaker 1:15-1:20PM PST
Budget:
Secured Fund: $10K
Event Theme/Vision, Timeline, Partners, Brainstorm & Alignment: 1:20-1:40PM PST
Theme
Behavioral Health Priorities for the next 5 years -2030
Scope
Behavioral Health/Mental Health/Well Being
Audience:
People in Power & Policymakers
Youth Advocacy & Education
Grassroots
Production
Report
Partner for accountability
Timeline
5h/half a day
Partners
…
What do we need for the partners
Advisory Board:
Underserved Communities
Grassroot Communities
International Communities
Potential Partners:
…
Schedule
Date: A Friday in mid-late September 2024
Moderator: 5min
Keynote 20min
-
People with Policy/ Experiences & passionate (Active Leader)
Panel: Debates between 2 young ppl v 2 CEOs (45min)
-
Youth Engagement & Policy Development <->
Bill Smith
MHA Chief Policy Side
Break/Activity
Panel: 4-5 young ppl (45min)
-
Solutions/Community
Closing Remarks
Networking 2h
Roles and Responsibilities, Committee Finalization & Next Steps and Action Items
Keynote 1st Panel:
Jose & Aliza
2nd Panel:
Keegan & Marx
Networking:
Joanna
Friday 3pm Zoom
Action
Keynote & Panels
Themes
Tentative Details
Questions
People
Partners List
Production
Panels
Themes
Tentative Details
Questions
People
Partners List
Production
All of us together
Event Overview
About FYP & FYP Summit
What is FYP
ForYouPage (FYP) is a fully youth-led close-knit community, a network/resource hub, a safe space that radically embodies the idea of agency and compassion, connecting youth leaders, youth-centric nonprofits, and stakeholders with everyday youth who aspire to step out and do something for our community, our world.
Vision:
We have a simple vision-a world where social media with #fyp can be just a bit different—not just the content of entertainment and unrealistic influencers and fifty shades of negativity but a content of genuine risk-taking advocating youth, artifacts and evidence of hope, agency and compassion
Theory of Change
We believe that by radically & compassionately mobilizing grassroots youth advocacy and empowering risk-taking, we can rebuild the self-efficacy and authentic connection disrupted by technology, thereby addressing the mental health crisis and paving ways for our individual and collective flourishing in the face of today's challenges.
Core Value
Agency, Compassion, Authenticity, Togetherness, Humor
Core Offerings
FYP Wiki: a free, open alternative to Wikipedia & Technology that provides a medium for shared human passion, enabling community advocates to collaboratively compile local resources, knowledge, and community action plans, fostering connection and get alienated & lonely youth to work together towards a common purpose
FYP Summit: The FYP Summit is an annual fully youth-led gathering that highlights the pinnacle of youth agency, compassion, and collective, and reverses power dynamic -brings together youth advocates & stakeholders to fundamentally take the conversation in addressing the mental health crisis and drive change in the global mental health & advocacy landscape.
FYP Community: FYP Discord (for everybody): https://discord.gg/fvV2h4JNVt, FYP Slack for internal teams, close collaborators, high profile/privacy preferred advocates) [invite only]
More Readings:
FYP Formation Manifesto, FYP One Year Note
FYP Summit 2024 Guidelines
Guiding 5 Values & 4 Principles
Agency
The event aims to radically highlight our agency and elevate the agency of all youth. With this goal in mind, we ensure the organizing committee has complete autonomy in decision-making. The base funding for the entire event is pre-secured with no strings attached for complete freedom.
Further, we take a radical stance on capitalism and believe that money, the very element that brings accountability, also diminishes agency. As such, all official committee members and participants will not be directly compensated. We will make every attempt to secure further funding, with the first priority being scholarship awards not rewards for all participating committee members, but this is not guaranteed in practice and, more importantly, not guaranteed by principle. However, we do recognize how broke we all are, so intern and paid positions are available if interested in swapping.
The organizing committee will have complete independent power to design the event, choose partners, speakers, participating youth and stakeholders however we see fit. FYP may have some organizational goals such as evaluation of events, expanding wiki and community, but again the organizing committee has complete agency so it is completely up to you all if you choose to implement them or not.
Compassion,
Everything fyp does is about the people, people, people. We believe that all people are fundamentally kind and that compassion is the element that truly bonds people together and the bridge that can help us overcome differences in interests, beliefs, identities, and groups. We ask that all that associate with FYP practice compassionate nonviolent communication with everyone we interact with, our family, our friends, our colleagues, and our “foes”. More detailed guides here.
Togetherness,
Needless to say. No one needs to be and should feel alone. Within the personal boundary, FYP aims to foster togetherness. We are all in this together.
Authenticity,
We want the final event to be a high-fidelity reflection of what we, as a committee, want and can make happen by ourselves. If, for instance, without the pressure of accountability from compensation, we can only organize a small event, then we believe that is a true reflection of our current state. If the genuine state of youth today involves depression, feeling lost, and getting drunk or high or doom scroll every day, we bravely embrace and showcase that reality. FYP believes that to empower is to confront—the first step in solving any problem is to admit that there is one. FYP is a safe space that doesn't suppress but aims to unleash.
Humor & Fun
Humor is the bridge that brings all of these principles together. Jokes tell things real. Humor shows vulnerability. Most importantly, we are a bunch of 20 year olds, and the whole point of this is to have fun and PARTYY🍻YY.
Principle 1: Take risks. FYP's reach extends as far as prime ministers and billionaires, not because we possess world-altering genius, but because youth in our community have the audacity to imagine and the courage to reach out. Be bold, dream big, and fearlessly reach out to make our voices heard.
Principle 2: Be critical. As Plato said, "The unexamined life is not worth living," and at FYP, we encourage you to critically examine everything we do as a community, every aspect of this event, and the actions of each committee member. Each one of the organizing committees are leaders of the field and the conversation we are creating today can have a significant impact tomorrow on all youth. we encourage you to critically reflect & examine everything.
Principle 3: Emphasize grassroots and underserved communities. FYP believes there is no point doing anything if it doesn’t actually help the people, the struggling youth, the vulnerable. We committed to amplifying the voices of those who are often overlooked or marginalized
Principle 4: Take care of yourself. It would be pretty funny if a mental health advocate developed mental health issues from organizing a mental health event, so of all, the biggest priority is your own well being. And the first to-do is to make yourself happy. And then do the event and remember to prioritize self-care, set boundaries , and reach out for support when needed.
Last Year Stats & Photos
Our inaugural Youth Mental Health Summit at the Science Summit at UNGA78 brought together 60 in-person participants from across the country, representatives from more than 12 major mental health organizations, and engaged 500 online participants. The event featured 10 youth advocate speakers and marked a significant step in showcasing youth voices in mental health advocacy.
Last Year Organizers & Speakers: Maddie Freeman, Tamaki Hoshi, Bruny Kenou, Yoelle Gulko, Mariama Bah, Sahith Kancharla, Maksim Batuyev, Brandon Bond, Andrew Frawley
Last Year Attending Groups: Mental Health America, California Child Trust, HopeLab, Bring Change to Mind, The Good Life Movement, Active Minds, The Jed Foundation (JED), UN, citiesRISE, Fountain house, Global Citizen
2nd Organizing Meeting
May 31, 2024
Action Items
General
Partners Nomination
Each nominates three external organizations/individuals as general partners
One Page Event Plan Overview & Budget Preparation
Jose & Aliza
Worst and best case for Keynote + 1st Panel
Max and min budget for Keynote + 1st Panel
Keegan & Marx
Worst and best case for Breakout session + 2nd Panel
Max and min budget for Breakout session + 2nd Panel
Joanna
Max and min budget for the venue
Next Team Meeting Time: Jun 5, 2024 10:00 AM EST / 10PM GMT + 8 / 7AM PST FYP | Organizing Committee Meeting V3.0
Subcommittee
Program & Chief of Staff
Event Program overview, themes, timeline, feasibility
Min (1 event in sep)
Max (1 event in sep, SXSW, 1 event in Dec)
Prepare a list of key dependencies
Prepare a one page of tasks management
Fundraising
Prepare a list of funder
Impact
Prepare a list of impact partners
Logistics
Prepare a list of todo from last year day of event
Move 1st & 2nd meeting notes to Wiki & remove sensitive information
Move meeting to discord
Meeting Notes
1. Division of Labor, Role Finalization & Accountability, Decision Making
-
Suggested Division of Labor:
-
Jose & Aliza & Cameron: Design & Implementation of Keynote + 1st Panel
-
Keegan & Marx: Design & Implementation of Breakout session + 2nd Panel
-
Joanna & Jose: pre party, after party, tiktok engagement
-
Role Finalization & Accountability
-
Marx & Jose - General Chair: Responsible for overseeing the entire event and ensuring its success
-
Aliza & Cameron - Program Chair & Chief of Staff: responsible for design/implement programs, project management, post event evaluation, general partnership, long term planning
-
Keegan - Impact Chair: responsible for community engagement, social media campaign, impact partnerships
-
Marx - Fundraising Chair: responsible for funding & sponsorship
-
Joanna - Logistic Chair: responsible for all execution of logistics to and on day of event such as social media campaign implementation, organizing volunteers, catering, chair arranges
-
Decision Making
-
major decision such as themes, final event format/program/general timeline & partners: votes from all fyp organizing committee
-
Sectional decisions such as impact partners, details of panel 1 or panel 2, food offering in catering review by team and final decision by chair.
2. Section Planning Report/Overview
Theme
Behavioral Health Priorities for next 5 years -2030
Timeline
Event
Sep -> SXSW -> Sep/2024
-
Keynote + 1st Panel:
Jose & Aliza
-
Breakout session + 2nd Panel:
Keegan & Marx
-
Event Engagement Networking, Afterparty
Joanna
3. Partners Nomination
Up to 3 general partner
… [Status: voted to move forward]
… [Status: voted to move forward]
…
Up to 15 impact partner
4.Logistics
Next Team Meeting Time: Jun 5, 2024 10:00 AM GMT-12, 10AM SA, 7AM PST, Wed - 7PM
Move Notes to Open Wiki
Move Community Discussion to Discord
3rd Organizing Meeting
Action Item
Partners Outreaching
Organizational Outreach
Next Team Meeting Time: Jun 12, 2024 12:00 PM EST / 10AM GMT + 8 / 4PM PST FYP | Organizing Committee Meeting V3.0
Program & Tasks Management
Cameron will look through Aliza’s task list then incorporate it into a timeline with deadlines and dependencies
Aliza will look through existing tasks and see what support would be helpful.
Cameron and Aliza will have fortnightly check ins, with the option to meet more regularly where needed
Program team will check with the rest of the committee about their plans for livestreaming and international engagement, if any.
Concrete
Meeting
General
Partners Nomination
-
Each nominates 3-5 external organizations/individuals as general partners
-
One Page Event Plan Overview & Budget Preparation
Jose & Aliza
Template: FYP Event | Section: Keynote + 1st Panel
Worst and best case for Keynote + 1st Panel
Max and min budget for Keynote + 1st Panel
Keegan & Marx
Worst and best case for Breakout session + 2nd Panel
Max and min budget for Breakout session + 2nd Panel
Joanna
Max and min budget for the venue
Subcommittee
Program & Chief of Staff
Event Program overview, themes, timeline, feasibility
Min (1 event in sep)
Max (1 event in sep, SXSW, 1 event in Dec)
Prepare a list of key dependencies
Prepare a one page of tasks management
Fundraising
Prepare a list of funder
Impact
Prepare a list of impact partners
Logistics
Prepare a list of todo from last year day of event
Move 1st & 2nd meeting notes to Wiki & remove sensitive information
(will fix the look later)
Move meeting to discord
4th Organizing Meeting
General
- https://forms.gle/TB3c5fXCHftTWzgT8 by 4:00 PM EST @everyone
- Update Action to Timeline Task Deadlines Tracking by EoD EST @Aliza & Cameron
- The Steve Fund -Joanna by EoD EST
- Global Mental Health Action Network <-> Cameron
- Revise Timeline @Cameron @Aliza
- Theme & Final Goals/Production Research by Thurs @Marx & Cameron
5th Organizing Meeting
Jun 18, 2024
New Business
- Meeting Partners FYP | Future Concept Designs & Considerations
- Meeting Partners
- Budget Joanna & Marx
- Sep Event Aliza & Cameron
- Impact Keegan
- Meeting Partners
- Update Action to Timeline Task Deadlines Tracking by EoD EST @Aliza & Cameron
- Review Well-Being Check in
Roll Call
Jose, Joanna, Aliza, Cameron, Keegan-Absence
Old Business Discussion & Standup Report 7:05-7:30 EST/GMT+8
- General Chair
- Budget
- impact
- Program Chair Future event format/details for SXSW & Dec
- Impact Chair
- 8900+1500+4000=14400
- 4500+1500+4000=10000
- Logistics Chair
Motions 7:55-7:58PM EST
- Numbers of General Partners: Preferably 2-3 and max 5 Keegan 3
- Should youth general partners be allowed to attend the meeting: Joanna - No, Aliza - No, Cameron- No, Marx Keegan No
- Should advisors be allowed to attend organizing meetings: Joanna - No, Aliza, Cameron Marx, Keegan Yes
- Close the preliminary Budget: Joanna - No, Cameron - Yes, Aliza, Keegan - Yes (keep it open)
- Close on general partner opennings: Marx - No, No Joanna - Yes , Aliza - Yes, Cameron
- Amendament International partners yes Governmental partners yes
Reading and Approval of Minutes 7:58-8:00PM EST
6th Organizing Meeting
June 18, 2024
Call to Order
The meeting was called to order at 7:00 PM EST.
Roll Call
Present: Joanna, Jose, Marx, Aliza, Cameron Absent: Keegan Advisor present: Reem
Old Business
Brief updates were provided on the following:
- General Chair: Outreach to potential partners
- Program Chair: YPA collaboration, September event planning
- Impact Chair: TikTok video development
- Logistics Chair: Venue search, budget sheet
The committee reviewed the well-being check-in process and UNGA79 timeline.
New Business
The committee discussed:
- Venue options for September event (DC vs NYC)
- Event overview, task management, and key dependencies
- Section planning for keynote, panels, and breakout sessions
- Timeline revisions
- Budget consolidation for 2024 event
- Potential partners, including international and student organizations
- SXSW proposal
Motions and Voting
-
Event venue location Motion: Hold the September event in NYC Result: Passed (4 in favor, 2 opposed)
-
Speaker compensation Motion: Provide $400 travel accommodations for youth speakers Result: Passed unanimously
-
Non-youth speaker appreciation Motion: Provide non-monetary acknowledgement/appreciation to non-youth speakers Result: Passed unanimously
-
Venue decision timeline Motion: Keep venue options open for further consideration Result: Passed (4 in favor, 2 opposed)
Action Items
- Continue venue search and finalize decision
- Consolidate event overview, tasks, and timeline
- Finalize budget for 2024 event
- Follow up with potential partners
- Develop SXSW proposal
Adjournment
The meeting was adjourned at 8:20 PM EST. The next meeting will be scheduled via the committee's usual communication channels.
Minutes submitted by: Marx
7th Organizing Meeting
Part I: July 2nd Part II: July 4th
Call to Order
The meeting was called to order at 11:00 AM EST.
Roll Call
Part I:
Present: Joanna, Marx, Aliza Absent: Jose, Cameron
Part II:
Present: Joanna, Marx, Keegan, Aliza, Cameron
Old Business
The committee reviewed progress on the following items:
- Venue selection for September event (DC vs NYC options)
- Event consolidation and program structure
- Timeline revisions
- Budget consolidation for 2024 event
- Partner outreach and confirmations
- SXSW proposal development
New Business
Venue
- Joanna to follow up on venue options, with potential cost savings if booked by July 9, 2024
Program
- First Panel:
- Jose and Aliza to propose five names for speakers
- Second Panel:
- Keegan and Marx to propose five names for speakers
- Networking Sections:
- Joanna to develop plan
Partnerships
- Discuss collaboration with YPA/CyberCollective
- Explore partnerships with student organizations
Impact Plan
- Keegan and Cameron to develop
SXSW Proposals
- "Global Youth Voices: Critiquing Youth Activism in Mental Health for Collective Flourishing in AI Era"
- Cameron to lead
- "Authenticity, Agency, Action: Democratizing Mental Health Initiatives with Youth Advocacy"
- Aliza to lead
Timeline and Task Management
- Implement project management system to track deadlines and responsibilities
Motions and Voting
Motion: Approve Overall Agenda v5 for the September event
Action Items
- Finalize venue selection
- Compile speaker proposals for both panels
- Develop networking section plan
- Progress SXSW proposals
- Implement project management system for timeline and task tracking
Adjournment
The meeting was adjourned at 11:25AM EST. The next meeting will be scheduled via the committee's usual communication channels.
Minutes submitted by: Joanna
Executive Summary to Potential Partners
About ForYouPage.Org (FYP)
ForYouPage.Org (FYP) is a fully youth-led community and decentralized resource hub that connects youth leaders, nonprofits, and stakeholders with everyday youth who aspire to take risks and make a difference. Our vision is to create a world where social media with #fyp can be a platform for genuine youth advocacy, hope, agency, and compassion.
Event Overview:
The FYP Youth Mental Health Summit 2024 is an annual, fully and independently youth-led gathering that brings together youth advocates and stakeholders to address the mental health crisis and drive change in the global mental health landscape.
Short-term Event:
September Summit: A convener of multi-stakeholders focused on the theme of behavioral health action priorities for 2030, from youth and for youth.
Long-term Vision:
Series of Events: The September Summit is part of a series of events (including SXSW and a future event in September or December) aimed at establishing a framework for youth collective bargaining and universal negotiation with policymakers in scope of mental health, social media and tech policy. Testing Ground: These events will serve as a testing ground for the proposed youth advocacy framework.
Partners:
FYP Event Commmittee collaborates with two types of partners for the Youth Mental Health Summit:
- General Partners:
Overall partners that the FYP youth organizing committee voted on to be deeply involved Collaborate in the design and execution of the event program and agenda Potential collaborations include program design, joint reports, speakers/panelists/workshop facilitation, sponsorship, joint fundraising, and impact
- Impact Partners:
Partners nominated by FYP team members for extensive impact campaigns Potential collaborations include community engagement, cross and joint promotion, and in-event vendors/exhibitors
Collaboration Opportunities: As a General Partner, you will have the opportunity to collaborate with FYP in shaping the Youth Mental Health Summit 2024. Potential areas of collaboration include:
Program design and agenda development Joint reports and research Providing speakers, panelists, or workshop facilitators Sponsorship and joint fundraising Driving impact through joint initiatives
Appendix:
FAQ
What roles are partners taking on?
There are primarily two roles available: General Partners are overall partners that fyp youth organizing committee voted on to be involved deeply, partners to collaborate in the design & execution of the event program and agenda. Potential collab: program design, joint report, speakers/panelist(s)/workshop facilitation, sponsorship & joint fundraising, impact Impact Partners are partners that fyp team members nominated for extensive impact campaign. Potential collab: community engagement, cross & joint promotion, in event vendors/exhibitors
What is the difference between general partners and impact partners?
First, FYP Event has funding secured for a baseline event and hence is fully mission driven. Within each role we only define the maximum collab space and selected collaborators can choose to do as much/little depends on organizational needs. Key differences are the selection process and scope of work. General partners are nominated, voted, and invited by the entire independent youth committee and have scope to be at maximum the entire event as external organizing committee members. Impact Partners are partners that are nominated but not voted on and the scope of work limited to impact campaigns.
Universal Youth Collective Bargaining Framework:
Grassroots Foundation: Partnerships with local chapters of youth-focused organizations to create a bottom-up foundation for input, output, and a pathway for grassroots to join the negotiation team. Centralized Conversation and Advocate Gathering: Platforms like ForYouPage and DesignItForUs will serve as a centralized hub for collaboration, knowledge exchange, and the development of a unified youth voice. Open Organized Negotiation Representative Team: A democratically selected team of youth advocates will engage in open, organized negotiations with policymakers and tech companies. Testing Ground through ForYouPage Events: The event series will provide valuable experience and insights for refining the youth advocate union's approach. Direct Negotiation at Events: By inviting older stakeholders, the events themselves will function as direct negotiation grounds, aligning with the theme of action priorities.
Last Year Stats:
Our inaugural Youth Mental Health Summit at the Science Summit at UNGA78 brought together 60 in-person participants from across the country, representatives from more than 12 major mental health organizations, and engaged 500 online participants. The event featured 10 youth advocate speakers and marked a significant step in showcasing youth voices in mental health advocacy. Last Year Organizers & Speakers: Maddie Freeman, Tamaki Hoshi, Bruny Kenou, Yoelle Gulko, Mariama Bah, Sahith Kancharla, Maksim Batuyev, Brandon Bond, Andrew Frawley Last Year Attending Groups: Mental Health America, California Child Trust, HopeLab, Bring Change to Mind, The Good Life Movement, Active Minds, The Jed Foundation (JED), UN, citiesRISE, Fountain house, Global Citizen
YPA x FYP
Schedule Next Meeting
-Aliza, Keegan, Jose, Ava
Brainstorming
- Sept Event (Workshops, Joint Fundraising)
- SXSW + Dec 2024/Sep 2025 Event
- Universial Framework/Leverage/Inteface (Mental Health, AI) ->SXSW or next Sep
- Peer Orgs
Direct Interfacing
Joint Comm Grassroot panel between panel and social media companies trust and safety of AI and social media companies
- clarification how they want to be involved
- provide our initial proposal for their involvement in the summit (bring in 1 high-level speaker and 1 youth speaker from their team; contribute to impact campaign)
SXSW 2025 Ideas
marx's thought make the panel about a critique and reflection of youth led nonprofits and coalition in mental health and responsible tech works touching areas such as 1) how to break the only elite youth advocate narrative 2) how to break the narrative and get more everyday youth ways to involve (democratize youth advocacy) 3) how to protect advocates well being 4) how to ensure accounatbility 5) how to leverage the strengths of different youth nonprofits and audiences to make something impact together and build capacity and togetherness together. for instance, fyp runs on no money structure with open knowledge hub that allows us to be able to faciliate a lot of the large coalition and unionization of youth led nonprofits and collective movement.
Possible Themes/Aliza: Behavioral health policy Role of youth in developing and influencing the direction of policy Intersectionality of mental health Cultural competence and diverse providers within mental health care How and why youth are at the forefront of mental health advocacy today Healthy People 2030 research objectives around behavioral health
Proposed Framework:
-
Grassroots Foundation: Establish partnerships with local chapters of various youth-focused organizations to create a bottom-up foundation for connection, input, and output. This ensures that the union is grounded in the real experiences and needs of youth at the grassroots level, as well as a pathway for grassroots to join negotiation.
-
Centralized Conversation and Advocate Gathering: Leverage platforms like ForYouPage and DesignItForUs to create a centralized hub for conversation, resource sharing, and advocate gathering. This network will facilitate collaboration, knowledge exchange, and the development of a unified youth voice.
-
Open Organized Negotiation Representative Team: Form a representative team of youth advocates who will engage in open, organized negotiations with policymakers and tech companies. This team will be democratically selected from the grassroots foundation and will be responsible for presenting the collective interests and demands of the youth advocate union.
-
Testing Ground through ForYouPage Events: The series of events you are organizing through ForYouPage can serve as a testing ground for this advocacy pipeline. During these events, you can form an initial framework and engage in organized negotiation and conversation with your final speakers, such as Bill Smith from Inseparable or Surgeon General Vivek Murthy. This will provide valuable experience and insights for refining the youth advocate union's approach.
-
Direct Negotiation at Events: The events themselves can also function as direct negotiation grounds, similar to the UN Youth Climate Summit. By inviting older stakeholders to the events, you create opportunities for youth advocates to engage in direct negotiations and discussions, aligning with the theme of action priorities.
-
Storytelling for Grassroots Advocacy Pathway: Use storytelling as both an impact campaign for the events and a way to engage grassroots youth as an easy and low effort way to communicate their voices. Design a base framework for the content, including length, focal points, and key questions and answers, while allowing grassroots youth to fill in the rest with their own creative input-provide a door for grassroots involvement and help flush out FYP content with diverse youth perspectives.
Historical Examples:
-
The Civil Rights Movement (1954-1968): The Civil Rights Movement in the United States demonstrated the power of grassroots organizing, centralized leadership, and collective action. Organizations like the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) and the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) mobilized local communities, coordinated efforts, and negotiated with policymakers to advance racial equality and justice.
-
The Solidarity Movement in Poland (1980-1989): The Solidarity Movement, led by labor unions, successfully challenged the communist government in Poland through a combination of grassroots organizing, nationwide strikes, and negotiations. This movement showcased the effectiveness of a unified front in driving political and social change.
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The global climate strikes (2018-present): Inspired by Greta Thunberg, youth around the world have organized global climate strikes to demand action on climate change. These strikes have involved grassroots organizing, centralized coordination through networks like Fridays for Future, and direct negotiations with policymakers at events such as the UN Youth Climate Summit.
Organizing Committee Parliamentary Rules & Procedures
- Call to Order: The meeting is officially started by the chairperson or presiding officer.
- Roll Call: The secretary or designated person takes attendance to ensure that a quorum (the minimum number of members required to conduct business) is present.
- Reading and Approval of Minutes: The minutes from the previous meeting are read, and any necessary corrections are made. A motion is made to approve the minutes, seconded, and voted on.
- Reports: Officers, committees, and individuals provide updates on their assigned tasks or areas of responsibility.
- Old Business: Any unfinished business from previous meetings is discussed and resolved.
- New Business: New items are introduced for discussion and possible action. This is where most of the decision-making occurs.
- Motions: To introduce a new piece of business or propose a decision, a member makes a motion. Another member must second the motion to proceed with the discussion.
- Discussion: Once a motion is made and seconded, the chair opens the floor for discussion. Members can speak in favor of or against the motion, or propose amendments.
- Amendments: If a member wishes to change the wording of a motion, they can propose an amendment. Amendments must be seconded and voted on before the main motion is voted on.
- Voting: When the discussion is complete, the chair calls for a vote on the motion. Voting can be done by voice, show of hands, or ballot. The majority typically rules, unless otherwise specified in the bylaws.
- Adjournment: When all business is completed, a motion is made to adjourn the meeting, seconded, and voted on.
8th Organizing Meeting
Call to Order
The meeting was called to order at July 11th 7AM PST.
Roll Call
Part I:
Present: Aliza, Joanna, Marx, Reem (Advisor) Absent: Jose
Part II:
Present: Aliza, Joanna, Marx, Reem (Advisor), Keegan Absent: Cameron, Keegan
New Business
Motions and Voting
-
Motion to finalize date of September 13th, 3-9PM Result: Passed (Keegan, Aliza, Joanna, Marx in favor; Cameron and Jose pending)
-
Motion to keep FYP Annual Cohort at 10 youth members selected by committee with feedback from past cohort Result: Passed (Keegan, Aliza, Joanna in favor)
-
Motion to establish minimum contribution requirement for General Partners Result: Passed (Keegan, Aliza, Joanna in favor; Marx opposed)
-
Motion to keep YPA as General Partner Result: Failed (Keegan, Joanna, Aliza opposed; Marx in favor)
Program
- Aliza to finalize 10 Cohort List
- Aliza and Jose to finalize 1st Panel speakers
- Decision: No keynote speakers at the end, replaced with Closing Remarks
- Keegan and Marx to provide 2nd Panel Cohort/Speaker list by Friday
Project Management
- Aliza to outline Tasks & Management Needs
- Joanna and Reem to develop Management Plan
- Joanna to create Networking Section Plan
Partnerships
- Marx to follow up with YPA
- Keegan to follow up with AAP and Lookup
- Keegan to develop one-page Impact & Marketing Plan
- Discuss engagement with Student Organizations and 2023 Cohort
Logistics
- Joanna to negotiate Venue Contract
Future Planning
- SXSW proposals due July 22, 2024
- Aliza to work on Panel 1 Proposal
- Marx to work on Panel 2 Proposal
Old Business
Brief updates were provided on the following:
- Venue selection progress
- Panel speaker nominations
- Networking section planning
- Partnership outreach
- Impact plan development
- SXSW proposal progress
Action Items
- Finalize event agenda
- Complete panel speaker selections
- Develop project management and networking plans
- Follow up with potential partners
- Negotiate venue contract
- Progress SXSW proposals
Adjournment
The meeting was adjourned at July 11th 9AM PST. The next meeting will be scheduled via the committee's usual communication channels.
Minutes submitted by: Marx
8th Organizing Meeting
Date: July 11, 2024
Attendees:
Part I: Aliza Lopez (Program Chair), Joanna Fang (Logistics Chair), Marx Wang (General Chair), Reem (Advisor)
Part II: Aliza Lopez, Joanna Fang, Marx Wang, Reem (Advisor), Keegan Lee (Impact Chair)
Absent: Jose Caballero (General Chair - Part I only), Cameron Tan (Chief of Staff)
New Business/Action Items:
1. Motions and Voting:
a. Motion to finalize event date of September 13th, 3-9PM
Result: Passed (Keegan, Aliza, Joanna, Marx in favor; Cameron and Jose pending)
b. Motion to keep FYP Annual Cohort at 10 youth members selected by committee with feedback from past cohort
Result: Passed (Keegan, Aliza, Joanna in favor)
c. Motion to establish minimum contribution requirement for General Partners
Result: Passed (Keegan, Aliza, Joanna in favor; Marx opposed)
d. Motion to keep YPA as General Partner
Result: Failed (Keegan, Joanna, Aliza opposed; Marx in favor)
2. Program Development:
a. Aliza to finalize 10 Cohort List
b. Aliza and Jose to finalize 1st Panel speakers
c. Decision: No keynote speakers at the end, replaced with Closing Remarks
d. Keegan and Marx to provide 2nd Panel Cohort/Speaker list by Friday
3. Project Management:
a. Aliza to outline Tasks & Management Needs
b. Joanna and Reem to develop Management Plan
c. Joanna to create Networking Section Plan
4. Partnerships:
a. Marx to follow up with YPA
b. Keegan to follow up with AAP and Lookup
c. Keegan to develop one-page Impact & Marketing Plan
d. Discuss engagement with Student Organizations and 2023 Cohort
5. Logistics:
a. Joanna to negotiate Venue Contract
6. Future Planning:
a. SXSW proposals due July 22, 2024
- Aliza to work on Panel 1 Proposal
- Marx to work on Panel 2 Proposal
Old Business:
1. Venue selection progress reported by Joanna
2. Panel speaker nominations discussed
- 1st Panel nominations presented by Aliza
- 2nd Panel nominations presented by Keegan and Marx
3. Networking section planning update from Joanna
4. Partnership outreach progress
5. Impact plan development update from Keegan and Cameron
6. SXSW proposal progress
Action Items:
1. Marx to finalize event agenda to send to Kelly
2. Complete panel speaker selections
3. Develop project management and networking plans
4. Follow up with potential partners
5. Joanna to negotiate venue contract
6. Progress SXSW proposals
The meeting was adjourned at 9AM PST. The next meeting will be scheduled via the committee's usual communication channels.
Minutes submitted by: Marx Wang
9th Organizing Meeting
Date: July 16, 2024
Attendees:
Part I: Aliza Lopez (Program Chair), Joanna Fang (Logistics Chair), Marx Wang (General Chair)
Part II: Keegan Lee (Impact Chair), Marx Wang, Joanna Fang, Aliza Lopez
Absent: Reem (Advisor), Jose Caballero (General Chair), Cameron Tan (Chief of Staff)
New Business/Action Items:
1. Motions and Voting:
a. Motion to accept Cyber Collective as General Partner
Result: Passed unanimously (Aliza, Keegan, Marx, Joanna in favor)
2. Program Development:
a. 10 Cohort List to be finalized by Aliza
b. 1st Panel:
- JED Foundation involvement to be confirmed by Aliza and Jose
- Deadline for Jose: July 22, 2024
- Marx to follow up with Jose by July 16, 2024
c. 2nd Panel Cohort/Speaker:
- Awaiting 3 names from Cameron
- Decision to ask last year's cohort/speakers for opinions (community engagement)
3. Project Management:
a. Joanna to develop Networking Section Plan
4. Partnerships and Impact:
a. One-page Impact & Marketing Plan to be developed
b. Marx to work on Mass Research Survey and Research-Based Impact Plan
- Focus on Participatory Action Research (PAR) approach
5. Future Planning:
a. SXSW proposals due July 22, 2024
- Aliza to reach out to Audrey by July 16 or 17, 2024
Old Business:
1. Review of previous motions and voting results
2. Update on 10 Cohort List and Panel speaker selections
3. Progress on Project Management tasks
4. Partnership follow-ups (YPA, AAP, Lookup)
5. Student Organizations engagement (need at least 15)
6. 2023 Cohort engagement
7. Venue contract negotiation progress
8. Agenda finalization for Kelly
Action Items:
1. Finalize 10 Cohort List (Aliza)
2. Confirm JED Foundation involvement (Aliza and Jose)
3. Follow up on 2nd Panel speakers (Cameron)
4. Develop Networking Section Plan (Joanna)
5. Create One-page Impact & Marketing Plan
6. Progress on Mass Research Survey and PAR-based Impact Plan (Marx)
7. Finalize SXSW proposals
8. Engage with Student Organizations and 2023 Cohort
9. Complete venue contract negotiation (Joanna)
10. Finalize event agenda (Marx)
The meeting was adjourned. The next meeting will be scheduled via the committee's usual communication channels.
Minutes submitted by: [Not specified]
10th Organizing Meeting
Attendees: [Not specified]
New Business/Action Items:
- Sponsorship Package Review
- Program Development:
- a. Timeline for inviting audience to be developed
- b. 10 Cohort development:
- List of climate anxiety activists to be compiled by July 23, 2024 (Joanna)
- Committee to confirm and review list by July 25, 2024 (Aliza)
- Last year's cohort to review by July 26, 2024
- Reach out to all cohort youth by July 30, 2024
- c. 1st Panel:
- Follow-up on JED Foundation involvement by July 29, 2024 if no response
- Reach out to potential speakers by July 25, 2024
- Develop backup list of CEO/leadership and possible referrals by July 25, 2024 d. 2nd Panel Speaker selection ongoing
- Project Management: a. Networking Section Plan development (Joanna) - delayed b. Research plan to be confirmed by July 30, 2024 (Cameron)
- Partnerships: a. Follow up on general partner invitations (WFMH, AAP, YPA, Cyber Collective, JED Foundation) b. Invite Impact Partners c. One-page Impact & Marketing Plan to be developed (Keegan)
- Logistics: a. Venue contract to be signed
- General: a. Committee members to suggest invitees b. Finalize abstract/summary for voting
- Future Planning: a. SXSW proposal submitted
Old Business: [Not discussed in provided notes]
Action Items:
- Compile climate anxiety activist list (Joanna)
- Review and confirm 10 Cohort list (Aliza, Committee)
- Draft invitation email/message (Marx)
- Follow up on JED Foundation involvement
- Develop backup speaker lists
- Confirm research plan (Cameron)
- Follow up with potential partners
- Develop Impact & Marketing Plan (Keegan)
- Sign venue contract
- Finalize event abstract/summary
The meeting was adjourned. The next meeting will be scheduled via the committee's usual communication channels.
Note: These minutes have been edited to remove personal information. All deadlines and action items should be considered tentative and subject to change.
11th Organizing Meeting
Attendees: [Not specified]
New Business/Action Items:
- Partnerships: a. JED Foundation update b. AAP collaboration:
- Speaker consideration
- Programming details discussion
- Program Development: a. 1st Panel:
- Two non-youth speakers confirmed
- Two youth speakers confirmed b. 2nd Panel:
- Two speakers confirmed c. UN Administration:
- Review of convenor resources and new requirements
- To-do list: Speaker & registration info update, session pre-report submission by August 15th
- Explore cross-promotion opportunities with other UNGA events
- International Cohort:
- Discussion of potential international youth representatives
- Marketing: a. Eventbrite page created b. Flyer design in progress
- UN Involvement: a. Report due August 15, 2024 b. Update requested from Cameron
- Impact Planning: a. Research update requested from Cameron b. Review of impact plan timeline
- Guest Invitations:
- Committee members (except Marx and Aliza) to suggest invitees
- Active Minds 2024 Conference:
- Discussion of potential involvement or attendance
Action Items:
- Follow up on partnership discussions with JED Foundation and AAP
- Finalize panel speakers and confirm logistics
- Review and complete UN administration requirements
- Progress on international cohort selection
- Finalize marketing materials
- Prepare UN report for August 15th deadline
- Advance impact research and planning
- Compile guest invitation list
- Decide on Active Minds 2024 Conference involvement
The meeting was adjourned. The next meeting will be scheduled via the committee's usual communication channels.
Note: These minutes have been edited to remove personal information and potential liability issues. All deadlines and action items should be considered tentative and subject to change.
12th Organizing Meeting
Attendees: [Not specified]
New Business/Action Items:
1. Speaker/Cohort Status Update:
a. FYP-related tasks: Wiki, Interviews
b. Marketing: Promotions, Photos, Organizational outreach
c. Speaker information collection
d. Review of last year's proceedings
e. Research status
2. Speaker Confirmations and Follow-ups:
- Several potential speakers identified, with varying response statuses
- Committee members assigned to follow up with specific individuals
3. Panel Revisions:
a. Panel 1: Status update requested
b. Panel 2: Potential speaker changes discussed
4. Research Development:
a. Survey question revision
- Workshop planned to assess relevance and cultural appropriateness
- Cognitive interviews to be conducted
- Participatory analysis of pilot results
5. Attendee List:
- Internal memo for FYP 2025 to be prepared
6. Program Structure:
- Suggestion to reframe event structure discussed
7. Action Items for Committee Members:
- Specific tasks assigned to Aliza, Cameron, Reem, Jose/Keegan, Marx, and Joanna
- Tasks include speaker invitations, audience outreach, research development, marketing, partnerships, and logistics
8. Upcoming Deadlines:
- To be determined and communicated to the team
Action Items:
1. Finalize speaker list and send invitations
2. Develop international involvement plan
3. Design Instagram marketing materials
4. Draft partnership emails
5. Revise research survey and conduct pilot interviews
6. Update sponsorship package and initiate outreach
7. Arrange accommodations for speakers and attendees
8. Develop fundraising plan
The meeting was adjourned. The next meeting will be scheduled via the committee's usual communication channels.
Note: These minutes have been edited to remove personal information. All deadlines and action items should be considered tentative and subject to change.
13th Organizing Meeting
Attendees: [Not specified]
New Business/Action Items:
1. Audience Engagement:
a. Finalizing youth advocates and panel 2 speakers list
b. Confirming hotel accommodations
2. Marketing:
a. Developing core message focusing on:
- Combating power dynamics in behavioral health
- Demonstrating personal agency and passion as drivers of youth advocacy
3. Panel 2 Speaker & Cohort:
a. Confirming speakers and arranging travel accommodations
b. Scheduling initial meetings with potential international speakers
c. Finalizing FYP 2025 memo
4. Impact Planning:
a. Developing international speaker strategy
b. Finalizing overall impact plan, including TikTok strategy
5. Invitations:
a. Responding to various organization inquiries
b. Drafting and sending speaker and general invitation emails
6. Speaker/Cohort Management:
a. Updating FYP Wiki and conducting interviews
b. Collecting marketing materials (photos, graphics, videos)
c. Gathering speaker information
7. International Engagement:
a. Creating informational brochure for international participants
b. Developing overall plan for international individuals and organizations
8. Research:
a. Pushing forward research initiatives
b. Conducting study on hash mail
c. Focusing on winter student marketing
Old Business/Standup Report:
- Progress updates on speaker confirmations
- Marketing material finalization
- Attendee list development
- Capacity verification
- Survey and quote number discussion
Action Items:
1. Finalize youth advocates and panel 2 speakers list
2. Confirm hotel accommodations
3. Develop and implement marketing core message
4. Schedule meetings with potential international speakers
5. Finalize impact plan and TikTok strategy
6. Respond to organization inquiries and send invitation emails
7. Collect necessary materials from speakers/cohort
8. Create international participant brochure
9. Push forward research initiatives
10. Develop social media campaign
The meeting was adjourned. The next meeting will be scheduled via the committee's usual communication channels.
Note: These minutes have been edited to remove personal information. All deadlines and action items should be considered tentative and subject to change.
FYP Research
In an effort to gain perspective on other groups doing similar things and improve ourselves, we perform case studies on various organizations and Instagram accounts. If you'd like to see a case study on a particular organization/Instagram account let us know. If you'd like to participate in the process, we have templates available for each, and as long as you have an account, anyone can edit the pages for greater clarification. If you have comments on the process, reach out! We are always working on ourselves and our organization.
Changemaker Xchange
-
what do they do
-
Community building, change
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We're on a mission to provide safe, supportive, fun, and empowering spaces for changemakers. We foster profound and lasting connections, nurture wellbeing, and enable peer-learning and meaningful collaborations so that changemakers may create, sustain and scale positive change.
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With a focus on climate change
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who’s their audience
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Changemakers, anyone
-
what are their approaches
-
what’s their current program/project
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Community
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Facilitation
-
Ecosystem
-
-
whats their organizational structure
-
Like apex center
-
who fund them
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Note: The large majority of our Funding in 2020 comes from Foundations (± 60%), Corporate Partners (20%), Individuals (15%) and Business Activities / Wirtschaftlicher Geschäftsbetrieb (5%)
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what else stands out
-
Legal:
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Name, registered office, address and year of foundation
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bylaws
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tax privileges
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https://changemakerxchange.org/data-privacy/ - data privacy
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https://changemakerxchange.org/imprint/ - Imprint
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https://changemakerxchange.org/duediligence/ - Due Diligence
Lookup.live
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what do they do
Provide funds for youth change-makers who is providing solution to youth mental health crisis
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who’s their audience
youth change-makers
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what are their approaches
Provide funds and support, through these programs
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Grants for Innovators,
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Podcast to Amplify,
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Spotify Podcast
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Events,
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Give Youth a Platform
-
what’s their current program/project
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Timely
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Timely is a skill-sharing platform that connects users with others locally based on mutual skills, hobbies, or activities and helps coordinate a time/place to do them together.
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Write it Down
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Communicating the power of journaling to be an agent of self comprehension and healing.
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Ctrl + Z: The Climate Mental Health Podcast
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Winners of the exposure labs storytelling grant
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Youth are carrying the burden of the world’s future and being asked to fix it. Ctrl+Z: The Mental Health podcast takes a deep dive into the intersecting issues that youth are grappling with and centers stories about youth resilience in the face of the climate crisis.
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GoYogi
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We aim to increase access to proactive, mindfulness-based mental health education. Utilizing technology, GoYogi works to integrate custom stress management techniques, breathing exercises, and mindfulness practices directly into the school’s culture and curriculum.
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Growing Digital with Jules Terpak
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Winners of the exposure labs storytelling grant
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Growing Digital with Jules Terpak is a media platform that helps people understand how human-computer interaction is evolving.
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Highlight Reel
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Who's behind the highlight reel? Highlight Reel is an exhibit exploring how the perfected versions of ourselves that we post on social media are only a fraction of the picture.
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Impact Playground
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Winners of the exposure labs storytelling grant
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Impact Playground aims to develop personalized and comprehensive social-justice education that empowers and equips youth to pursue diverse pathways to social impact.
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Know The System
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We are a collective of activists that utilize the power of storytelling to shift the narrative on mental health and advance real solutions through policy, culture, and communication.
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Others
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whats their organizational structure
-
Like Apex center at VT
-
who fund them
-
what else stands out
-
Contact past grant winner leaders? https://lookup.live/innovators22
https://www.instagram.com/lookup_live/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/lookup-live/
Force Of Nature
Organization Name: Force Of Nature
Organization Country: UK, with a student network spanning 50+ countries
Link to their website: https://www.forceofnature.xyz/team
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What do they do?
They “help their community channel climate anxiety into agency; develop the skills to make a difference; and inspire change at the systemic level.”
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Who’s their audience?
Their audience is youth, but they also work on “intergenerational exchange,” connecting youth with (old people) policymakers. “This means bringing together the energy of youth, with the knowledge of experience.”
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What’s their approaches?
3 pronged approach:
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Working with businesses
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Working with educators
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Platforming youth voices
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What’s their current program/project?
Climate Cafes, youth can host cafes to discuss climate change related issues. They have a micro grant program for people who want to host but can’t afford to.
#ClimateConfessions: basically like halfthestory but the videos and posts are focused around climate change anxiety
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What’s their organizational structure?
Business-like, very structured within the organization. Everyone has specific roles and works underneath someone(s) else. Not sure if they’re a nonprofit, but they are always looking to work with nonprofits. They were founded in 2019 and seem to have come a long way since then.
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Who funds them? (can be hard to track down, make an educated guess)
Multiple Fortune 500 companies, including P&G, Pepsico, and Unilever, as well as government funding and donations.
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What else stands out?
They, like many other organizations that have been analyzed, have a “2022 impact report” detailing what they did in 2022 to further their mission. Website is weird and sometimes hard to navigate.
GenZ Talks
Organization Country: U.S.
Link to their website: https://genztalks.com
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What do they do?
Giving the youth voice a seat at the table, through Live Events, Reverse Mentoring and Content Production.
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Who’s their audience?
Youth entrepreneur and corporation
-
What’s their approaches?
To collaborate with organisations to deliver the most fun, engaging and impactful events that bring together Gen Z talent and companies in a 50/50. split audience.
Connect 10,000 entrepreneurially minded Gen Zs to forward thinking companies, to increase innovation, skills and intrapreneurship in the workplace.
Help SME and corporate companies better engage and retain the younger generation and become a youth friendly employer.
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What’s their current program/project?
Conference, talks,
There is no information on the youth start ups
-
What’s their organizational structure?
Real founders not on website
-
Who funds them? (can be hard to track down, make an educated guess)
Company sponsorship
-
What else stands out?
We can learn from their website structure
The Empathy Alliance
Organization Country: United States
Link to their website: https://www.theempathyalliance.org/
What do they do?
Make education safer and more inclusive for LGBTQ+ youth
Who’s their audience?
Educators, students, LGBTQ+ youth
What’s their approaches?
The founder partners with various organizations (like the white house) to spread awareness, and the founder often does speeches/talk shows/interviews to further spread awareness, and ensure that nobody else has to go through what he did. Their three approaches are: spreading awareness, educating educators, and transforming communities.
What’s their current program/project?
Speaking at events geared towards educators and youth-serving professionals.
What’s their organizational structure?
Seems like one leader (Sameer Jha) and a host of unnamed donors and supporters. The group partners with many other organizations to spread the message of LBGTQ+ acceptance and identity.
Who funds them? (can be hard to track down, make an educated guess)
Likely CA based donations, and certainly federal grants.
What else stands out?
Seems like the website hasn’t been updated since 2022. Much of this work seems awareness focused, and they mention that they have “reached over 1 million people” through their work. It’s hard to measure the success of this organization, but they’re doing something right if Biden invited Sameer to the White House to “advise on the needs of trans youth.”
The Climate Initiative
Organization Country: United States
Link to their website: https://www.theclimateinitiative.org/
What do they do?
Provide education and tools for engagement towards the end of transitioning regular communities to climate resilient communities. Education and empowerment initiatives are community based.
Who’s their audience?
“Young climate champions” – People who care about the planet and its people, and are young.
What’s their approaches?
They educate and engage communities with their programs/resources
What’s their current program/project?
There are nine programs:
-
Learning Lab (educating high schoolers about climate change and cc solutions)
-
Ambassadors (training people to connect with and educate people of all ages)
-
Stories of Change (same thing as half the story but with a story about what inspired people to act on climate change)
-
Climate Career Fellowships (helps youth become politicians, i guess)
-
Educator Retreats (professional development days for teachers that are centered around climate change and teaching it well)
-
Community Conversations (starting conversations in your own community and “discovering the places your community values”)
-
Our Beautiful Planet (films from climate scientists)
-
Climate Courage (a workshop where youth can talk about their feelings on climate change)
What’s their organizational structure?
Staff made up mostly of youth, with a few adults (leaders, maybe)
Advisory Board made up of middle aged to old people
Board of directors that mostly dinosaurs with a smattering of younger people
Who funds them? (can be hard to track down, make an educated guess)
Likely the dinosaurs on the board of directors, with some donations
What else stands out?
They partner with a lot of corporations, have a “join the movement” link in the footer of every page, and have about 45 people within the organization, between the three different levels of the organizational structure.
Their main deliverable: “TCI aims to educate, empower and activate 1 million youth to reach this goal by 2025.”
All of these questions were easily answered in about 10 minutes of going through their page. We need to be similar.
The Steve Fund
What do they do
Support the mental health and emotional well-being of young people of color by promoting programs and strategies
Our Goals
Our goals are: A robust national dialogue; adoption of effective programs by colleges and universities; greater knowledge and utilization of campus mental health services; and the increased competency of families and mental health organizations serving our demographic.
Who’s their audience
Young people of color
Approaches
The Fund holds an annual conference series, Young, Gifted & @Risk, and offers a Knowledge Center with curated expert information. With multicultural mental health experts it delivers on-campus and on-site programs and services for colleges and non-profits, and through tech partnerships it provides direct services to young people of color.
1. Building knowledge and thought leadership
2. Creating programs and strategic partnerships
3. Promoting awareness and dialogue
4. Producing immediate impact for students through tech innovations
-
what’s their current program/project
-
Seminars & Workshops
-
For Staff, Administrators, Instructors and Providers
-
For High School Students and College Students
-
Equity in Mental Health on Campus Initiative
-
Consultation Services
-
Non-Violent Communication
From Youth Advocacy to Everyday Life
Core Philosophy
At FYP, we believe all people are fundamentally kind and that compassion is the bridge that helps us overcome any differences in interests, beliefs, identities, and groups. Non-violent communication is not just a technique but a fundamental pathway to transform how we relate to ourselves, to each other, and to our world.
The Path of Communication
Level 1: Self to Self
Level 2: Within Youth Movements
Level 3: In Advocacy Work
Level 4: In Everyday Life
Core Framework
1. Observation Without Judgment
The art of seeing clearly
In Youth Advocacy:
"I notice our last three events had lower youth turnout than expected."
Instead of: "Our events are failing because no one cares."
"The policy draft doesn't include specific youth mental health provisions."
Instead of: "They're ignoring youth voices again."
In Daily Life:
"You've missed our last two planned meetups without message."
Instead of: "You're such an unreliable friend."
2. Feelings Without Attribution
The practice of honest expression
In Youth Advocacy:
"I feel worried about our community engagement goals."
Instead of: "You're not doing enough outreach."
"I feel frustrated when youth voices are missing from these discussions."
Instead of: "Adults never listen to young people."
In Daily Life:
"I feel lonely when we don't connect regularly."
Instead of: "You never make time for me."
3. Needs Without Demands
The foundation of connection
In Youth Advocacy:
"I need clarity about our project timeline to coordinate effectively."
Instead of: "You need to be more organized."
"We need transparent processes to ensure youth participation."
Instead of: "Your system is broken and exclusionary."
In Daily Life:
"I need occasional quiet time to recharge."
Instead of: "You're too demanding of my time."
4. Requests Without Commands
The bridge to action
In Youth Advocacy:
"Would you be willing to co-create an outreach strategy with me?"
Instead of: "Start doing more outreach."
"Could we establish regular youth feedback sessions?"
Instead of: "You must include youth in your process."
In Daily Life:
"Would you be open to setting up a weekly check-in?"
Instead of: "Text me more often."
Practical Applications Across Contexts
In Youth Organizations
1. Internal Communication
- Clear role expectations
- Regular feedback loops
- Supportive accountability
2. Community Building
- Inclusive language
- Cultural sensitivity
- Space for all voices
3. Conflict Resolution
- Focus on shared goals
- Acknowledge all perspectives
- Seek collaborative solutions
In Advocacy Work
1. Stakeholder Engagement
- Respect for experience
- Clear articulation of needs
- Collaborative approach
2. Policy Discussions
- Data-driven observations
- Impact-focused language
- Actionable proposals
3. Coalition Building
- Shared values emphasis
- Bridge-building language
- Unity in diversity
In Personal Life
1. Family Relationships
- Emotional honesty
- Boundary respect
- Growth mindset
2. Friendships
- Active listening
- Authentic expression
- Mutual support
3. Professional Settings
- Clear communication
- Constructive feedback
- Solution focus
Common Challenges and Responses
1. Power Dynamics
Challenge: Communicating with authority figures or institutions
Response: Focus on shared goals and mutual benefits while maintaining authenticity
2. Emotional Intensity
Challenge: Managing strong feelings during important discussions
Response: Practice pause and reflection, use feeling words precisely
3. Cultural Differences
Remember
- Start with self-compassion
- Practice makes progress
- Every interaction is an opportunity
- Connection before correction
Implementation Steps
For Beginners
- Start with self-observation
- Practice one component at a time
- Begin in low-stakes situations
- Seek feedback from trusted friends
For Advocates
- Model in movement spaces
- Create supportive practice environments
- Integrate into organizational culture
- Build training capacity
For Daily Life
- Choose one relationship to practice
- Share your learning journey
- Celebrate small successes
- Build supportive habits
Transformation Process
Individual Practice
↓
Movement Integration
↓
Social Change
↓
Cultural Transformation
Core Commitments
-
To Ourselves:
- Regular self-reflection
- Ongoing learning
- Compassionate self-talk
-
To Our Movements:
- Authentic leadership
- Inclusive practices
- Sustainable activism
-
To Our World:
- Bridge-building
- Peace-making
- Community-strengthening
"Through compassionate communication, we don't just change conversations—we transform relationships, movements, and ultimately, our world."
United We Dream
Organization Country: United States
Link to their website: unitedwedream.org
What do they do?
They are the largest immigrant youth-led network in the country, and they fight for the dignity and respect of all immigrants
Who’s their audience?
Immigrant youth, people who are passionate about their cause, and policymakers.
What’s their approaches?
They organize rallies, demonstrations, legal campaigns, and social media campaigns to stop people from getting deported and give them a future in the United States.
What’s their current program/project?
Undeniable! campaign, pushing for policymakers to write legislation that would:
-
Citizenship for all 11 million undocumented immigrants in the US
-
Defund ICE, CBP, and police (so based)
-
Reinstatement and expansion of DACA and TPS
-
COVID-19 relief that doesn’t discriminate on grounds of immigration status
-
A moratorium on enforcement, and the release of people in ICE and CBP camps
What’s their organizational structure?
Grassroots movement with millions of roots and a central leadership who holds the legal powerhouse
Who funds them? (can be hard to track down, make an educated guess)
Regular people, donations
What else stands out?
These guys are very effective and quite large. We should include immigration resources on the wiki.
We R Native
Organization Country: United States
Link to their website: https://www.wernative.org/
What do they do?
We R Native is a resource page for native youth, by native youth. It’s literally us but specifically for native youth.
Who’s their audience?
Native youth
What’s their approaches?
They offer lots of online resources available to anyone, and do outreach via community projects, sending ambassadors to conferences, and inviting any native youth to contribute as much or as little as they like on the website. There are mental health resources, career resources, and more.
What’s their current program/project?
“Ask your relative,” and a few different programs/articles for LGBTQ native youth, a group which is doubly more likely to commit suicide than being part of either single group.
What’s their organizational structure?
A central group that runs the website and provides “incentives” (money) to anybody who wants to be an ambassador for We R Native. Again, very similar to us.
Who funds them? (can be hard to track down, make an educated guess)
“funds from the Indian Health Service and the Minority AIDS Initiative Fund, and by a GLS suicide prevention grant from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration.”
What else stands out?
Website is kinda chunky, but overall the organization is REMARKABLY similar to what we want to do.
Youth Climate Lab
What do they do
Provide youth with skills, financial support, and policy knowledge in order to aid in the fight against climate change.
Who’s their audience
Young stem people looking to help with climate change and create a climate-resilient future
What’s their approaches
Radical collaboration, providing youth with the 3 things they believe are necessary to creating just, climate-resilient futures: policy knowledge, financial support, and necessary skills.
What’s their current program/project
https://www.youthclimatelab.org/impact
Two programs: Cohorts and Collectives
Cohorts: Four to eight-month fellowship-style programs for participants to build the skills, knowledge and relationships they need to become lifelong climate leaders.
Collectives: Large-scale, multi-partner initiatives focused on creating the enabling conditions, such as finance, connections, and knowledge, to scale youth-led climate action.
Whats their organizational structure
One executive, 6 managers. A board of directors who likely has significant influence on their actions, as well as a group of “associates” that are likely companies/scientists that they partner with. There seem to be no people older than 40 anywhere in their organizational structure.
Who funds them
Hard to say, likely some crowdfunding and the majority is a mix of government grants and private donations
What else stands out
They have an excellent “Impact” page, which shows everything that they’ve done in a way that inflates their sense of success to the viewer. It’s very flattering and well done/persuasive. They also have a blog page that is similar to our wiki page but not as cool.
This is present at the bottom of every page.
Overall, YCl is a great example of what we should try to emulate. They have three core approaches to their mission of teaching policy knowledge, skills, and providing financial support/knowledge. They involve the community as much as they can, and essentially do the same as us, break down barriers to human flourishing, but their flourishing is a future where the planet doesn’t hate us.
The Cybersmile Foundation
Organization Name:
The Cybersmile Foundation
Organization Country:
U.S. and U.K.
Link to their website:
What do they do?
digital wellbeing and tackling all forms of bullying and abuse online
Who’s their audience?
youth
What are their approaches?
advocacy through influencers
use testimonies to drive their donations
What’s their current program/project?
companies can find them to make a one-off awareness campaign https://www.cybersmile.org/what-we-do/corporate
STOP CYBERBULLYING DAY 2023
What’s their organizational structure?
ADVISORY PANEL
Our panel of world renowned experts ensure that we are always leading the way through innovation and expertise.
AMBASSADORS (famous people)
Our growing team of Cybersmile Ambassadors work together to promote our campaigns and initiatives to millions of people around the world.
PARTNERS
We work alongside some of the worlds leading brands to make the internet truly inclusive for users of all ages.
PATRONS
Our network of Patrons and Vice-Patrons play an integral part in the year-round activities of Cybersmile.
TESTIMONIALS
We love hearing from people that we have helped! See what people from all over the world are saying about the impact Cybersmile has had on their lives.
Who funds them? (can be hard to track down, make an educated guess)
Unknown
What else stands out?
Celebrity and influencer driven
Championing Youth Minds
Organization Name:
Championing Youth Minds
Organization Country:
U.K.
Link to their website:
https://www.championingyouthminds.com
What do they do?
We aim to provide a platform through which young people can help other young people care for their mental wellbeing.
Through free online resources accessible to all schools, parents and youth, workshops and social media, we help our youth understand mental health and effective strategies that work best for them.
Who’s their audience?
PRIMARY, SECONDARY, Higher education, All other ages, experiences and backgrounds
What are their approaches?
education
What’s their current program/project?
podcast, workshop
What’s their organizational structure?
Who funds them? (can be hard to track down, make an educated guess)
no idea
What else stands out?
last Instagram post 23 weeks ago
not 501 c 3
Youth Mental Health Project
Organization Name: Youth Mental Health Project
Organization Country: United States
Link to their website: https://ymhproject.org
What do they do?
1. EVENTS AND SUPPORT https://ymhproject.org/screenings-and-events/
2. EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS
- https://ymhproject.org/learn-more/#free-materials
- Understanding Youth Mental Health – Questions Parents Frequently Ask
- Feelings & Emotions: Mental Health 101 - Talking with Kids
- Understanding and Supporting Youth Mental Health Booklet
- fact sheets on Addiction, ADHD, Anxiety, Depression, Mental Health Learning Disabilities, OCD and more
- Infographic: Mental Health For Children
3. FILM
NO LETTING GO
A compelling film about one family’s journey to understand and seek help for their son’s emotional instability and erratic behavior.
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3438208/
4. THE PARENT SUPPORT NETWORK
https://ymhproject.org/parent-support-network/
Who’s their audience?
parents
What are their approaches?
advocacy
What’s their current program/project?
none
What’s their organizational structure?
Program Director, Interim Executive Director, Administrative Manager, Founder --> Board of Directors
Who funds them? (can be hard to track down, make an educated guess)
https://ymhproject.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/YMHP-AnnualReport-FINAL_3.21.22.pdf
What else stands out?
not active in 2023? last post in Instagram is 8 weeks ago https://www.instagram.com/ymhproject/?hl=en
AmeriCorps
Organization Country: United States
Link to their website: https://americorps.gov/
-
What do they do?
Americorps connects both youth and older folks with opportunities around the US where they can contribute to local community growth and development. They spawned out of the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC), created during the Great Depression by FDR, in order to provide jobs for the jobless and build necessary infrastructure at the same time. Their listed goal is to “make service to others an indispensable part of the American experience.”
-
Who’s their audience?
Their audience is all Americans, but especially youth.
-
What’s their approaches?
They have 6 focuses: Disaster services, education, economic opportunity, environmental stewardship, healthy futures, and veterans and military families.
-
What’s their current program/project?
There are 10s of programs within each of their 6 approaches. Each program is locally focused, and Americorps connects them.
-
What’s their organizational structure?
They are a government program that both directly connects with youth and with other, more local organizations. An example of this is Kupu, a program in Hawaii focused on environmental stewardship. Kupu has 6 month and one-year programs that are essentially paid internships, and Americorps provides the funding that pays the interns, and Kupu provides the direction.
-
Who funds them? (can be hard to track down, make an educated guess)
Government funding + private sector donations.
-
What else stands out?
Americorps does much of what we aim to do, but for more than youth, and they largely only work with other organizations to provide them with people. The biggest difference is that Americorps is a government program, whereas we are not.
https://thewowfoundation.com/young-leaders-directory-2022
Instagram Page of @bymariandrew
Organization/Individual: Mari Andrew, Author of "AM I THERE YET" and "MY INNER SKY"
IG Handle: @bymariandrew
Followers: ~925k
Engagement (% of followers liking average post): Unknown, like counts hidden
How often they post slides/photos:
1-2 per month
How often they post reels:
N/A, no reels posted
What kind of content?
Personal photos and writings, each with a form of personal meditation attached
What ratio of content?
Roughly 1:1 ratio of Personal : Writing posts
Other notable features:
Instagram Page of @gemmacorrell
Organization/Individual: Gemma Correll, an artist who does comics on mental health (and pugs)
IG Handle: @gemmacorrell
Followers: 950k
Engagement (% of followers liking average post): 1-10%
How often they post slides/photos: Once per week
How often they post reels:
No reels posted since 2022.
What kind of content?
Almost all mental health comics, with very rare personal posts
What ratio of content?
No ratio needed, generally only one kind of content
Other notable features:
Lots of story highlights, as well as an Instagram guide. An Instagram guide for each region that we operate in would be a good addition to our page, with each guide containing local resources. One guide with resources that are available in most US locales would be a good place to start.
Color of Change
What do they do?/What are their primary activities?
What are opportunities for young people to participate in the organization/in the field?
- if there are specific opportunities who is the point of contact?
Who’s their audience?
What are their approaches?
What’s their current program/project/work?
What’s their organizational structure?
Who funds them? (can be hard to track down, make an educated guess)
What else stands out?
Instagram Page of @brenebrown
Organization: “Unlocking Us” podcast and a few books, the page is the author’s personal page and showcases their various projects, as well as awareness for a few different social causes.
IG Handle: @brenebrown
Followers: 4.9 million
Engagement (% of followers liking average post): 1-5% (50k likes average per post)
How often they post slides/photos:
Once every few months, but no posts since February 2023 as of July 2023
How often they post reels:
Very rarely, no reels posted since April 2022
What kind of content?
Most of the content on this page promotes the author and their projects, with some story highlights. THe story highlights are announcements about upcoming projects, her daily life, her dog, and some touring that she did.
What ratio of content?
No memes, all serious content with relatively low engagement. Every post is about one of her books or a new episode of her podcast dropping.
Other notable features:
Despite the lack of recent stories and posts, this page is very populated and welcoming. Story highlights add a level of humanity to the account that her posts do not.
Instagram Page of @cocktailsandcapitalism
Organization: Cocktails and Capitalism (Podcast)
IG Handle: @cocktailsandcapitalism
Followers: 39k
Engagement: (% of followers liking average post): 2-20%
How often they post slides/photos:
Daily
How often they post reels:
Daily
What kind of content?
Posts are almost all memes with a slide or two at the end with a clip from their podcast, and a promotion slide, maxed out images per post
Some posts promote rallies or events going on (strikes/protests/legislation)
What ratio of content?
The memes blend information and funny stuff
Ratio of memes : self-promotion : strictly informational is roughly 7:1:1
Other notable features:
AN array of story highlights promoting podcast episodes, the STOP COP CITY movement, Palestine, and a bunch of other movements, as well as one that is strictly for the page owner's "private" life.
Instagram page of @allira.potter
Organization: This page is for an individual. They're an author and model.
IG Handle: @allira.potter
Followers: 49k
Engagement (% of followers liking average post): Unknown, like counts on posts have been removed.
How often they post slides/photos:
2-3 times per week
How often they post reels:
3-4 times per month
What kind of content?
The content is mostly Allira's daily life, with a few plugs for sponsored products, as well as some mental health focused content, daily affirmations and such.
What ratio of content?
Ratio of personal : sponsored : mental health is roughly 3:1:3
Other notable features:
Not many highlights, but lots of daily stories are posted.
Managing a Nonprofit Organization by Thomas Wolf
Chapter 1 : https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1ICQGocT8pXgZVpL-wDjkgdBAs0qsLPyJn0xdegSXndI/edit?usp=sharing
Chapter 3: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1JE6cKCvhcXhhQWVez2xoL9jsHLjzHUc99FAi-PsL8I4/edit?usp=sharing
Instagram Page of @dearmyanxiety
Organization/Individual: dearmyanxiety is a podcast run by Stefania Rossi, this page is largely focused on the podcast.
IG Handle: @dearmyanxiety
Followers: ~400k
Engagement (% of followers liking average post): 1-5%
How often they post slides/photos:
1-2 times per week
How often they post reels:
Roughly once per month
What kind of content?
Podcast plugs, personal posts, and mental health tips/strategies
What ratio of content?
The ratio of podcast : personal : MH strategies is around 1:1:6
Other notable features:
Many story highlights that started and ended at varying times, with a few that get new things added more regularly. There are a few scattered memes throughout the page, but most of the content is material that Stefania has created to help others with the mental health issues that they have had throughout their life.
Instagram Page of @makedaisychains
Organization/Individual: Hannah Daisy, a queer illustrator and occupational therapist from the UK
IG Handle: @makedaisychains
Followers: ~155k
Engagement (% of followers liking average post): 1-10%
How often they post slides/photos:
3-4 times per week
How often they post reels:
1-2 times per week
What kind of content?
Mental health, disability, and LBGTQ awareness. Lots of cute cartoons about different social issues, especially surrounding LBGTQ youth. Some twitter screenshots, photos from their life.
What ratio of content?
Almost all comics with a different thing about every 8 posts.
Other notable features:
Lots of story highlights and seemingly daily posts to their story.
July 18 week Instagram Case Studies
Adele
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1lLRJQd0zf0jejQybhGB54BYlwKD3U98seVO9cQEYQVY/edit?usp=sharing
Connor
https://docs.google.com/document/d/14aKlclW2xFCzMf5QMh56atyqcqAU5XH3omCwJ0H4dmM/edit?usp=sharing
Joanna
THIS IS AN UPRISING By Mark and Paul Engler
This Is an Uprising
By Mark and Paul Engler
Core Thesis
The book argues that nonviolent movements can be systematically studied, strategically planned, and effectively executed - they're not just spontaneous eruptions but can follow predictable patterns of success.
Key Frameworks to Focus On
1. Structure vs. Momentum-Driven Organizing
- Structure: Traditional organizing focusing on building institutions
- Momentum: Dramatic protests creating peak moments of public attention
- Key Insight: Most successful movements combine both approaches
2. The Civil Rights Movement's Hybrid Model
- Mixed dramatic protests with institutional building
- Created crisis moments to force change
- Built sustainable organizations for long-term impact
- Application: Study chapters 2 and 7 for this framework
3. Four Roles of Social Movements
- The Reformer: Works within system
- The Rebel: Creates direct confrontation
- The Citizen: Supports change through mainstream channels
- The Change Agent: Organizes alternatives
- Key Point: Successful movements need all four roles
Essential Concepts (Focus on These)
1. Strategic Nonviolence
- Not just moral choice but strategic advantage
- Creates wider participation
- Harder for opponents to discredit
- More likely to cause defections from power structure
2. Momentum-Driven Organizing
- Creates rebellious moments
- Escalates strategically
- Builds mass participation
- Uses symbolic protests effectively
3. The Pillars of Support
- Power depends on institutional support
- Identify key institutions maintaining status quo
- Work to shift these institutions
- Create pressure points for change
4. Cycles of Movement
- Movement Emergence
- Grievance identification
- Early organizing
- Building networks
- Movement Growth
- Trigger events
- Rapid mobilization
- Peak moments
- Movement Maintenance
- Institutionalization
- Long-term organizing
- Policy change
Chapters to Prioritize
Must Read Thoroughly
- Chapter 1: Introduction to strategic nonviolence
- Chapter 4: Movement cycles and momentum
- Chapter 7: Hybrid approaches
- Chapter 9: Future of movements
Skim These
- Chapters 2-3: Historical examples
- Chapters 5-6: Case studies
- Chapter 8: Technical details
Key Case Studies (Read Quickly)
- Serbian Student Movement
- Youth-led
- Strategic planning
- Creative tactics
- Civil Rights Movement
- Strategic escalation
- Media strategy
- Leadership development
- Marriage Equality
- Long-term strategy
- Cultural change
- Institution building
Strategic Applications for FYP
1. Movement Building
- Combine dramatic moments with institution building
- Create strategic escalation plans
- Develop both short and long-term strategies
2. Organization Development
- Build hybrid structure
- Create leadership pipeline
- Develop sustainable resources
3. Tactical Planning
- Design symbolic actions
- Create media strategy
- Build coalition support
Ten Essential Skills for Youth Well-being and Self-Actualization
A Research-Based Framework
1. Self-Compassion
Core Components:
- Self-kindness vs. self-judgment
- Common humanity vs. isolation
- Mindfulness vs. over-identification
Research Base:
- Neff's research shows self-compassion strongly predicts psychological well-being (Neff, 2003)
- Reduces anxiety and depression in youth (Bluth & Blanton, 2014)
- Buffers against academic stress (Neff et al., 2005)
Key Studies:
"Self-compassion is strongly related to psychological well-being and provides resilience during challenging times" (Neff & McGehee, 2010)
2. Emotional Intelligence
Core Components:
- Emotion recognition
- Emotion regulation
- Empathetic response
- Social awareness
Research Base:
- Predicts life satisfaction and relationship quality (Mayer, Salovey & Caruso, 2008)
- Crucial for workplace success (Goleman, 2006)
- Supports mental health resilience (Brackett et al., 2011)
Key Finding:
"EI explains 58% of success in all types of jobs" (Goleman, 1998)
3. Boundary Setting & Non-Violent Communication
Core Components:
- Clear limit expression
- Needs identification
- Compassionate assertion
- Conflict transformation
Research Base:
- Rosenberg's NVC model improves relationship satisfaction (Rosenberg & Chopra, 2015)
- Healthy boundaries predict better mental health outcomes (Cloud & Townsend, 2008)
Key Studies:
"Boundary setting skills significantly predict reduced anxiety and depression" (Swenson et al., 2019)
4. Growth Mindset & Resilience
Core Components:
- Belief in ability to grow
- Adaptive response to failure
- Learning orientation
- Stress tolerance
Research Base:
- Dweck's research shows impact on academic achievement (Dweck, 2006)
- Predicts recovery from setbacks (Yeager & Dweck, 2012)
- Supports long-term goal achievement (Duckworth, 2016)
Key Finding:
"Growth mindset interventions show significant positive effects on academic achievement and mental health" (Yeager et al., 2019)
5. Mindful Self-Awareness
Core Components:
- Present moment awareness
- Non-judgmental observation
- Body-mind connection
- Metacognition
Research Base:
- Reduces stress and anxiety (Kabat-Zinn, 2013)
- Improves attention and learning (Tang et al., 2007)
- Enhances emotional regulation (Davidson et al., 2012)
Key Studies:
"Mindfulness practice significantly improves attention, emotional regulation, and stress response in youth" (Zenner et al., 2014)
6. Critical Thinking & Media Literacy
Core Components:
- Information evaluation
- Digital discernment
- Analytical reasoning
- Bias recognition
Research Base:
Key Finding:
"Critical thinking skills significantly predict better mental health outcomes in digital natives" (Chen & Lee, 2013)
7. Authentic Self-Expression
Core Components:
- Value alignment
- Identity integration
- Creative expression
- Cultural pride
Research Base:
- Predicts life satisfaction (Goldman & Kernis, 2002)
- Supports psychological well-being (Ryan & Deci, 2000)
- Enhances relationship quality (Brown, 2010)
Key Studies:
"Authentic self-expression is strongly associated with psychological well-being and life satisfaction" (Wood et al., 2008)
8. Social Connection Skills
Core Components:
- Relationship building
- Community engagement
- Cultural competence
- Network cultivation
Research Base:
- Strong predictor of happiness (Waldinger & Schulz, 2010)
- Buffers against mental health issues (Holt-Lunstad et al., 2010)
- Supports career success (Christakis & Fowler, 2009)
Key Finding:
"Quality social connections are the strongest predictor of long-term happiness and well-being" (Harvard Grant Study, 2018)
9. Purpose Development
Core Components:
- Value clarification
- Goal setting
- Meaning making
- Community contribution
Research Base:
- Predicts life satisfaction (Steger et al., 2008)
- Supports resilience (Bronk, 2014)
- Enhances academic achievement (Yeager et al., 2014)
Key Studies:
"Sense of purpose significantly predicts psychological well-being in youth" (Damon, 2008)
10. Digital Well-being
Core Components:
- Tech-life balance
- Online boundary setting
- Digital mindfulness
- Cyber safety
Research Base:
- Critical for modern mental health (Twenge, 2017)
- Impacts sleep and well-being (Przybylski & Weinstein, 2017)
- Influences social development (Boyd, 2014)
Key Finding:
"Digital well-being skills significantly predict better mental health outcomes in adolescents" (Twenge, 2020)
Integration Framework
These skills work synergistically:
- Foundation Layer
- Self-Compassion
- Mindful Self-Awareness
- Emotional Intelligence
- Expression Layer
- Authentic Self-Expression
- Boundary Setting
- Digital Well-being
- Growth Layer
- Critical Thinking
- Growth Mindset
- Purpose Development
- Connection Layer
Key Research Insights
- Developmental Timing
- Skills build on each other
- Early adolescence crucial for foundation
- Continuous development through young adulthood
- Cultural Considerations
- Skills express differently across cultures
- Need culturally responsive teaching
- Value traditional wisdom
- Implementation Principles
- Start with self-compassion
- Build gradually
- Practice consistently
- Adapt culturally
- Support collectively
References
- Neff, K. D. (2003). Self-compassion: An alternative conceptualization of a healthy attitude toward oneself.
- Dweck, C. S. (2006). Mindset: The new psychology of success.
- Rosenberg, M. B. (2015). Nonviolent Communication: A Language of Life
- Goleman, D. (2006). Emotional Intelligence
- Kabat-Zinn, J. (2013). Full Catastrophe Living
- Brown, B. (2010). The Gifts of Imperfection
- Ryan, R. M., & Deci, E. L. (2000). Self-determination theory
- Twenge, J. M. (2017). iGen
- Waldinger, R. J., & Schulz, M. S. (2010). What's love got to do with it?
- Yeager, D. S., et al. (2019). A national experiment reveals where a growth mindset improves achievement
Note: This framework synthesizes research but should be adapted based on cultural context and individual needs.
FYP Core Values & Skills Framework
Mapping Research-Based Skills to FYP's Mission
1. AGENCY
"People first. The power to create change lies within us."
Core Skills:
- Agency & Self-Efficacy
- Decision-making
- Initiative taking
- Resource mobilization
- Change-making confidence
- Boundary-Setting & Self-Advocacy
- Clear limit identification
- Assertive communication
- Need recognition
- Digital boundaries
- Resilience & Adaptive Coping
- Stress management
- Problem-solving
- Flexibility
- Growth mindset
2. AUTHENTICITY
"Being our true selves is revolutionary."
Core Skills:
- Self-Awareness & Emotional Intelligence
- Emotional recognition
- Personal triggers understanding
- Strengths awareness
- Body-mind connection
- Authentic Self-Expression
- Value identification
- Cultural pride
- Identity integration
- Creative expression
- Purpose & Meaning-Making
- Value clarification
- Goal setting
- Life narrative development
- Contribution orientation
3. COMPASSION
"All people are fundamentally kind."
Core Skills:
- Self-Compassion & Inner Kindness
- Self-acceptance
- Failure tolerance
- Inner dialogue
- Shame resilience
- Relationship Building & Social Connection
- Active listening
- Empathy
- Conflict transformation
- Community building
4. OPENNESS
"Knowledge is free. Transparency builds trust."
Core Skills:
- Critical Thinking & Media Literacy
- Information evaluation
- Digital discernment
- Analytical reasoning
- Knowledge sharing
- Cross-cultural communication
- Knowledge translation
- Resource accessibility
- Open collaboration
- Digital Well-being
- Tech-life balance
- Critical consumption
- Digital citizenship
- Online safety
5. FUN/JOY
"Joy is resistance. Humor connects us."
Core Skills:
- Creative Expression
- Playful exploration
- Artistic engagement
- Humor cultivation
- Celebration practices
- Community Joy-Building
- Group celebration
- Shared play
- Collective creativity
- Fun leadership
- Sustainable Happiness
- Joy practices
- Pleasure literacy
- Balance cultivation
- Party planning
Implementation Framework
Development Stages
- Foundation (Basic Skills)
- Self-awareness
- Basic boundaries
- Simple joy practices
- Growth (Intermediate Skills)
- Leadership (Advanced Skills)
- Systems thinking
- Movement building
- Joy cultivation
Progression by FYP Involvement Level
General Members:
- Basic self-awareness
- Simple boundaries
- Personal joy practices
Active Contributors:
- Cultural competence
- Digital well-being
- Community building
Core Team/Associates:
- Movement leadership
- Systems thinking
- Joy cultivation
Measurement & Support
Individual Level:
- Self-assessment tools
- Growth tracking
- Personal development plans
Community Level:
- Peer support systems
- Cultural resources
- Celebration practices
Movement Level:
- Impact metrics
- Community feedback
- Joy indicators
Set Boundaries, Find Peace
From Youth Advocacy to Personal Peace
Core Philosophy
At FYP, we believe that strong boundaries are not walls but powerful filters that allow us to be fiercely ourselves while engaging meaningfully with others. Boundary setting is both a form of self-love and a radical act of advocacy—protecting our energy allows us to show up authentically for ourselves and our causes.
Understanding Boundaries
What Boundaries Are
- Filters that protect our energy and authenticity
- Guidelines for how we engage with the world
- Tools for sustainable advocacy and relationships
- Expression of self-respect and self-advocacy
What Boundaries Are Not
- Walls that isolate us
- Weapons against others
- Signs of selfishness
- Permanent or inflexible rules
Types of Boundaries
1. Physical Boundaries
Protecting our space and body
In Youth Advocacy:
"I need a day between events to recharge."
"I prefer video off during late evening meetings."
In Movements:
"Our protests will respect everyone's physical space."
"We'll include regular breaks in long sessions."
In Daily Life:
"I need alone time after school/work."
"Please text before dropping by."
2. Emotional Boundaries
Protecting our emotional energy
In Youth Advocacy:
"I can support the project but can't take on others' emotional labor."
"I need to step back from intense discussions sometimes."
In Movements:
"We'll create space for feelings without becoming overwhelmed."
"Each person owns their emotional journey."
In Daily Life:
"I care about you but can't be your only support."
"I need time to process before discussing intense topics."
3. Mental Boundaries
Protecting our mental space
In Youth Advocacy:
"I'll be offline after 8 PM to maintain work-life balance."
"I can focus on two projects max at a time."
In Movements:
"Let's set realistic expectations for volunteer time."
"We need clear project scopes to prevent overwhelm."
In Daily Life:
"I'll respond to non-urgent messages within 24 hours."
"Weekends are for recharging."
4. Digital Boundaries
Protecting our online space
In Youth Advocacy:
"I keep advocacy work to specific platforms."
"My personal social media is separate from movement work."
In Movements:
"We respect members' digital privacy."
"Campaign communication happens in designated channels."
In Daily Life:
"I take regular social media breaks."
"I don't check emails after hours."
Setting and Maintaining Boundaries
The FIERCE Framework
F - Feel
- Notice your energy levels
- Identify what drains you
- Recognize your limits
I - Identify
- Name specific boundaries needed
- Be clear about your needs
- Understand your non-negotiables
E - Express
- Communicate clearly
- Use "I" statements
- Stay firm but kind
R - Respect
- Honor your own boundaries
- Respect others' boundaries
- Maintain consistency
C - Care
- Practice self-compassion
- Support others' boundary-setting
- Build caring communities
E - Evolve
- Adjust boundaries as needed
- Learn from experience
- Grow stronger together
Practical Implementation
In Youth Advocacy
1. Time Boundaries
- Clear working hours
- Response time expectations
- Meeting length limits
2. Role Boundaries
- Clear responsibilities
- Capacity limits
- Support structures
3. Communication Boundaries
- Preferred channels
- Response protocols
- Urgency definitions
In Movement Spaces
1. Organizational Boundaries
- Decision-making processes
- Resource allocation
- Member expectations
2. Coalition Boundaries
- Partnership terms
- Shared values
- Collaboration limits
3. Impact Boundaries
- Realistic goals
- Sustainable practices
- Growth pacing
In Personal Life
1. Relationship Boundaries
- Quality time definition
- Energy management
- Support capacity
2. Work-Life Boundaries
- Offline hours
- Space needs
- Recovery time
3. Growth Boundaries
- Learning pace
- Challenge levels
- Change capacity
Common Challenges
1. Guilt Management
Challenge: Feeling guilty about setting boundaries
Response: "Boundaries allow me to show up fully and serve sustainably."
2. Resistance
Challenge: Others pushing back against boundaries
Response: "My boundaries are not negotiable, but I'm happy to discuss how we can work together within them."
3. Consistency
Challenge: Maintaining boundaries over time
Response: Start small, build gradually, celebrate progress
Boundary Setting Language
Clear Communication Examples
"I will..."
"I need..."
"I can..."
"I don't..."
"This works for me..."
"This doesn't work for me..."
Response Scripts
When pressured:
"I understand you need this, AND I need to maintain my boundary."
When guilt-tripped:
"I care about our work/relationship AND I must honor my needs."
When boundaries are crossed:
"This crosses a boundary for me. Here's what I need..."
Growth Process
Stage 1: Awareness
- Recognize boundary needs
- Notice violations
- Understand impacts
Stage 2: Development
- Create clear boundaries
- Practice expression
- Build support systems
Stage 3: Maintenance
- Consistent enforcement
- Regular review
- Adaptive adjustment
Remember
- Boundaries are acts of self-love
- Strong boundaries enable sustainable advocacy
- Your peace matters as much as your cause
- Boundaries protect your fierce authenticity
"Through fierce boundaries, we don't just protect ourselves—we create space for authentic connection, sustainable activism, and collective flourishing."
The Body Is Not an Apology
Radical Self-Love Guide
Core Philosophy
At FYP, we believe radical self-love is not just personal—it's political. When we resist the urge to apologize for our existence and embrace our whole selves fiercely, we create ripples of transformation that extend from personal healing to systemic change.
Understanding Radical Self-Love
What It Is
- A political act of liberation
- A journey of unapologetic self-acceptance
- A tool for collective transformation
- A practice of fierce authenticity
What It Isn't
- Mere self-improvement
- Conditional self-acceptance
- Individual solution to systemic problems
- Performative positivity
The Four Pillars of Radical Self-Love
1. Taking Up Space
Existing unapologetically
In Youth Advocacy:
"My voice matters, even when it shakes."
"My lived experience is valid evidence for change."
In Movements:
"We create space for all bodies and beings."
"Our differences strengthen our collective voice."
In Daily Life:
"I deserve to be here, exactly as I am."
"My needs are worthy of attention and care."
2. Interrupting Body Terrorism
Challenging systemic oppression
In Youth Advocacy:
"We challenge narrow definitions of 'professional' appearance."
"Our advocacy includes all bodies and abilities."
In Movements:
"We actively counter internalized shame."
"Our spaces celebrate human diversity."
In Daily Life:
"I question beauty standards that diminish me."
"I challenge negative self-talk with fierce compassion."
3. Building Radical Self-Love Tools
Practicing everyday liberation
In Youth Advocacy:
"We start meetings with embodiment practices."
"Our work honors everyone's physical and emotional needs."
In Movements:
"We integrate rest as resistance."
"Our activism includes joy and celebration."
In Daily Life:
"I practice daily acts of self-acceptance."
"I create rituals that honor my body and being."
4. Living in Community
Transforming together
In Youth Advocacy:
"We build networks of mutual support."
"Our strength comes from collective care."
In Movements:
"We practice inclusive leadership."
"Our work embodies collective liberation."
In Daily Life:
"I seek spaces that celebrate authenticity."
"I contribute to communities of radical acceptance."
Practical Applications
In Youth Mental Health Advocacy
1. Language Practices
- Body-positive communication
- Inclusive terminology
- Empowering narratives
2. Space Creation
- Accessible environments
- Rest integration
- Joy celebration
3. Program Design
- Universal design principles
- Diverse representation
- Embodied learning
In Movement Building
1. Leadership Approach
- Authentic expression
- Diverse body wisdom
- Collective care
2. Meeting Culture
- Body-aware scheduling
- Movement integration
- Comfort prioritization
3. Resource Allocation
- Accessibility funding
- Well-being support
- Rest infrastructure
In Personal Practice
1. Daily Rituals
- Body gratitude
- Self-acceptance practices
- Joy cultivation
2. Environment Design
- Comfort creation
- Beauty redefinition
- Space claiming
3. Relationship Building
- Boundary setting
- Need expression
- Community connection
Common Challenges and Responses
1. Systemic Pressure
Challenge: Facing institutional body shame
Response: "My body is a site of resistance and revolution."
2. Internal Criticism
Challenge: Battling internalized judgment
Response: "I choose radical self-love as an act of political warfare."
3. Movement Burnout
Challenge: Neglecting self-care in advocacy
Response: "My well-being is essential to sustainable liberation."
Daily Practices
Morning
1. Body Gratitude
- Thank your body
- Notice strength
- Celebrate function
2. Intention Setting
- Choose self-love
- Plan rest
- Honor needs
Throughout Day
1. Body Check-ins
- Notice feelings
- Honor needs
- Take breaks
2. Shame Interruption
- Question judgment
- Choose acceptance
- Practice compassion
Evening
1. Reflection
- Celebrate wins
- Honor challenges
- Note growth
2. Rest Practice
- Give permission
- Take space
- Restore energy
Remember
- Your body is not an apology
- Self-love is revolutionary
- Rest is resistance
- Community is crucial
- Joy is justice
Creating Ripples of Change
Individual Level
- Practice daily acceptance
- Build self-love tools
- Share your journey
Community Level
- Create inclusive spaces
- Support others' growth
- Build caring networks
Systemic Level
- Challenge oppressive norms
- Create new standards
- Transform institutions
"Through radical self-love, we don't just heal ourselves—we create waves of transformation that ripple out to heal our world."
FYP Slay Index Interview Protocol
FYP Slay Index Interview Protocol
1. Introduction (5 minutes)
1. Greeting and Rapport Building
• Welcome the participant; thank them for volunteering.
• Briefly introduce yourself and your research team/organization.
2. Study Overview
• Purpose: “We are exploring how youth advocates become involved in mental health activism, what motivates them, and what supports or resources they need to be more effective.”
• Emphasize that their experiences and perspectives will help design better solutions for future youth advocates.
3. Ethical Assurances
• Reiterate informed consent:
• Participation is voluntary; they can withdraw at any time.
• Their responses will remain confidential/anonymous as agreed.
• Confirm permission to record (audio or video) for transcription and note-taking.
2. Personal Background & Lived Experiences (10–15 minutes)
Objective: Build a contextual understanding of the participant’s personal history (4 Ls: Lived, Loved, Labored, Learnt), setting the stage for their advocacy journey.
1. Could you tell me a bit about your background and how you first became interested in mental health advocacy?
• Possible Follow-ups:
• “Were there any personal experiences (Lived) that sparked your interest?”
• “What supportive relationships (Loved) influenced you early on?”
2. What aspects of your daily life or work (Labored) overlap with your advocacy?
• Possible Follow-up:
• “How did learning experiences (Learnt)—like formal education, training, or even online resources—shape your approach to advocacy?”
3. Could you describe any specific turning points or ‘aha’ moments that made you decide to take action in mental health?
• Possible Follow-up:
• “Was there a particular event or challenge that motivated you to shift from awareness to active advocacy?”
4. What does flourishing meant to you?
3. Advocacy Journey & Motivational Drivers (10–15 minutes)
Objective: Map out how Capability, Opportunity, and Motivation (COM-B) have influenced their activist behaviors, and uncover the evolution of their advocacy work.
1. How did you start your advocacy work?
• Possible Follow-ups:
• Capability: “Which skills or knowledge did you feel you had (or needed) at the start?”
• Opportunity: “What kinds of opportunities or enabling factors helped you get started?”
• Motivation: “What internal or external motivators kept you going in the early stages?”
2. What challenges or barriers have you faced in your advocacy journey?
• Possible Follow-ups:
• “How did these challenges affect your motivation or ability to continue?”
• “Were there times you felt you lacked the capability or opportunity to push forward?”
3. Has your motivation changed over time?
• Possible Follow-ups:
• “Were there new personal experiences or external events that boosted or diminished your commitment?”
• “Did you develop new skills or gain different kinds of support that shifted the way you advocate?”
4. Needfinding & Resource Gaps (10–15 minutes)
Objective: Identify the specific resources, support systems, or interventions that could better enable youth to engage in mental health advocacy—core “user needs.”
1. Thinking back on your journey, what resources or supports do you wish you’d had early on?
• Possible Follow-ups:
• “Were you looking for mentorship, peer networks, funding, training?”
• “What would have made the biggest difference in overcoming barriers?”
2. What are the biggest unmet needs or gaps you still encounter as a youth mental health advocate?
• Possible Follow-ups:
• “Are these gaps related to funding, policy support, organizational backing, emotional well-being, or something else?”
• “Where do you currently turn for help, and what do you struggle to find?”
3. If you could design or improve a program or platform to support youth advocates, what would it look like?
• Possible Follow-ups:
• “What key features or tools would it need to include?” (e.g., mental health resources, leadership training, policy education)
• “How could it address issues like burnout, stigma, or lack of institutional support?”
4. In your opinion, what do emerging youth advocates need most to become effective social change agents in mental health?
• Possible Follow-ups:
• “Could you list the top 2–3 supports (e.g., skill-building, networking, mentorship, technology, funding) that are essential?”
5. Cross-Cultural / Intersectional Considerations (Optional, 5 minutes)
Objective: Understand how cultural, socioeconomic, and identity factors influence participants’ advocacy experiences and needs.
1. How do you think your cultural or community context has shaped your advocacy work?
• Possible Follow-up:
• “Have you encountered cultural norms or beliefs about mental health that made it harder or easier to advocate?”
2. In what ways do your various identities (race, gender, socioeconomic status, etc.) interact with your activism?
• Possible Follow-up:
• “Are there unique barriers or enablers tied to these intersectional identities?”
6. Reflection & Future Directions (5–10 minutes)
1. What do you hope the future of youth mental health advocacy looks like in your community or globally?
• Possible Follow-up:
• “How do you see your role evolving as part of that future?”
2. What advice or insights would you share with someone new to mental health advocacy?
• Possible Follow-up:
• “Is there a single piece of advice you wish you had when you started?”
3. Is there anything we haven’t discussed that you feel is important for us to understand about your advocacy journey or the needs of youth advocates?
4. Any questions you would like to ask other advocates?
7. Closing (2–5 minutes)
1. Express Gratitude
• Thank the participant for their honesty and time.
2. Next Steps
• Briefly explain how their input will be used (e.g., to inform solution design, develop an advocacy toolkit, shape subsequent research).
3. Invitation for Follow-Up
• Ask if they would like to stay informed about the project outcomes, publications, or pilot programs.
• Offer contact information for any follow-up questions or clarifications.
FYP Slay Index: Literature Review
1. Introduction
Youth mental health has become a focal point for global health agendas and social justice movements, spurred by rising rates of mental health challenges among adolescents and young adults (Patel et al., 2018). Simultaneously, a growing contingent of youth advocates and activists are positioning themselves as change agents, mobilizing peers to reshape policies and societal perceptions of mental health (Gonçalves, 2017). Despite the surge in youth-led initiatives, however, academic research often overlooks the day-to-day realities and nuanced pathways of these young leaders, focusing instead on clinical, institutional, or policy-level perspectives (Horgan & Martin, 2021).
Participatory Action Research (PAR) has increasingly been recognized as a transformative approach for engaging youth activists and communities in co-creating knowledge and solutions. Yet, the empirical base documenting how PAR can be methodically applied to understand—and bolster—youth-led mental health advocacy remains limited (Checkoway & Gutierrez, 2006; Minkler & Wallerstein, 2008). Your proposed two-pronged project—(1) capturing the journeys of youth mental health leaders and (2) conducting a broader PAR effort to shape solutions for 2030—therefore aligns well with critical gaps in the literature.
2. Youth Activism and Leadership: A Brief Overview
2.1 Defining Youth Activism
Youth activism broadly refers to the mobilization of young people in advocating for social, political, or environmental change (Kliewer & Priest, 2019). Within health contexts, youth activism often involves pushing for greater service accessibility, destigmatization, and policy reforms (Christens & Dolan, 2011). Researchers generally agree that youth activism is under-documented, particularly outside of high-income or Western contexts (Tuck & Guishard, 2013).
Gap: There is a recognized need for empirical studies that capture the multifaceted motivations, lived experiences, and personal stories behind youth leadership in health movements—including mental health.
2.2 Leadership Development and Empowerment
Youth advocates rarely operate in isolation; they often develop leadership skills through collective networks, mentorship, and hands-on advocacy experiences (Edwards et al., 2021). The COM-B model (Capability, Opportunity, Motivation–Behavior) has been adopted in health psychology to understand behavior change, including advocacy behaviors (Michie et al., 2011). Another framework often noted in youth engagement literature is Hart’s Ladder of Participation (1992), which illustrates various degrees of youth involvement in decision-making, from tokenism to genuine youth empowerment.
Gap: Although these frameworks provide conceptual clarity, limited research specifically maps how youth mental health leaders develop and sustain their advocacy work within these models, particularly in cross-national contexts or from a diverse cultural standpoint.
3. Youth Mental Health Advocacy: Lived Experience and Social Context
3.1 Importance of Lived Experience in Mental Health Advocacy
The principle “nothing about us without us” underpins much of the modern mental health advocacy landscape, emphasizing the centrality of lived experience in driving relevant and sustainable change (Rose & Kalathil, 2019). Recent studies document how personal encounters with mental health challenges can shape advocates’ policy perspectives, community-building approaches, and empathy toward those they serve (Gonçalves, 2017).
• “4 Ls” (Lived, Loved, Labored, Learnt): This framework underscores how personal experiences, emotional attachments, work or labor contributions, and learning journeys collectively inform an individual’s approach to advocacy (Adapted from Hoppe, 2019).
• Intersectional Dimensions: Youth advocates from marginalized backgrounds may face compounded challenges due to overlapping social identities (e.g., race, gender, sexuality), further complicating their advocacy work (Crenshaw, 1989).
Gap: Research tends to focus on either the clinical aspects of youth mental health or the policy outcomes of advocacy. There is less attention to the personal narratives and developmental trajectories of youth leaders themselves—especially how their own mental health journeys shape and sustain long-term activist engagement.
4. Barriers, Facilitators, and the Role of Networks
4.1 Common Barriers
1. Stigma and Adultism: Youth advocates frequently encounter dismissive attitudes from adults or gatekeepers (adultism), leading to a lack of credibility or exclusion from policy platforms (Wong, Zimmerman, & Parker, 2010).
2. Resource Scarcity: Limited funding, training, and institutional support hamper sustained advocacy efforts (Winter et al., 2023).
3. Burnout and Emotional Labor: Bearing the weight of personal mental health challenges while advocating for systemic change can lead to high burnout rates, especially when support systems or self-care practices are lacking (Gill & Orgad, 2018).
4.2 Key Facilitators
1. Peer Support and Mentorship: Access to experienced mentors and peer networks can validate young advocates’ perspectives and enhance their capacity (Gotfredsen & Landstedt, 2021).
2. Organizational Partnerships: Collaboration with NGOs, governmental agencies, and educational institutions provides both resources and legitimacy (Ross & Connors, 2018).
3. Digital Platforms: Social media and online forums enable rapid mobilization, knowledge sharing, and mutual support among youth advocates across geographical boundaries (Miller, 2020).
Gap: While many barriers and facilitators have been documented qualitatively, there are fewer in-depth investigations into how these factors intersect to shape youths’ long-term commitment, leadership style, and tactical approaches—particularly in mental health advocacy.
5. Participatory Action Research (PAR) with Youth Advocates
5.1 Foundations of PAR in Youth Research
Participatory Action Research is rooted in the principle that those most affected by an issue should be actively involved in generating knowledge and strategies for change (Minkler & Wallerstein, 2008). With youth, PAR takes on a transformative potential by reframing them as co-researchers rather than subjects of study (Checkoway, 2011). This inclusive, iterative methodology can foster empowerment, ensure cultural and contextual relevance, and lead to more impactful, community-owned outcomes.
5.2 PAR Applications in Mental Health Settings
• Co-Design of Interventions: PAR approaches have been used to co-design youth mental health services, ensuring that interventions are both acceptable and accessible to the target audience (Anyon et al., 2018).
• Policy Influence: By capturing authentic youth voices, PAR projects can generate policy recommendations grounded in real-world experiences (Jacquez et al., 2013).
• Capacity Building: Engaging young people in research processes can build transferrable skills (data collection, analysis, advocacy), contributing to sustained civic engagement (Christens & Speer, 2006).
Gap: Although PAR is well-documented in community health research, fewer studies systematically integrate PAR into global or multi-regional youth mental health advocacy settings. Additionally, many PAR studies focus on short-term outcomes (e.g., single campaign or pilot project) rather than extended processes—like leadership journeys, changing motivations, or shifting advocacy coalitions over time.
6. Synthesizing Gaps and Proposed Research Contributions
Drawing on the above themes, several clear gaps emerge that your two-part research design could address:
1. Longitudinal and Narrative Focus
• Gap: A dearth of in-depth narrative or longitudinal studies that examine the personal evolution of youth mental health activists.
• Contribution: Your Study 1: Documenting the Journeys of Youth Mental Health Leaders can fill this void, capturing the lived realities, turning points, and emotional labor inherent in sustained activism.
2. Global and Cross-Cultural Perspectives
• Gap: Existing literature on youth mental health advocacy often centers on high-income Western countries, limiting generalizability.
• Contribution: By recruiting youth advocates from diverse regions, you can illuminate cross-cultural similarities and differences in advocacy experiences—an area still underrepresented in peer-reviewed journals.
3. Rigorous PAR Methodologies Tied to Actionable Outcomes
• Gap: PAR in youth mental health advocacy is not consistently linked with structured, actionable plans for policy or programmatic change, and published scholarship often lacks robust theoretical grounding to guide iterative cycles of reflection and action.
• Contribution: Your Study 2: PAR on Youth-Driven Advocacy Solutions for 2030 can demonstrate how PAR can be methodically employed to move beyond exploratory insight into actionable, collective strategies. This study would exemplify how iterative workshops, focus groups, and co-analysis can yield community-driven solutions, bridging the academic-practice divide.
4. Measuring Impact and Sustainability
• Gap: Most research focuses on process evaluation (e.g., participation rates, satisfaction) rather than outcomes or sustainability of youth-led initiatives.
• Contribution: Incorporating outcome metrics—or at least structured follow-up interviews/surveys—could highlight how youth-led advocacy efforts evolve post-research, providing a clearer roadmap for replication and scale.
5. Integration of Personal and Structural Factors
• Gap: There’s limited research explicitly mapping how personal experiences (the “4 Ls”) interface with structural constraints (policy, funding, stigma). The COM-B model offers a starting point, but few studies apply it systematically to youth mental health advocacy contexts.
• Contribution: By combining inductive (narrative analysis) and deductive (COM-B) approaches, your research would illustrate how individual motivation and systemic opportunities interplay to shape activists’ trajectories.
6. Youth-Led Policy Interventions
• Gap: Though policy advocacy is a cornerstone of many mental health movements, there is scant empirical evidence about the specific capacities, networks, and resources that young people need to effectively influence policy.
• Contribution: The PAR approach in your project can help identify policy windows, stakeholder power dynamics, and youth-friendly engagement pathways, culminating in practical guidelines for youth-led policy efforts.
7. Conclusion
The burgeoning field of youth mental health advocacy calls for more holistic, action-oriented, and deeply contextual research. While existing scholarship highlights the significance of youth leadership, the role of personal experiences, and the utility of participatory methodologies, numerous gaps persist—particularly around the long-term, lived experiences of youth advocates and the systematic application of PAR for scaling real-world impact.
By weaving together (1) a focused, narrative-driven study on individual advocacy journeys and (2) a broader, iterative PAR engagement to co-create solutions for 2030, your research will occupy a vital niche in the literature. Not only does this approach hold promise for robust academic outputs suitable for journal publication, but it also offers a model of participatory scholarship that can directly inform and improve on-the-ground youth mental health advocacy. Ultimately, such a design responds to calls for more inclusive, ethically grounded, and actionable research—a hallmark of effective participatory action initiatives.
Select References
• Anyon, Y., Bender, K., Kennedy, H., & Dechants, J. (2018). A systematic review of youth participatory action research (YPAR) in the United States: Methodologies, youth outcomes, and future directions. Health Education & Behavior, 45(6), 865–878.
• Checkoway, B. (2011). What is youth participation? Children and Youth Services Review, 33(2), 340–345.
• Checkoway, B., & Gutierrez, L. (2006). Youth participation and community change: An introduction. Journal of Community Practice, 14(1-2), 1–9.
• Christens, B. D., & Dolan, T. (2011). Interweaving youth development, community development, and social change through youth organizing. Youth & Society, 43(2), 528–548.
• Christens, B. D., & Speer, P. W. (2006). Tyranny/Transformation: Power and paradox in participatory development. Forum Qualitative Social Research, 7(2), Art. 22.
• Crenshaw, K. (1989). Demarginalizing the intersection of race and sex: A black feminist critique of antidiscrimination doctrine. University of Chicago Legal Forum, 1989(1), 139–167.
• Edwards, G., Stein, S., & Kong, P. (2021). Fostering youth leadership to address global challenges: A systematic review of effective practices. Education, Citizenship and Social Justice, 16(1), 88–104.
• Gill, R., & Orgad, S. (2018). The shifting terrain of sex and power: From the #MeToo moment to #TimesUp. Feminist Media Studies, 18(3), 489–491.
• Gonçalves, M. (2017). Adaptive leadership in the promotion of youth mental health. International Journal of Clinical Neurosciences and Mental Health, 4(1), 1–6.
• Gotfredsen, A. C., & Landstedt, E. (2021). ‘I teach them that anything is possible’—Exploring how adult leaders perceive and handle social factors of youth mental health in the context of young people’s civic engagement. Community Development Journal, 56(3), 506–523.
• Hart, R. (1992). Children’s participation: From tokenism to citizenship. Florence: UNICEF Innocenti Research Centre.
• Horgan, S. A., & Martin, D. J. (2021). Supporting Youth as Partners in Mental Health Initiatives: A Scoping Review. Adolescent Research Review, 6, 457–472.
• Jacquez, F., Vaughn, L. M., & Wagner, E. (2013). Youth as partners, participants or passive recipients: A review of children and adolescents in community-based participatory research (CBPR). American Journal of Community Psychology, 51(1-2), 176–189.
• Michie, S., van Stralen, M. M., & West, R. (2011). The behaviour change wheel: A new method for characterising and designing behaviour change interventions. Implementation Science, 6(1), 42.
• Minkler, M., & Wallerstein, N. (Eds.). (2008). Community-based participatory research for health: From process to outcomes (2nd ed.). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
• Miller, J. (2020). Social media activism, youth, and mental health: A digital ethnography of possibilities and pitfalls. New Media & Society, 22(7), 1198–1214.
• Patel, V., Saxena, S., Lund, C., et al. (2018). The Lancet Commission on global mental health and sustainable development. The Lancet, 392(10157), 1553–1598.
• Rose, D., & Kalathil, J. (2019). Power, privilege and knowledge: The untenable promise of co-production in mental health. Frontiers in Sociology, 4, 57.
• Ross, L., & Connors, L. C. (2018). Improving youth access to mental health support through a youth–adult partnership. Journal of Youth Development, 13(3), 23–40.
• Tuck, E., & Guishard, M. (2013). Uncollapsing ethics: Racialized science and ethnographic inquiry. In E. Tuck & W. Yang (Eds.), Youth resistance research and theories of change (pp. 3–23). New York: Routledge.
• Winter, R., Burford, G., & Thompson, J. (2023). Youth organizing: Trends, challenges, and opportunities for equitable resource allocation. Youth & Society, Advance online publication.
• Wong, N. T., Zimmerman, M. A., & Parker, E. A. (2010). A typology of youth participation and empowerment for child and adolescent health promotion. American Journal of Community Psychology, 46(1-2), 100–114.
FYP Slay Index
OG: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1EwhrtIWKesEEAFbX67-7KXGE944tzLMB3TTZ3nRyTsc/edit?tab=t.0
Overarching Aim
To understand how personal experiences and motivational drivers shape the journeys of youth mental health advocates and to identify the key supports and resources these advocates need to sustain and scale their impact—thus informing the design of targeted solutions for future youth change agents.
1. Research Questions
1. Personal Experience and Advocacy Trajectory
How do the personal histories of youth advocates (encompassing the “4 Ls” of Lived, Loved, Labored, Learnt) influence their decision to become mental health activists?
2. Motivational Mechanisms (COM-B)
In what ways do elements of Capability, Opportunity, and Motivation foster or hinder the advocacy behaviors (B) of youth activists over time, and how do these factors interact in different cultural contexts?
3. Identifying Advocates’ Needs
What specific supports, resources, or capacities do youth advocates identify as crucial to initiating and sustaining their activism?
- Examples: Mentorship, funding, training, community support, mental health resources, policy literacy, etc.
4. Designing Solutions for Future Advocates
Based on youth advocates’ journeys and identified needs, which types of interventions or system-level changes would most effectively enable more youth to engage in mental health activism and leadership roles?
5. Cross-Cultural and Intersectional Dimensions
How do intersectional identities (e.g., race, gender, socio-economic status) and cultural norms shape both the barriers and enablers of effective youth advocacy, and how might solutions be adapted to address these contextual nuances?
2. Literature Review and Rationale
FYP Slay Index: Literature Review
3. Proposed Methods
3.1 Study Design and Participants
• Sampling:
• Purposefully recruit 20–30 youth mental health advocates, ensuring representation from multiple regions (e.g., Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America).
• Strive for diversity in age, gender, socio-economic status, and advocacy focus (e.g., policy, community outreach, digital campaigns).
• Ethical Considerations:
• Informed consent for all participants, with optional anonymity/pseudonyms.
• Protocols for emotional support if sensitive topics arise.
3.2 Data Collection
1. Narrative Interviews (3 Phases)
FYP Slay Index Interview Protocol
• Phase 1 (Baseline): Explore personal backgrounds, catalysts for advocacy, experiences with mental health, and initial resource needs.
• Phase 2 (Midpoint, ~6–8 months): Revisit changes in motivation, new barriers or enablers, emerging or unmet needs.
• Phase 3 (End, ~12–15 months): Capture reflective insights, shifts in personal or professional identity, and updated viewpoints on required supports.
2. Needfinding Dialogue and Cards
• Method: Introduce a “needs card-sorting” exercise (virtual or in-person), where participants rank or group the types of support they find most critical (e.g., mentorship, funding, policy knowledge, mental health coping tools).
• Purpose: Generate specific, structured data on the hierarchy of needs and possible solutions for each advocate.
3. Observational Data
• If feasible, gather field notes or observation data during relevant advocacy events, online community interactions, or workshop sessions.
• Rationale: Complement narratives with real-time evidence of how youth navigate their environment (e.g., do they have easy access to mentors or not?).
3.3 Data Analysis
1. Narrative Analysis
• Inductive Coding: Identify emergent themes and personal stories from transcripts.
• Deductive Mapping: Relate themes back to COM-B (Capability, Opportunity, Motivation—>Behavior) and the 4 Ls (Lived, Loved, Labored, Learnt).
• Intersectional Lens: Group narratives by intersectional identities (e.g., region + gender) to note differences or commonalities in resource needs.
2. Thematic Analysis of Needfinding Data
• Compile the results from the card-sorting or “needs ranking” exercises.
• Identify patterns or clusters (e.g., do participants overwhelmingly cite ‘peer mentorship’ as a top resource?).
• Synthesize these into a “needs matrix” that can inform solution designs.
3. Longitudinal Comparison
• Compare participants’ responses across the three time-points to see how needs evolve and how personal motivation interacts with discovered or newly provided resources.
4. Anticipated Contributions and Actionable Outputs
1. Identification of Key Leverage Points
• The project clarifies when youth need certain supports the most—e.g., early-stage training vs. ongoing peer mentorship.
• This evidence can guide youth-serving organizations to allocate resources more effectively.
2. Youth Advocacy Toolkit or Support Framework
• Develop a publicly available toolkit summarizing the main types of support needed at each phase of an advocate’s journey, grounded in the COM-B and 4 Ls frameworks.
• Include recommendations for policy-makers, educational institutions, and NGOs on how to nurture youth activism.
3. Cross-Cultural Insights
• Generate comparative analyses illustrating how cultural contexts shape youth advocacy needs, highlighting successful localized strategies that could be adapted globally.
• Offer a basis for equitable policy solutions that respect diverse intersectional realities.
4. Academic Outputs and Knowledge Sharing
• Journal Articles: Focus on theoretical advancements (e.g., refining COM-B applications) and intersectional frameworks in youth mental health advocacy.
• Conference Presentations: Share both the narrative findings and practical solution prototypes at forums on youth mental health, activism, or participatory research.
5. Longer-Term PAR or Implementation
• Findings from the needfinding element can feed into a subsequent Participatory Action Research phase or direct collaboration with partner organizations, ensuring that insights translate into on-the-ground interventions.
Select Additional References
• Brown, T., & Wyatt, J. (2010). Design thinking for social innovation. Stanford Social Innovation Review, 8(1), 30–35.
• Bessant, J. (2020). Young people, politics and the micro-foundations of civic life. Australian Journal of Political Science, 55(1), 49–64.
• Christens, B. D., & Dolan, T. (2011). Interweaving youth development, community development, and social change through youth organizing. Youth & Society, 43(2), 528–548.
• Crenshaw, K. (1989). Demarginalizing the intersection of race and sex. University of Chicago Legal Forum, 1989(1), 139–167.
• Hart, R. (1992). Children’s participation: From tokenism to citizenship. UNICEF Innocenti Research Centre.
• Hoppe, R. (2019). Perspectives on lived experience: Emerging frameworks for mental health research. Social Science & Medicine, 233, 7–14.
• McMahon, T., et al. (2020). Applying COM-B to activism behaviors: Youth climate activism as a health behavior. Health Education & Behavior, 47(6), 971–978.
• Meeus, W. (2016). Adolescent psychosocial development: A review of longitudinal models and research. Developmental Psychology, 52(12), 1969–1993.
• Michie, S., van Stralen, M. M., & West, R. (2011). The behaviour change wheel: A new method for characterising and designing behaviour change interventions. Implementation Science, 6(42), 1–11.
• Patton, M. Q. (2018). Principles-focused evaluation: The GUIDE. Guilford Publications.
• Riessman, C. K. (2008). Narrative methods for the human sciences. SAGE Publications.
• Rose, D., & Kalathil, J. (2019). Power, privilege and knowledge: The untenable promise of co-production in mental health. Frontiers in Sociology, 4, 57.
• Tuck, E., & Guishard, M. (2013). Uncollapsing ethics: Racialized science and ethnographic inquiry. In E. Tuck & W. Yang (Eds.), Youth resistance research and theories of change (pp. 3–23). Routledge.
• Wong, N. T., Zimmerman, M. A., & Parker, E. A. (2010). A typology of youth participation and empowerment for child and adolescent health promotion. American Journal of Community Psychology, 46(1-2), 100–114.
FYP Governance Documents
The ForYouPage.Org Manifesto [2023 Original]
ForYouPage.org is a youth-led NGO and a global coalition of youth advocates 🏾on a mission to unite young leaders 🧑🏼🤝🧑🏼👫👫 and mobilize our peers in grassroots advocacy for our individual flourishing and our collective social justice.
By joining forces, we aim to amplify our voices and empower individual advocacy by providing each of us with resources, opportunities, and support of a community.
By joining forces, we aim to inspire more of our peers to advocate locally and globally, to not only build a more equitable and sustainable world by our own hands, but to make friends, take risks, and to nurture our own growth within.
At ForYouPage.Org, we are committed to the following principles:
Principle 1. 🍀Youth Advocacy for Youth Flourishing
We firmly believe the key to youth flourishing is to empower the youth to take risks and exercise agency through advocacy.
We believe the cause of youth mental health crises is the feeling of powerlessness - to not feel in charge of our lives and to feel hopeless on many urgent issues of our time. and we believe the solution is advocacy. Advocacy provides a platform for us to step out of our comfort zones and channel our passions into meaningful action, exercising our own power to contribute to the causes we care about.
[Our Approach 1] We lower the barrier for advocacy by connecting youth with a network of youth led social ventures and local volunteers and help with causes of their choice.
Principle 2. 🧑🤝🧑Youth Advocacy is for Everyone
We firmly believe youth advocacy encompasses any grassroots action that involves giving back to and exercising kindness in our communities.
We believe that youth advocacy does not need to consist of grand actions only by the ‘cool’ and the ‘accomplished.’ Whether it's organizing a neighborhood cleanup, volunteering at a local shelter, or raising awareness about important social issues, we believe every act of leadership or kindness is youth advocacy. Transcending notions of popularity or achievement, together we aim to create a culture where every grassroots community action is recognized, celebrated, and valued as a vital part of youth advocacy.
[Our Approach 2] We are fully open to all youth to participate in community advocacy at any level of commitment. We invite all grassroots youth to join us and we aim to serve all youth by providing the requisite knowledge and connections.
Principle 3: 🩵Projects as Friendship Building & Connection Driven approaches
We firmly believe connection driven collaboration through advocacy is not only a fundamental pathway to cultivating meaningful friendships but also the most effective way to get projects done.
When young individuals come together with a shared purpose, we form connections that go beyond mere acquaintanceship. By enhancing the collaborative nature of advocacy projects, we foster genuine bonds between participants grounded in mutual understanding, trust, and support. These meaningful friendships serve as a powerful catalyst, fueling motivation, resilience, and a collective drive to see projects through to completion.
[Our Approach 3] We employ people centered approaches. No interest forms. No deadlines. Our volunteers will connect with you directly. We help the youth find like minded people for advocacy projects that they can work on together.
Principle 4: 👻Fully Youth Led Collective
We firmly believe youth advocacy cannot be a solitary battle. We strive to be a collective, fully youth led.
When young people join forces, our voices resonate louder, our impact extends further, and our ability to enact meaningful change is greatly enhanced. We also believe it is essential to ensure this collective is fully youth-led, a space where we feel safe to express our opinions freely and to explore our purpose fearlessly. The strength of youth advocacy lies in the convergence of diverse perspectives, experiences, and talents, all united under a common cause.
[Our Approach 4] On issues shared across regions such as climate change, we help facilitate cross-region advocacy actions and we form working groups to talk to stakeholders and policymakers together.
Principle 5: 📖Open Knowledge Sharing
We firmly believe open knowledge sharing is the key in facilitating multilateral cooperation, individual advocacy and decentralized community self-organization.
When knowledge is freely shared and accessible, it becomes a powerful tool for connecting individuals, communities, and organizations. It enables communities to tap into collective intelligence, share local wisdom, and adapt strategies to suit their specific needs and contexts.
[Our Approach 5] We maintain the Wiki.ForYouPage.Org, a shared advocacy and community resources database where everyone can contribute. We encourage everyone to contribute by bringing your knowledge and we encourage everyone to utilize this platform and its curated resources to advocate.
Principle 6: 🌉Coalition as the Bridge
We firmly believe that stakeholders have a genuine desire to support youth, while young people are driven to create changes but need support and guidance, and we need to bridge the gap between these two sides.
While stakeholders possess resources, expertise, and connections, young people often require support, guidance, and opportunities to fully realize their potential as change-makers. We aim to bridge the gap and to create a powerful synergy where stakeholders can provide the necessary support, mentorship, and resources more efficiently and effectively to empower young people to effectively drive change.
[Our Approach 6] We coach our youth volunteers in communication and perspective taking skills and we organize youth led community meetings where stakeholders and youth can come together to have dialogue.
Principle 7: 🌊Self Organization as Empowerment
We believe that self-organization is a vital ingredient in empowering the youth and fostering community-level engagement.
Fostering community-level engagement, self-organization builds stronger social connections, nurtures a sense of belonging, and empowers young people to be catalysts for change within their own communities. By providing the necessary tools, support, and guidance, we aim to facilitate the process of self-organization on all levels.
[Our Approach 7] We facilitate self-organizing advocacy by curating knowledge, providing resources and assisting individuals to take the lead, identify their passions, and drive their own initiatives. We facilitate community self-organization by providing community group chats and organizing community meetings.
Principle 8: 🤹Youth Advocacy as Fun
We believe that youth advocacy can transcend the boundaries of seriousness and embrace an element of joy and fun.
By infusing our efforts with positivity, creativity, and a sense of playfulness, we attract a broader audience, inspire greater participation, and foster a vibrant and inclusive advocacy community. Embracing a fun-filled approach enables us to break down barriers, ignite passion, and generate a lasting impact in a way that resonates with young people worldwide.
[Our Approach 8] We strive to actively infuse fun and humor in all our external messages. And we encourage everyone to infuse humor when contributing knowledge to our database of resources.
Principle 9: 💸No Monetary Incentive Involved
We believe that maintaining a platform free of monetary incentives is of utmost importance.
Our commitment to this principle ensures that all operations within our platform are driven solely by the genuine desire to create a positive change. By eliminating financial motivations, we create an environment where individuals engage and contribute without any form of obligations. All members strive to promote authenticity, transparency, and integrity in all our endeavors, focusing on the collective goal of advocating for a better world rather than a world full of personal gain.
[Our Approach 9] The donations received will only go towards server costs, event hosting costs, and towards the stipend for our core operations team. All working groups, organizational initiatives, and wiki databases are maintained by volunteers. We make most of our work public through wiki and keep it open for anyone to freely contribute. There are no strings attached to anyone who wishes to directly contribute to our platform.
Principle 10: 👁A Coalition for You
We firmly believe it is critical that this coalition doesn’t serve us, but serves you and your advocacy.
We strongly believe that by fighting for the justice you believe in, by exploring your life, and finding your purpose, you empower the rest of us. Every member of this coalition strives to listen to you, support you, and serve your advocacy. By acting on your dream to advocate for change, you directly help this coalition be more impactful by creating real change, connecting communities, and uncovering knowledge and opportunities.
[Our Approach 10] With ForYouPage.org, the best way to help us is to help yourself. What community project and mental health initiatives do you want to do? How can we, our volunteers and our community best help you to achieve your advocacy dream?
By empowering each of us to become advocates, ForYouPage.Org aims to cultivate a generation of socially conscious leaders and equip ourselves with the skills, resilience, and determination to shape a better future by our own hands.
Be together to change together.
FYP Code of Conduct
Purpose
This code is our promise to each other: as we grow individually, we grow stronger collectively. It outlines how we support each other's flourishing while building powerful youth advocacy.
The closer you are to FYP's core work, the more we expect you to embody these principles - not as a burden, but as a commitment to both your own growth and our collective impact. What starts as guidelines for followers becomes clear standards for associates, because your influence shapes our community's future.
Scope
This code guides everyone in the FYP family, with increasing levels of responsibility:
- FYP Associates & Operation Team: Highest standards for self-love and authentic leadership
- FYP Assistants & Event Organizers: Strong commitment to values and community support
- Community Members & Partners: Basic standards for respectful participation
- General Followers: Guidelines for engaging with our spaces
By joining FYP in any capacity, you're committing to nurture both individual and collective flourishing, with the understanding that your responsibilities grow as your involvement deepens.
Agency
Our power begins with self-love
I. We commit to radical self-love and self-actualization.
In Practice at FYP:
- We prioritize our happiness over any work, because we can't help others to be happy if we can't make ourselves happy
- Step back from fyp projects that drain rather than energize you
- Leadership initiates supportive intervention if member's wellbeing appears compromised
Enforcement Level:
- Associates: Weekly wellbeing check-ins with OM; must decline work that compromises wellbeing
- Assistants: Monthly wellness reviews
- Community: Self-care resources provided
- Followers: Introduction to self-care principles
- Action on Violation: Immediate intervention by OM if overwork observed
Research shows that individuals with higher levels of self-acceptance and self-actualization demonstrate greater resilience, lower rates of anxiety and depression, and increased capacity for social impact (Ryff & Singer, 2008; Maslow, 1971).
Read More:
- "The Body Is Not an Apology" by Sonya Renee Taylor
- "Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs" research
Authenticity
Because being real is revolutionary
II. We commit to enriching work and meaningful engagement.
In Practice at FYP:
- Build projects that excite you (e.g., mental health art initiatives, climate anxiety workshops)
- Contribute to Wiki sections you're passionate about
Enforcement Level:
- Associates & Team: Must maintain clear alignment between work and values
- Assistants: Regular alignment check-ins
- Community: Encouraged to engage authentically
- Followers: Free to choose engagement level
Engaging in purposeful work significantly increases life satisfaction and reduces symptoms of depression and anxiety (Steger et al., 2012; Frankl, 1959).
Read More:
- "The Happiness Trap" by Russ Harris
- "Man's Search for Meaning" by Viktor Frankl
III. We commit to authentic self-exploration and expression.
In Practice at FYP:
- We use FYP projects to discover what moves us - this space is for finding yourself
- We bring our whole selves - interests, dreams, fears and all
- We honor diverse ways of being and knowing
Enforcement Level:
- Associates & Team: Must model authentic self-expression and respect for diversity
- Assistants: Regular reflection on personal growth
- Community: Encouraged to share authentically
- Followers:Welcomed to be themselves
Authentic self-expression and identity exploration during youth significantly improve mental health outcomes and foster psychological well-being (Ryan & Deci, 2000).
Read More:
- "True to Ourselves" by Cameron Anderson
- "Authenticity" by Stephen Joseph
IV. We commit to boundary-conscious collaboration and self-advocacy.
In Practice at FYP:
- We set clear limits and honor others' boundaries. Always
- We say "no" without guilt when work doesn't align
- Protected right to decline what doesn't serve us or our community
- One strike for failing to deliver on dependencies
Enforcement Level:
- Associates & Team: Must model healthy boundary-setting
- Assistants: Required to communicate boundaries clearly
- Community: Encouraged to respect and set boundaries
- Followers: Introduction to boundary principles
- Action on Violation: One strike for boundary crossing or missed dependencies
Strong personal boundaries and effective self-advocacy skills are fundamental to preventing burnout in youth advocates and maintaining long-term mental health (Cloud & Townsend, 2017).
Read More:
- "Set Boundaries, Find Peace" by Nedra Glover Tawwab
- "Boundaries" by Henry Cloud and John Townsend
Compassion
Because kindness transforms everything
V. We commit to radical compassion.
In Practice at FYP:
- We meet our struggles with kindness. No harsh self-judgment here
- We use non-violent communication. Always
- When we disagree, we listen first. Hard conversations need soft hearts
- Use "I notice/I feel/I need" format in difficult conversations
- Offer support when team members miss deadlines
- Listen fully to opposing views in policy discussions
- Practice trauma-informed communication in mental health advocacy
Enforcement Level:
- Associates & Team: Immediate review for communication violations
- Assistants: Required communication training
- Community: Basic non-violent communication expected
- Followers: Guidelines for respectful interaction
Self-compassion is strongly correlated with reduced anxiety and depression while increasing resilience and capacity for social connection (Neff & Germer, 2017; MacBeth & Gumley, 2012).
Read More:
- "Self-Compassion: The Proven Power of Being Kind to Yourself" by Kristin Neff
- "The Mindful Path to Self-Compassion" by Christopher Germer - "Nonviolent Communication" by Marshall Rosenberg
- "The Art of Communicating" by Thich Nhat Hanh
Openness
Because growth requires curiosity
VI. We commit to critical engagement.
In Practice at FYP:
- Question everything - our work shapes youth futures
- Provide honest feedback on FYP rules & projects effectiveness
- Challenge assumptions in advocacy strategies
- Evaluate impact metrics critically
Critical thinking reduces anxiety by increasing agency (Paul & Elder, 2020)
Read More:
- "Critical Theory and Social Justice" by Iris Marion Young
- "Teaching Critical Thinking" by bell hooks
VII. We commit to open knowledge sharing
In Practice at FYP:
- Document event planning processes on Wiki
- Share advocacy strategies that worked/failed
- Create resources for future organizers
- Write up community building lessons learned
Enforcement Level:
- Associates & Team: Required documentation and reflection
- Assistants: Regular contribution to knowledge base
- Community: Encouraged to share learnings
- Followers: Access to open resources
Open knowledge sharing multiplies community impact (hooks, 1994).
VIII. We commit to cultural humility and epistemological advocacy
In Practice at FYP:
- Actively include diverse mental health perspectives in FYP projects
- Adapt FYP Slay Index for different communities
- Question Western-centric mental health frameworks
- Center marginalized voices in policy discussions
Enforcement Level:
- Associates & Team: Must model inclusive practices
- Assistants: Required cultural competency training
- Community: Basic inclusion standards
- Followers: Introduction to diversity principles
Culturally responsive approaches to mental health and well-being lead to significantly better outcomes across different communities, with research showing up to 40% higher engagement and effectiveness when interventions honor cultural perspectives (Sue & Sue, 2016).
Read More:
- "Culturally Responsive Teaching and The Brain" by Zaretta Hammond
- "How To Be An Antiracist" by Ibram X. Kendi
IX. We commit to collective accountability
In Practice at FYP:
- When we see a fellow team member struggles, we speak up
- We report serious violations. Safety requires courage
- We hold standards higher as involvement deepens Required participation in peer review processes
Enforcement Level:
- Associates & Team: Regular peer review participation
- Assistants: Basic accountability measures
- Community: Group feedback participation
- Followers: Basic community guidelines
Joy
Joy is a form of resistance
X. We commit to revolutionary joy, play, and purpose
In Practice at FYP:
- Have fun
Integrating play and joy into purpose-driven work significantly reduces burnout while increasing both personal well-being and movement sustainability (brown, 2019; Brown, S., 2009).
Read More:
- "Pleasure Activism" by adrienne maree brown
- "Play" by Stuart Brown
Enforcement & Accountability
Accountability Framework
- Strike System
Three strikes within a calendar year trigger an intervention. Two additional strikes lead to a disciplinary hearing. Possible outcomes include:
- Role reassignment
- Temporary suspension
- Removal from position
- Peer Support System Any Associate can initiate a peer support intervention when they notice:
- Consistent boundary violations
- Communication issues
- Wellbeing concerns
- Serious Violations Some actions bypass the strike system and require immediate review:
- Harassment or discrimination
- Intentional harm to community
- Major breaches of core values
Enforcement by Role
FYP Associates & Operation Team
Must actively model all values
- Regular wellbeing check-ins required
- Highest standards for communication
- Documentation requirements
- Peer review participation
FYP Assistants
- Basic accountability measures
- Communication training required
- Regular alignment check-ins
Community Members
- Basic non-violent communication expected
- Respect for boundaries required
- Encouraged to participate in feedback
General Participants
- Introduction to core values
- Basic community guidelines
- Access to resources and support
Types of Enforcement
[Strike System]
A structured, progressive system for addressing repeated violations.
Process:
- inital three strike: Documented warning & Intervention at third strike
- fourth and fifth strike: Disciplinary hearing
Reset: Strikes reset annually
[OM Supervision]
Direct oversight parenting by Current Operation Manager with escalation to Principal for serious concerns.
Process:
- OM provides regular check-ins and support
- OM documents concerns and growth areas
- OM can initiate intervention when needed
- Principal involvement for serious or unresolved issues
[FYP Family Peer Support]
Any Associate or Assistant can call for peer support intervention.
Process:
- Member raises concern to involved parties
- Facilitated conversation with neutral peer mediator
- Collaborative development of resolution plan
- Community support in implementing solutions
[Standard Committee]
For serious violations requiring formal review.
Process:
- Committee formed of 3 Associates and 1 Advisor
- Formal investigation and hearing process
- Binding decisions on serious matters
- Appeals possible through Principal
Enforcement Tags
-
[Strike]
- Subject to strike system -
[OM]
- Under Operation Manager supervision -
[Peer]
- Peer intervention appropriate -
[Standard]
- May require Standard Committee review
In solidarity and with fierce hope for our collective liberation,
The Youth of ForYouPage.Org
FYP Governance Charter
Ratification Date: 05/15/2024 Last Update:12/19/2024 Version: 2.0
Preamble
We, the youth of ForYouPage.Org (FYP), unite under the vision declared in our Manifesto: to create a world where every youth discovers their power to flourish and help others flourish.
This Governance Charter establishes the framework through which we transform that vision into reality.
Article I: Foundational Principles
ForYouPage.Org operates in accordance with the values, vision, and theory of change established in our Manifesto (2023). The Manifesto serves as our foundational document and should be read in conjunction with this Charter.
Section 1. Core Values
Our operations and decisions are guided by our five core values as detailed in the Manifesto and enforced by specifics in Code of Conduct.
- Agency
- Authenticity
- Compassion
- Openness
- Joy
Section 2. Organizational Commitments
FYP upholds two core commitments to authenticity:
A. Financial Independence
- All core team members are uncompensated volunteers.
- We reject monetary incentives as a primary motivator.
- Any funds raised prioritize youth scholarships and essential operational costs.
- Paid internships are available upon request. We acknowledge how broke youth are.
B. Authentic Representation
- We aim for FYP to genuinely reflect youth's current state and capabilities.
- We embrace and showcase youth realities without filters.
- We prioritize authentic impact over organizational growth.
Article II: Organizational Structure
Section 1.Core Team Structure
A. Independent Anonymous Youth Decision Board (formation in progress)
B. Operation Team
- FYP Principle: Director & primary spokesperson of FYP.
- FYP Associates: Fully admitted direct builders of FYP with voting rights.
- FYP Assistants: Partially admitted direct builders of FYP without voting rights.
C. FYP Community through Operational Products
- FYP Wiki: Open collaborative knowledge-sharing platform.
- FYP Event: Coordinated advocacy and networking events.
- FYP Community: Engagement and support networks for youth advocates.
- FYP Intern: Paid internship program that allow youth to work in areas of their passion, strictly limited to maintain FYP's core commitment to no monetary incentives. Currently Experimental.
- FYP Research: Youth-driven participatory action research for mental health leadership and priorities for 2030
- FYP Voice: Provide a youth-led safe space for youth voices on mental health & well-being advocacy
Section 2. Roles and Selection
A. FYP Principle
- Selection: Elected periodically by a majority vote of FYP Associates.
- Duties & Power: Primary spokesperson, coordinator of strategic initiatives, ensures adherence to mission and values.
B. FYP Associates
- Selection: Majority vote by associates for: Youth leaders (grasstops and grassroots) formally recommended by current FYP Associates
- Duties & Power: Voting rights on all major decisions and direct builders of FYP operational products; official affiliation
C. FYP Assistants
- Selection: Open application, interviews, and majority vote.
- Duties & Power: Same as FYP Associates but with no voting rights and contribution to FYP products require supervision of at least 1 FYP Associate.
Section 3. Operation Managers
A. Appointment: Two appointed positions:
- A rotating leadership role open to both Associates and Assistants. Selection: Rotate among active Associates by default. Assistants may participate after submitting a request and receiving approval from both the current rotating OM and the fixed OM.
- A fixed OM. Selection: Appointed by consensus of the Team.
Section 4. Age Requirement
All team members must be under 26 years of age at the time of admission with exception allowed by majority vote of associates.
Article III: Decision-Making Processes
Section 1. Strategic Decisions
A. Led by the FYP Principle.
B. Requires consensus among FYP Associates.
C. Subject to voting by the Independent Anonymous Youth Decision Board.
Section 2. Operational Decisions
A. Managed by the FYP Operation Team.
B. Requires consultation with relevant team members.
Section 3. Product-Specific Decisions
A. Directed by respective Product Leads.
B. Involves consultation with product team members if deemed necessary.
Section 4. Proposal and Implementation
A. Any FYP member may propose changes through weekly standup meetings, Associates maillist, or office hours.
B. Requires majority approval from Associates and absence of vote from the Independent Anonymous Youth Decision Board.
Section 5. Transparency
A. All voting records, meeting minutes, and organizational documents are to be publicly accessible with sensitive personal information removed.
B. Regular (at least yearly) public reports on activities, impact, and financial status.
Section 6. External Engagement and Partnerships
A. Youth Groups: Formal recommendations for partnerships with youth groups may be submitted by any FYP Community Member to the Operation Team. Approved if no majority objection from the Operation Team.
B. Non-Youth Groups: Partnerships with non-youth groups require formal recommendation by an FYP Operation Team, majority approval from the Operation Team, and majority approval from the Independent Decision Board.
C. Active engagement with policymakers and industry leaders to amplify youth voices.
Article V: Ethical Standards and Financial Governance
Section 1. Code of Conduct
A. All members shall uphold FYP's core values, maintain integrity, respect diversity, and foster inclusivity.
B. Conflicts shall be resolved through open dialogue, with escalation to the Operation Team and Independent Board if necessary.
Section 2. Accountability
A. Regular peer and self-evaluations are conducted quarterly.
B. At least yearly public reports on activities, impact, and financial status.
Section 3. Financial Principles
A. Volunteer-driven model with minimal financial transactions.
B. No monetary compensation for core team members, with limited exceptions for specific intern roles.
C. Any funds received shall be transparently allocated for operational costs and youth stipends.
D. Major financial decisions require consensus approval from Associates and review by the Independent Board.
E. At least yearly (more frequently when needed) financial reports shall be made public.
Article VI: Amendments and Dissolution
Section 1. Amendments
A. Proposal:
- Any FYP Associate or Assistant may propose amendments through weekly standup meetings, Associates maillist, or office hours.
B. Ratification:
- Requires two-thirds majority approval from FYP Associates.
- Final approval from the Independent Anonymous Youth Decision Board.
C. Regular Review:
- Annual evaluation of operational processes and governance structure.
- Recommendations for adjustments presented to the Operation Team for implementation.
Section 2. Dissolution
A. Conditions:
- May be considered if FYP no longer effectively serves its mission.
B. Process:
- Requires unanimous decision from Associates and approval from the Independent Anonymous Youth Decision Board.
- All assets to be distributed to aligned youth advocacy organizations, as determined by the Independent Anonymous Youth Decision Board.
The ForYouPage.Org Manifesto
A Movement of Youth Agency and Collective Flourishing
Preamble
We are the youth of 2023, scrolling through feeds at 3 AM, feeling disconnected in a hyper-connected world, watching ice sheets melt and mental health crises surge while being told our anxiety is just "part of growing up." But we know a deeper truth: our struggles aren't weakness, but a signal that this world needs to change. And we are the ones with the power to change it.
Our Vision
We create a world where every youth has the collective resources, resilience, and power to be a changemaker in their own community. Where authenticity triumphs over conformity, agency over powerlessness, and compassion over divisions. We envision a world where scrolling through #FYP shows youth in action - helping at shelters, growing community gardens, organizing protests, speaking truth to power - where social media becomes a canvas of our generation being kind, fierce, and simply real.
Our Core Values
Agency: Our power comes not from capital or credentials, but from our radical commitment to ourselves and each other's flourishing
Authenticity: No filters, no pretending we've got it all figured out, no changing ourselves to fit with others. First step to changing the world: Be who we are.
Compassion: In a world built on division, choosing to be kind is radical. Non-violent communication isn't just a buzzword - it's how we build something new
Openness: No gatekeeping power or hoarding resources. What we learn, we share. What we build belongs to all
Joy: They expect us to be constantly producing, competing, consuming. Instead, we choose party
Our Theory of Change
Personal flourishing drives collective transformation
Our journey isn't a straight line. It starts with the radical act of taking care of ourselves - of saying "my well-being matters" in a world that treats us as metrics. But that's just the beginning.
Every time one of us finds our voice, we help others find theirs. Every community garden we plant, every protest we organize, every mental health support group we run proves that youth agency can transform our world.
Individual → Community → Movement
This is how we move: From individual healing to collective power From Instagram activism to real-world change From isolated struggles to united movement From surviving alone to flourishing, together
Call to Action
To every youth feeling powerless, every advocate working in isolation, every changemaker seeking community: You belong here. Together, we're building more than an organization - we're creating a new way of being where personal flourishing drives collective change and youth lead the transformation of our world.
Our Pledge
We pledge to remain true to these principles, to prioritize people over systems, to value authenticity over conformity, and to build power through compassion and connection. We are ForYouPage.Org, and this is our commitment to each other and to the world we are creating.
This manifesto is a living document, shaped by the collective wisdom of our community and the evolving needs of our movement.
This document is revised on Dec 2024. Founding Original Manifesto is available here.
Amendment I: Duty of FYP Associates, Assistants, Members & Operational Guidelines
Proposed Date: 09/30/2024 Ratification Date: 10/07/2024 Version: 1.0 Author: Joanna Fang
Revision Date: 12/19/2024 Version: 1.1 Author: Joanna Fang
- FYP Governance Charter, Article III: Organizational Structure
- Code of Conduct, Section IV: Member Responsibilities
Background & Purpose: This amendment establishes clear operational guidelines for FYP Associates and introduces the rotating Operation Manager role to ensure sustainable leadership and accountability within the organization.
Summary of Changes:
- Establishes 4-week rotation for Operation Manager position
- Defines task management and accountability system
- Introduces strike system for dependency management
- Clarifies operational participation requirements
Implementation Timeline:
- Immediate Effect: OM rotation system
- Full Implementation By: 11/01/2024
Article I: Operation Manager Role
- Rotation: The Operation Manager (OM) position shall rotate every four (4) weeks among active FYP Associates to share leadership responsibilities. There exists one fixed OM that does not rotate to ensure smooth operation.
- Duties of the Operation Manager: The OM shall be responsible for:
- Run operations with the fixed OM (current: Joanna Fang)
- Lead weekly standups
- Host office hours (when needed)
- Handle operations-related communications
- Tracking and updating SMART goals and tasks as discussed in meetings.
- Monitoring and managing task dependencies to support collaborative efforts.
- Assigning tasks based on current capacity and availability.
- Task Status Updates: Each Associate shall be responsible for maintaining and updating the status of their assigned tasks. Task status should be communicated to the OM as complete, incomplete, or revised before the due date. Unreported tasks by the due date will be marked incomplete.
Article II: Meeting Task Management
- Responsibilities of the Operation Manager in Meetings:
- Keep meeting records
- Maintain a record of all action items using a SMART to-do list approach.
- Assign tasks to individual Associates based on availability and capacity.
- Track task dependencies and address any potential blockers.
- Responsibilities of FYP Associates:
- Each Associate is required to actively manage and update the status of their tasks.
- Failure to communicate task status to the OM before the due date will result in the task being recorded as incomplete.
- An extensions needs for task completion should be notified to the OM at least 24 hours prior to the deadline.
- In case or extenuating circumstances, extensions will be given at the discretion of the OM and extension is required for a task that is due in less than 24 hours.
Article III: Dependency Management and Strike Policy
- Accountability for Dependencies:
- Associates are responsible for tasks and any dependencies assigned to them. If an Associate’s incomplete task affects other members' progress, both the task owner and affected member(s) will each receive one (1) strike.
- Strike Accumulation and Consequences:
- Strikes are cumulative over the calendar year.
- Any Associate accruing three (3) strikes shall be subject to an intervention process to address the challenges and support the Associate in fulfilling their responsibilities.
- After intervention, any Associate receiving two (2) additional strikes shall be required to participate in a disciplinary hearing.
- Disciplinary Hearing Outcomes:
- Depending on the severity of the offence, the outcomes of the disciplinary hearing may include:
- Downgrade in role status (e.g., from Associate to Assistant).
- Assignment of a probationary period with specific performance goals.
- Suspension from certain organizational activities.
- Possible removal from the organization.
Article VI: Operational Participation Requirements
- Meeting Attendance:
- All active Associates are expected to attend at least one (1) standup meeting each month.
- Voting and Deliberation:
- Associates shall participate in organizational voting processes and deliberations, contributing to group decision-making when active.
- Rotation in OM Role:
- Each Associate shall serve as the OM according to the set rotation schedule, contributing to a fair distribution of leadership responsibilities.
Article V: Growth, Accountability, and Conflict Resolution
- Personal Development and Reflection:
- Associates shall commit to ongoing personal development and reflection to foster continuous improvement in their roles.
- Conflict Management:
- Associates are expected to resolve conflicts using respectful, nonviolent communication, prioritizing constructive feedback and maintaining an emotionally safe environment.
- Peer Support and Mentorship:
- Associates shall support each other’s development and provide mentorship to new members, fostering a collaborative organizational culture.
- Supportive Intervention:
- Associates shall be open to interventions if there is concern regarding personal well-being, as organizational support is designed to maintain wellness and productivity.
- Transparency and Open Culture:
- All Associates are expected to contribute to FYP’s culture of transparency, encouraging open dialogue and shared understanding across the organization.
Article VI: Personal Well-Being and Boundary Setting
- Personal Thriving:
- All Associates are encouraged to prioritize their well-being, recognizing that personal health takes precedence over organizational responsibilities. o Associates shall maintain clear boundaries to foster a sustainable balance between personal life and FYP work.
- Cultural Values:
- Associates shall commit to authenticity, compassion, and honesty in all organizational interactions.
- Emotional and mental wellness shall be prioritized through a supportive environment that respects each member's capacity and boundaries.
Article VII: Active Contribution and Knowledge Sharing
- Contribution Aligned with Capacity:
- Associates are encouraged to take on tasks aligned with their current interests, skills, and capacity.
- All Associates shall engage in knowledge-sharing practices, contributing to the FYP Wiki and other organizational knowledge resources as appropriate.
- Commitment to Organizational Culture:
- Associates are expected to contribute positively to FYP’s culture of open knowledge sharing, transparency, and mutual support.
Quarterly Responsibilities: Run peer and self-reviews (January, April, July, October)
Current rotation schedule:
- Oct 25 - Nov 1 2024: Joanna
- Nov 1 - Dec 1 2024: Connor
- Dec 1 - Jan 1 2024: Sahith
- Jan 1 - Feb 1 2025: Cameron
- ...
- July: Ronit
Amendment II: Standard Committee & Accountability
Internal Investigation Framework
Standard Committee
Purpose
This framework establishes a standardized approach for conducting internal investigations to ensure a fair, consistent, and thorough process. It safeguards the integrity of organizational procedures, accountability, and confidentiality.
0. Confidentiality
Confidentiality Guidelines:
Confidentiality is critical for protecting all involved parties and ensuring the investigation’s integrity. Information regarding the investigation should only be accessible to the designated review team.
No information may be shared outside the review team unless expressly authorized.
If confidentiality is compromised, the audit team may remove the affected member's testimony or declare the review invalid.
Data Handling Protocols:
All documentation and records should be securely stored with restricted access to authorized personnel only.
1. Initiation of Investigation
Trigger for Investigation:
Investigations may be initiated in response to:
Reported incidents (e.g., policy violations, misconduct, safety concerns).
Identified risks or potential process failures.
Management observations or flagged audit results.
If all board members are implicated, a vote may appoint an internal audit lead or approve a third-party audit for impartiality.
2. Scope and Objectives
Define Scope:
Clearly define the scope of the investigation, including specific allegations, individuals, processes, or policy areas to be addressed. Ensure alignment with organizational policies and standards.
Set Objectives:
Identify what the investigation aims to achieve, such as:
Uncovering relevant facts and establishing timelines.
Determining the root cause of the incident or behavior.
Identifying gaps in policies or procedures.
Timeline:
Set a realistic timeline for completing the investigation and communicate this to relevant stakeholders.
Scope Document:
Develop a formal scope document detailing the objectives and limits of the investigation.
This document, prepared by the investigation team, must be finalized before the investigation begins.
If the investigation scope changes, an amendment to the document should be submitted.
The scope document should contain only essential information and be prepared for press-level scrutiny, without confidential data.
3. Investigative Team Selection
Team Composition:
Choose team members based on relevant expertise, impartiality, and authority. Representatives from essential departments may be included.
Conflict of Interest Check:
All team members must declare any conflicts of interest to ensure objectivity.
Roles and Responsibilities:
Assign specific roles, such as lead investigator, interviewer, and evidence manager, to maintain clarity and avoid duplication.
Team members may assume multiple roles, depending on team size and investigation complexity.
4. Planning the Investigation
Background Research:
Gather initial information relevant to the incident, such as prior incidents, records, or applicable policies.
Investigation Plan:
Develop a detailed plan that includes:
Key activities like document reviews and interviews.
Sources of information and data to be examined.
Legal and Compliance Considerations:
Ensure all steps comply with local laws, labor regulations, and internal policies. Organizational policies do not supersede local legal requirements.
5. Evidence Collection
Document and Data Review:
Collect all pertinent records, including emails, reports, logs, and any process documentation.
Interviews and Statements:
Interview involved individuals and relevant witnesses.
Use open-ended, unbiased questions and document all responses.
Preservation of Evidence:
Securely back up physical and digital evidence to prevent tampering or data loss.
Cloud backups should be maintained securely.
Any loss of information may lead to a formal warning or removal from the review team, depending on the severity.
6. Analysis and Evaluation
Review and Analyze Evidence:
Carefully evaluate all evidence to confirm facts, timelines, and compliance with relevant policies.
Identify Gaps and Causes:
Pinpoint procedural or operational gaps that may have contributed to the issue.
Accountability and Impact Assessment:
Based on findings, assess the accountability of individuals and the organizational impact of the incident.
7. Documentation and Reporting
Prepare a Detailed Report:
Summarize findings, analyses, and recommendations, including:
Investigation overview.
Key evidence and factual conclusions.
Accountability determinations, if applicable.
Recommendations:
Provide actionable recommendations, which may include:
Disciplinary actions.
Policy or procedural improvements.
Staff training or awareness initiatives.
Review and Approval:
Submit the report to the board for review, approval, and further action.
8. Communication of Findings
Internal Communication:
Share findings with relevant parties while respecting confidentiality.
Major findings should be communicated via email with all team members cc’d.
Communication between team members should occur within a designated group chat involving the majority of the team.
Feedback Loop:
Provide each individual interviewed with a transcript of their statements.
Individuals have 24 hours to request amendments or redact sensitive information before the document is finalized.
9. Post-Investigation Actions and Follow-Up
Implement Recommendations:
Collaborate with relevant departments to implement any recommended actions and monitor completion.
Track Progress and Effectiveness:
Regularly review the effectiveness of implemented changes to address any new issues promptly.
Policy Review:
Update investigation policies and procedures as necessary to reflect insights gained and best practices.
10. Documentation and Record-Keeping
Record Retention:
Securely retain all investigation documentation per organizational policy and relevant legal requirements.
Confidentiality and Access Control:
Restrict access to investigation records to authorized personnel only, ensuring compliance with confidentiality protocols.
Start Here: Welcome to ForYouPage.Org's Governance Documents 🌟
Welcome to ForYouPage.Org! 🎉 We're excited you're here. This guide will help you navigate our governance documents and understand how we organize ourselves to create change!
How to Read Our Documents
1. Essential Reading (In Order)
-
- Our vision and theory of change
- Core values and principles
- Why we exist and what we believe
-
- How we put our principles into practice
- Community standards and expectations
- Guidelines for engagement
-
- How we organize ourselves
- Decision-making processes
- Operational structures
2. Amendments and Updates
- Found at the end of each core document
- Chronological additions to our governance
- Each amendment expands or clarifies existing rules
3. Operational Documents
- Detailed procedures for specific roles
- Day-to-day operational guidelines
- Reference as needed based on your role
Document Quick Reference
- Looking for values? → Manifesto, Section I
- Need behavior guidelines? → Code of Conduct
- Want to understand decision-making? → Governance Charter
- Specific role responsibilities? → Check relevant amendments
Living Documents
Our documents evolve as we grow. All changes happen through transparent amendments, preserving our history while allowing us to adapt and improve.
FYP Intern
FYP Intern 2024 | Key Areas for Development
11/15/2024
Key Areas for Development
- Impact Measurement & Metrics
- Current gaps:
- Lacks clear, quantifiable impact metrics beyond basic reach numbers
- No clear theory of change with measurable outcomes
- Missing impact evaluation framework
- Needs to learn:
- How to develop SMART impact metrics
- Methods for tracking and measuring social return on investment (SROI)
- Impact evaluation methodologies
- How to build data collection systems from day one
- Current gaps:
- Financial Sustainability & Revenue Model
- Current gaps:
- Heavy reliance on volunteer model
- No clear revenue streams identified
- Lacks sustainable funding strategy
- Needs to learn:
- How to develop diverse revenue streams (beyond donations)
- Building earned income strategies
- Financial modeling for nonprofits
- Budget forecasting and management
- Unit economics of program delivery
- Current gaps:
- Program Scalability
- Current gaps:
- Current model heavily dependent on individual relationships
- Manual processes for key operations
- Unclear standardization of programs
- Needs to learn:
- How to systematize and standardize programs
- Creating scalable operating procedures
- Building tech infrastructure for scale
- Managing growth while maintaining quality
- Developing training systems for new team members
- Current gaps:
- Fundraising Strategy
- Current gaps:
- No clear fundraising strategy
- Missing compelling case for support
- Limited donor cultivation plan
- Needs to learn:
- Grant writing
- Major donor cultivation
- Building fundraising pipelines
- Creating compelling pitch decks
- Developing relationships with foundations
- Understanding different funding instruments
- Current gaps:
- Partnership Development
- Current gaps:
- Ad hoc partnership approach
- No clear partnership strategy
- Limited formal agreements
- Needs to learn:
- How to structure strategic partnerships
- Creating partnership agreements
- Managing partner relationships
- Building corporate partnerships
- Developing cross-sector collaborations
- Current gaps:
- Market Analysis & Positioning
- Current gaps:
- Limited market analysis
- Unclear competitive advantage
- Undefined target beneficiary segments
- Needs to learn:
- Conducting market research
- Defining clear value proposition
- Understanding competitor landscape
- Segmenting beneficiary populations
- Positioning for different stakeholders
- Current gaps:
- Communication & Marketing
- Current gaps:
- Informal communication strategy
- Limited brand development
- Inconsistent messaging
- Needs to learn:
- Developing strong brand identity
- Creating marketing strategies
- Building communication plans
- Storytelling for impact
- Social media strategy
- Current gaps:
- Legal & Compliance
- Current gaps:
- Basic legal structure
- Limited compliance procedures
- Informal policies
- Needs to learn:
- Nonprofit legal requirements
- Compliance regulations
- Policy development
- Risk management
- Intellectual property protection
- Current gaps:
FYP Intern 2024 | Program Analysis
A Beginner's Guide to Building Effective Social Impact Programs
🌟 CURRENT STRENGTHS - What's Working Well
Strong Foundation:
-
Mission Alignment & Values
- Program clearly reflects FYP's youth empowerment goals
- The focus on giving interns agency aligns with organizational values
- Community-building emphasis shows good social impact thinking
-
Program Structure
- Clear 5-phase implementation plan makes sense
- Good progression from guided to independent work
- Smart division into different tracks for different interests
-
Learning Integration
- You've learned from your first attempt
- Honest about what didn't work
- Willing to make changes based on feedback
-
Balanced Focus
- Combines practical skills with community building
- Addresses both personal and professional development
- Creates meaningful connections
🎯 AREAS FOR DEVELOPMENT - What Needs Work
1. Impact Tracking
"You can't improve what you don't measure, and you can't prove value without data"
Current Challenge Explained: Right now, saying you'll "impact 1500 people" is like saying you'll "make people happy" - it's a nice goal, but how do you know when you've achieved it? Without clear measurements, it's hard to:
- Show funders your program works
- Know what to improve
- Understand if you're making a difference
What Good Impact Tracking Looks Like:
Before: "We'll impact 1500 people"
After: "In our last cohort:
- 90% of interns gained new technical skills
- 85% found employment within 3 months
- Each intern connected with 5 new mentors
- 70% stayed involved with FYP after graduating"
Practical Steps to Start:
-
Create a Simple Tracking System
- Use Google Sheets (free and easy)
- Start with basic numbers:
- Number of applications
- Completion rate
- Project success rate
- Post-program engagement
-
Measure Intern Growth
- Skills assessment (before & after)
- Confidence levels
- Network growth
- Career progress
-
Track Program Health
- Mentor satisfaction
- Resource utilization
- Cost per intern
- Community engagement
Real World Example: Think of it like a fitness journey. You don't just say "I want to get healthy" - you track specific things like weight, running speed, or strength. The same applies here - track specific, meaningful changes in your interns and program.
📚 Essential Reading:
-
"Lean Impact" by Ann Mei Chang
- Perfect for beginners
- Lots of practical examples
- Step-by-step guidance
-
"Measuring Social Impact" by Marc J. Epstein
- More advanced concepts
- Good for future growth
- Comprehensive frameworks
2. Program Sustainability
"A program that can't sustain itself can't help others"
Current Challenge Explained: Your program currently feels like a car without a fuel gauge - you know you need resources to run, but you're not sure how much you have or where to get more. This makes it hard to:
- Plan for the future
- Support your team
- Scale your impact
Key Components of Sustainability:
-
Financial Planning
Basic Costs to Consider: - Direct costs (intern stipends, materials) - Indirect costs (platform subscriptions, tools) - Hidden costs (staff time, mentorship hours) - Emergency fund (unexpected expenses)
-
Resource Management
- Human Resources:
- Mentor availability
- Staff capacity
- Volunteer engagement
- Material Resources:
- Technology needs
- Training materials
- Communication tools
- Human Resources:
-
Partnership Development
-
Potential Partners:
- Local businesses
- Universities
- Foundations
- Corporate sponsors
- Government agencies
-
What to Offer Partners:
- Access to talent
- Social impact metrics
- Community engagement
- Brand association
-
Practical Steps to Start:
-
Month 1: Basic Financial Planning
- List ALL costs (even small ones)
- Calculate cost per intern
- Identify funding gaps
-
Month 2: Resource Mapping
- Document current resources
- List needed resources
- Identify potential sources
-
Month 3: Partnership Building
- Research potential partners
- Create simple pitch deck
- Start outreach
Real World Example: Think of program sustainability like maintaining a garden. You need:
- Regular resources (water, sunlight)
- Different types of support (soil, fertilizer)
- Long-term planning (seasonal changes)
- Community help (gardeners, tools)
3. Quality Standards
"Quality isn't expensive, it's priceless - especially when working with young people's futures"
Current Challenge Explained: Your program is like a restaurant where each chef cooks differently - some meals might be amazing, others just okay. Without standards:
- Each intern gets a different experience
- Mentors aren't sure what "good" looks like
- It's hard to guarantee program value
- Difficult to train new team members
Key Components of Quality Standards:
-
Mentor Standards
Basic Requirements: - Weekly check-ins (minimum 30 minutes) - Monthly progress reviews - Regular feedback sessions - Professional communication - Response time expectations
-
Program Experience Standards
Core Elements: - Onboarding process - Learning milestones - Project requirements - Skill development tracking - Community engagement
-
Documentation Standards
- Required Documentation:
- Intern progress reports
- Project outcomes
- Learning achievements
- Feedback collected
- Issues addressed
- Required Documentation:
Practical Steps to Start:
-
Create Basic Handbooks
-
Mentor Handbook:
- Role expectations
- Meeting requirements
- Communication guidelines
- Problem-solving procedures
-
Intern Handbook:
- Program overview
- Expected commitments
- Project guidelines
- Available resources
-
-
Establish Simple Review Systems
-
Weekly Check Format:
- What was accomplished?
- What challenges arose?
- What support is needed?
- Next week's goals
-
Monthly Review Format:
- Skills developed
- Projects completed
- Goals achieved
- Areas for improvement
-
-
Build Quality Checkpoints
- Program Milestones:
- Orientation completion
- Project initiation
- Mid-program review
- Final presentation
- Exit interview
- Program Milestones:
Real World Example: Think of quality standards like a recipe book. Even if different chefs make the same dish, following the same basic recipe ensures everyone gets a good meal. Your standards ensure every intern gets a valuable experience.
📚 Essential Reading:
- "Quality Standards Handbook" by The Mentoring Partnership
- "The Mentor's Guide: Facilitating Effective Learning Relationships" by Lois J. Zachary
4. Growth Strategy
"Growth without breaking what makes you special"
Current Challenge Explained: Your program is like a growing plant without a trellis - lots of potential but needs structure to grow strong. Without a growth strategy:
- Hard to plan resources
- Difficult to maintain quality while expanding
- Risk of losing core values
- Missed opportunities for impact
Key Components of Growth Strategy:
-
Vision Planning
Key Questions to Answer: - Where do we want to be in 1 year? - What impact do we want to have? - How many interns can we support? - What resources will we need?
-
Scaling Pathways
-
Geographic Expansion:
- New locations
- Virtual programs
- Hybrid models
-
Program Expansion:
- New tracks
- Additional skills
- Deeper specializations
-
Community Growth:
- Partner organizations
- Alumni network
- Mentor community
-
-
Growth Infrastructure
- Systems Needed:
- Training materials
- Documentation
- Communication platforms
- Data management
- Quality control
- Systems Needed:
Practical Steps for Growth:
-
Month 1: Assessment
Document Current State: - Number of interns - Available mentors - Resource utilization - Program costs - Success metrics
-
Month 2: Planning
Create Growth Plan: - Set realistic targets - Identify resource needs - List potential barriers - Plan mitigation strategies
-
Month 3: Preparation
Build Infrastructure: - Develop training materials - Create standard processes - Establish monitoring systems - Set up feedback loops
Growth Readiness Checklist:
- Core program documented
- Quality standards established
- Mentor training system created
- Resources secured
- Impact metrics defined
- Support systems in place
- Team capacity confirmed
- Risk management plan created
Real World Example: Think of growth like franchising a successful restaurant. Before opening new locations, you need:
- Documented recipes (processes)
- Training systems (mentor development)
- Quality controls (standards)
- Supply chain (resources)
- Customer feedback (impact measurement)
Common Growth Pitfalls for Beginners:
- Growing too fast
- Forgetting core values
- Neglecting quality
- Underestimating resource needs
- Losing personal touch
Solutions:
- Start with small expansions
- Document everything
- Build systems before growing
- Keep mission central
- Stay connected to community
📚 Essential Reading:
- "Scaling Up Excellence" by Robert Sutton and Huggy Rao
- "Forces for Good" by Leslie Crutchfield and Heather McLeod Grant
💡 INTEGRATING QUALITY AND GROWTH
The key is to balance quality maintenance with thoughtful growth:
-
Quality First, Then Growth
- Perfect your current program
- Document what works
- Build strong foundations
- Then expand carefully
-
Systems Before Scale
- Create robust processes
- Train team thoroughly
- Test and refine
- Scale gradually
-
Community at the Center
- Keep mission focus
- Maintain relationships
- Preserve culture
- Grow authentically
Remember: Quality and growth aren't opposing forces - they're partners in creating lasting impact. Build quality into your growth plans from the start.
💡 KEY PRINCIPLES FOR BEGINNERS
-
Start Where You Are
- Use what you have
- Begin with basics
- Don't wait for perfect conditions
-
Document Everything
- Keep simple records
- Write down what works
- Note what doesn't work
-
Ask for Help
- Connect with other programs
- Join nonprofit networks
- Find mentors
-
Focus on Basics First
- Master fundamental processes
- Build strong foundations
- Then add complexity
-
Learn as You Go
- Expect mistakes
- Adjust quickly
- Share learnings
🎯 FINAL ADVICE FOR BEGINNERS
Remember: Every successful program started exactly where you are. The key is to:
- Start small but start now
- Learn constantly
- Stay focused on your mission
- Build strong foundations
- Grow thoughtfully
FYP Intern 2024 | POST-PILOT 90-DAY ACTION PLAN
Building on First Cohort Experience with Ji Min, Reem, and Shufan
Month 1: Pilot Analysis & Learning Capture
"Learn deeply from experience before scaling"
Week 1: Comprehensive Pilot Review
FOCUS: Data Collection & Analysis
- Interview all pilot interns (Ji Min, Reem, Shufan)
- Survey all mentors (Yourself, Joanna, Sahith)
- Analyze all existing documentation
- Compile pilot metrics
Daily Tasks:
- Monday: Create interview/survey templates
- Tuesday: Conduct intern interviews
- Wednesday: Conduct mentor interviews
- Thursday: Analyze existing data
- Friday: Compile initial findings
Week 2: Impact Analysis
FOCUS: Value Assessment
- Document all pilot outcomes
- Map pilot successes:
* Projects completed
* Skills developed
* Community connections made
* Post-internship engagement
- Identify improvement areas:
* Early direction challenges
* Online communication issues
* Attendance patterns
* Engagement levels
Daily Tasks:
- Monday: Map all project outcomes
- Tuesday: Document skill developments
- Wednesday: Analyze engagement data
- Thursday: List improvement areas
- Friday: Create impact summary
Week 3: Program Refinement
FOCUS: Structure Enhancement
- Develop structured tracks based on pilot:
* Research track learnings
* Technical track insights
* Event planning experiences
* Community organizing feedback
- Create clear guidelines for each track
Daily Tasks:
- Monday: Review each track's results
- Tuesday: Document best practices
- Wednesday: Outline improvements
- Thursday: Create track guidelines
- Friday: Review with team
Week 4: Documentation & Systems
FOCUS: Process Improvement
- Document all pilot learnings
- Create improved onboarding based on feedback
- Develop structured mentorship guidelines
- Build intern milestone framework
Daily Tasks:
- Monday: Compile all learnings
- Tuesday: Draft new processes
- Wednesday: Create templates
- Thursday: Build tracking systems
- Friday: Finalize documentation
Month 2: Fundraising & Sustainability
"Build resource foundation for growth"
Week 1: Funding Strategy
FOCUS: Case for Support
- Calculate true program costs:
* Intern stipends ($500/month)
* Mentor compensation ($700/month)
* Operational costs
* Support systems
- Develop compelling pitch:
* Pilot success stories
* Impact metrics
* Growth potential
* Resource needs
Daily Tasks:
- Monday: Complete cost analysis
- Tuesday: Draft case for support
- Wednesday: Create pitch deck
- Thursday: Develop budget model
- Friday: Review with team
Week 2: Funding Research
FOCUS: Opportunity Mapping
- Research potential funders:
* Youth development grants
* Mental health foundations
* Tech education funders
* Corporate partners
- Create submission calendar
Daily Tasks:
- Monday: Research foundations
- Tuesday: Map corporate prospects
- Wednesday: Identify grant opportunities
- Thursday: Create submission timeline
- Friday: Prioritize opportunities
Week 3: Partnership Development
FOCUS: Strategic Relationships
- Create partnership proposals
- Develop university relationships
- Build corporate connections
- Design collaboration frameworks
Daily Tasks:
- Monday: Draft partnership models
- Tuesday: Research universities
- Wednesday: Map corporate targets
- Thursday: Create outreach materials
- Friday: Begin outreach
Week 4: Sustainability Planning
FOCUS: Long-term Viability
- Develop multiple revenue streams
- Create resource optimization plan
- Build sustainability metrics
- Design scaling budget
Daily Tasks:
- Monday: Map revenue options
- Tuesday: Create resource plan
- Wednesday: Build metrics
- Thursday: Design budget
- Friday: Review with team
Month 3: Next Phase Planning
"Prepare for thoughtful expansion"
Week 1: Program Enhancement
FOCUS: Structure Development
- Create comprehensive program manual
- Develop enhanced curriculum
- Build evaluation frameworks
- Design quality standards
Week 2: Scale Preparation
FOCUS: Growth Infrastructure
- Develop automated systems
- Create scalable processes
- Build training materials
- Design growth metrics
Week 3: Cohort 2 Planning
FOCUS: Implementation
- Set cohort size (5 interns goal)
- Define mentor requirements
- Create selection process
- Develop marketing plan
Week 4: Launch Preparation
FOCUS: Execution Ready
- Finalize all materials
- Train mentor team
- Set up systems
- Begin recruitment
🎯 Key Success Metrics from Pilot
Track improvement in areas identified from pilot:
- Early engagement levels
- Project completion rates
- Mentor satisfaction scores
- Post-program involvement
- Community connection metrics
📊 Funding Targets
Cohort 2 Budget:
Base Costs: $4,600-$6,000
Additional Needs:
- Program materials
- Technology tools
- Marketing budget
- Emergency fund
Total Target: $10,000
🚨 Critical Focus Areas Based on Pilot
-
Structure vs. Flexibility Balance
- Clear frameworks
- Maintained autonomy
- Guided exploration
-
Engagement Enhancement
- Regular touchpoints
- Community building
- Clear expectations
-
Impact Documentation
- Success metrics
- Outcome tracking
- Value demonstration
-
Resource Sustainability
- Diversified funding
- Partner support
- Resource optimization
💡 Pilot-Informed Tips
-
Early Direction
- Provide clear initial projects
- Set specific milestones
- Allow gradual autonomy
-
Communication
- Mix of structured and informal
- Regular check-ins
- Clear channels
-
Accountability
- Clear expectations
- Support systems
- Flexible structures
-
Community Building
- Intentional connections
- Shared experiences
- Group activities
Remember: Build on pilot successes while systematically addressing identified challenges. Focus on creating sustainable structures that maintain the program's core values of agency and authenticity.
Social Entrepreneurship Fundementals
1. Impact Measurement & Metrics Cheatsheet
Core Concept
Impact measurement is the systematic process of collecting, analyzing, and using data to track and assess your organization's social impact on beneficiaries and communities.
Why Critical
- Required by funders/donors for accountability
- Guides strategic decision-making
- Helps optimize resource allocation
- Demonstrates value to stakeholders
- Essential for scaling and replication
- Builds credibility in the sector
Key Frameworks
Theory of Change (TOC)
Inputs → Activities → Outputs → Outcomes → Impact
- Inputs: Resources invested (time, money, expertise)
- Activities: What you do
- Outputs: Direct results (quantifiable)
- Outcomes: Medium-term changes
- Impact: Long-term systemic change
SMART Metrics
- Specific: Clear and unambiguous
- Measurable: Quantifiable
- Achievable: Realistic
- Relevant: Connected to mission
- Time-bound: Clear timeframe
Implementation Steps
- Define key outcomes
- Select relevant indicators
- Establish baseline data
- Set up data collection systems
- Analyze and report
- Use insights for improvement
Common Tools
- Surveys & Questionnaires
- Focus Groups
- Case Studies
- Data Analytics
- Social Return on Investment (SROI)
- Randomized Control Trials (RCTs)
Best Practice Tips
- Mix qualitative and quantitative data
- Involve stakeholders in metric selection
- Keep it simple and focused
- Ensure consistent measurement
- Document methodology
- Share results transparently
📚 Recommended Reading:
- "Measuring and Improving Social Impacts" by Marc J. Epstein and Kristi Yuthas
- "Impact Measurement and Accountability in Emergencies: The Good Enough Guide" by Emergency Capacity Building Project
2. Financial Sustainability & Revenue Model Cheatsheet
Core Concept
Financial sustainability is the ability to maintain and grow social impact while generating sufficient revenue to cover operational costs and invest in future growth.
Why Critical
- Ensures long-term survival
- Reduces dependency on single funding sources
- Enables strategic planning
- Supports scaling efforts
- Attracts investors/donors
- Builds organizational resilience
Revenue Models
Traditional Nonprofit
Grants + Donations + Endowments
Hybrid Model
Traditional Sources + Earned Income
Social Enterprise
Primarily Earned Income + Impact Investment
Revenue Streams
-
Philanthropic
- Foundation grants
- Individual donations
- Corporate sponsorships
- Government funding
-
Earned Income
- Program fees
- Consulting services
- Product sales
- Training/education
- Licensing/certification
-
Investment
- Impact investments
- Program-related investments
- Social impact bonds
- Recoverable grants
Financial Planning Framework
- Cost Structure Analysis
- Revenue Forecasting
- Break-even Analysis
- Cash Flow Management
- Reserve Building
- Risk Assessment
Key Metrics
- Program Cost per Beneficiary
- Fundraising ROI
- Operating Reserve Ratio
- Revenue Diversification
- Cost Recovery Rate
- Net Asset Ratio
Best Practice Tips
- Maintain 6-12 months operating reserve
- Diversify revenue sources
- Track unit economics
- Develop recurring revenue
- Build strong financial systems
- Regular financial review
📚 Recommended Reading:
- "Financial Leadership for Nonprofit Executives" by Jeanne Bell and Elizabeth Schaffer
- "The Sustainability Mindset" by Steve Zimmerman and Jeanne Bell
3. Program Scalability Cheatsheet
Core Concept
Scalability is the ability to grow your impact significantly while maintaining or improving program quality and cost-effectiveness.
Why Critical
Scaling Strategies
Organizational Growth
Internal Expansion → New Locations → New Markets
Impact Growth
Direct Service → Training → Systems Change
Scalability Assessment
-
Core Elements
- Clear impact model
- Standardized processes
- Quality controls
- Training systems
- Technology infrastructure
-
Key Questions
- Is impact measurable?
- Are results consistent?
- Is model documented?
- Are costs sustainable?
- Is demand proven?
Implementation Framework
- Document core model
- Identify essential elements
- Create standard procedures
- Develop training materials
- Build support systems
- Test and iterate
- Scale gradually
Success Factors
- Strong leadership
- Clear processes
- Quality control
- Technology leverage
- Partner networks
- Resource efficiency
- Culture maintenance
Common Pitfalls
- Premature scaling
- Quality degradation
- Mission drift
- Resource strain
- Cultural dilution
- System overload
📚 Recommended Reading:
- "Scaling Up Excellence" by Robert Sutton and Huggy Rao
- "Scaling Up: How a Few Companies Make It...and Why the Rest Don't" by Verne Harnish
4. Organizational Structure & Governance Cheatsheet
Core Concept
Organizational structure defines how activities, roles, and responsibilities are directed to achieve organizational goals, while governance ensures oversight, accountability, and strategic direction.
Why Critical
- Enables efficient operations
- Ensures accountability
- Facilitates growth
- Maintains mission alignment
- Reduces risk
- Builds stakeholder trust
Key Components
Board Structure
Board of Directors → Committees → Advisory Board
Organizational Structure
Executive Leadership → Management → Staff/Volunteers
Governance Framework
-
Board Responsibilities
- Strategic direction
- Financial oversight
- Executive supervision
- Policy approval
- Risk management
- Impact assessment
-
Key Policies
- Bylaws
- Financial controls
- HR policies
- Program guidelines
- Ethics/compliance
- Risk management
Implementation Steps
- Define roles/responsibilities
- Create org chart
- Establish policies
- Build board
- Set up committees
- Create reporting systems
- Review/update regularly
Best Practices
- Regular board meetings
- Clear communication channels
- Written policies/procedures
- Performance evaluation
- Succession planning
- Continuous learning
- Stakeholder engagement
Common Challenges
- Role confusion
- Poor communication
- Ineffective oversight
- Mission drift
- Resistance to change
- Limited accountability
- Resource constraints
📚 Recommended Reading:
- "Governance as Leadership" by Richard P. Chait, William P. Ryan, and Barbara E. Taylor
- "The Nonprofit Board Answer Book" by BoardSource
Each of these areas is critical for building a sustainable and scalable social impact organization. The cheatsheets provide a foundation, but successful implementation requires ongoing learning, adaptation, and refinement based on your specific context and needs.
FYP Intern 2024 Summary
11/15/2024
FYP Intern 2024 | Program Analysis
FYP Intern 2024 | Key Areas for Development
FYP Intern 2024 | POST-PILOT 90-DAY ACTION PLAN
2024 Summer Intern Job Description
Internship Details
Position: FYP Intern Associate
Compensation: $20/hour
Hours: Maximum 5 hours per week
Duration: 5 or 10 weeks with the possibility of extension based on performance and organizational needs
Location: Remote work opportunity with occasional in-person meetings (if applicable)
Organization: ForYouPage.Org (FYP)
About ForYouPage.Org (FYP)
ForYouPage.Org (FYP) is a fully youth-led, close-knit community and network/resource hub that serves as a safe space embodying the ideas of agency and compassion. We connect youth leaders, youth-centric nonprofits, and stakeholders with everyday youth who aspire to make a difference in their communities and the world.
Position Overview
FYP is seeking dedicated and passionate individuals to join our team as Associate Interns. In this role, you will contribute directly to the development and operation of FYP's core products, including our Wiki, events, and community initiatives. The intern will be expected to assist with tasks FYP associates need help with, which may vary from day to day. This role is perfect for someone who is committed to our mission and is looking to make a meaningful impact in broader grassroot advocacy, youth empowerment, and social change.
Responsibilities
-
Support the development, maintenance, and potential expansion of the FYP Wiki.
- Assist in planning and executing FYP events, including the annual FYP Summit.
- Contribute to the growth and engagement of the FYP community through various initiatives
- Collaborate with team members to drive concrete results, such as product development, user growth, fundraising, and team expansion.
-
Participate in mandatory weekly check-ins with your supervisor to discuss your learning progress, receive guidance, and identify areas for growth and development, as these meetings are crucial for supporting your educational experience and providing mentorship throughout the internship.
-
Maintain flexibility and adaptability in performing a range of tasks that may not be aligned with personal interests but strictly aligned with FYP's organizational needs and goals.
Qualifications
- Strong passion for youth advocacy, youth empowerment, and social impact.
- Strong work ethic and commitment to the nonprofit’s mission.
- Excellent learning & critical thinking skills.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
- Detail-oriented with strong organizational abilities.
- Ability to work effectively in a team environment.
- Currently enrolled in or recently graduated from a high school, college, or university program.
Equal Opportunity Employer
ForYouPage.Org is an equal opportunity organization. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, or any other legally protected status. We are committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace.
Application Process
To apply, please submit your resume and a few paragraphs explaining why you are passionate about youth advocacy and how you can contribute to ForYouPage.Org. Applications should be sent to joannafg@foryoupage.org.
Disclaimer
ForYouPage.Org (FYP) is committed to upholding the core values of Agency and Authenticity in all its activities. As a nonprofit organization relying on donation-based funding, including contributions from youth in our community, FYP takes its financial responsibilities seriously. We are dedicated to utilizing all donations to the highest possible standard, ensuring that our resources are allocated efficiently and effectively to support our mission, entrusted by youth changmakers.
This internship opportunity is designed to directly contribute to the operation and growth of FYP. Interns will be assigned tasks and responsibilities that strictly align with the organization's current needs and priorities. While we value the skills and interests of our interns, please note that there may be limited flexibility for personal projects or initiatives that fall outside the scope of FYP's immediate operational requirements.
By applying for this internship position, you acknowledge and agree to these terms, understanding that your role will be focused on supporting FYP's core functions and that your assignments will be determined based on the organization's needs. We appreciate your dedication to our mission and your willingness to contribute to the success of FYP within this framework.
FYP Wiki
FYP Wiki Privacy Policy
Last Updated: 09/11/2024
1. Introduction
For You Foundation ("we", "us", "our", "ForYouPage.Org" or "FYP") operates Wiki.ForYouPage.Org (the "Wiki"). This Privacy Policy explains in detail how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you use our Wiki. We are committed to protecting your privacy while fostering an open, authentic, and empowering environment for youth advocacy.
2. Information We Collect
2.1 Personal Information:
When you create an account and profile on our Wiki, we collect:
- Email address
- Username
- Password (encrypted)
2.2 User-Generated Content:
Any content you post on the Wiki, including:
- Wiki pages you create or edit
- Comments or contributions to discussions
- Any other information you choose to make public on the Wiki
2.3 Usage Data:
We automatically collect certain information about your device and how you interact with the Wiki, including:
- IP address
- Browser type and version
- Operating system
- Date and time of access
- Pages visited
- Actions taken on the Wiki (e.g., edits, uploads)
3. How We Use Your Information
We use your information for the following purposes:
a) To provide and maintain the Wiki service
b) To create and manage your account
c) To enable your participation in the Wiki's interactive features
d) To personalize your experience on the Wiki
e) To communicate with you about Wiki updates, events, and FYP activities
f) To analyze usage patterns and improve the Wiki's functionality
g) To detect, prevent, and address technical issues or misuse of the Wiki
h) To comply with legal obligations
4. Legal Basis for Processing Personal Information
We process your personal information based on the following legal grounds:
a) Your consent
b) Performance of a contract (our Terms of Service)
c) Compliance with a legal obligation
d) Our legitimate interests, which do not override your fundamental rights and freedoms
5. Information Sharing and Disclosure
5.1 Public Information:
Your profile information and any content you post on the Wiki will be publicly visible. Please be mindful of the personal information you choose to share.
5.2 Service Providers:
We may share your information with third-party service providers who help us operate, provide, improve, and analyze our services. These providers have access to your information only to perform specific tasks on our behalf and are obligated to protect your information.
5.3 Legal Requirements:
We may disclose your information if required by law, in response to legal process, or to protect our rights, privacy, safety, or property, or that of our users or the public.
5.4 With Your Consent:
We may share your information with third parties when you have given us your consent to do so.
6. Data Retention
We retain your personal information for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes outlined in this Privacy Policy, unless a longer retention period is required or permitted by law.
7. User Rights
Depending on your location, you may have the following rights regarding your personal information:
a) Right to access and receive a copy of your personal information
b) Right to rectify or update your personal information
c) Right to erase your personal information
d) Right to restrict or object to our processing of your personal information
e) Right to data portability
f) Right to withdraw consent at any time
To exercise these rights, please contact us using the information provided in the "Contact Us" section.
8. Data Security
We implement appropriate technical and organizational measures to protect your information against unauthorized access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction. However, no method of transmission over the Internet or electronic storage is 100% secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.
9. Changes to This Privacy Policy
We may update our Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of any changes by posting the new Privacy Policy on this page and updating the "Last Updated" date. We encourage you to review this Privacy Policy periodically.
10. Youth Privacy
As our Wiki is intended for youth advocacy, we are committed to protecting the privacy of young users. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13 without verifiable parental consent. If you are a parent or guardian and believe that your child has provided us with personal information without your consent, please contact us, and we will take steps to remove such information.
11. International Data Transfers
Your information may be transferred to and processed in countries other than your own. By using the Wiki, you consent to the transfer of your information to the United States and its processing there. We ensure that appropriate safeguards are in place to protect your information when it is transferred internationally.
12. Third-Party Links
The Wiki may contain links to third-party websites or services. We are not responsible for the content or privacy practices of these third parties. We encourage you to read the privacy policies of any third-party sites you visit.
13. Do Not Track Signals
We do not currently respond to "Do Not Track" signals from web browsers.
14. California Privacy Rights
If you are a California resident, you may have additional rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA). Please contact us for more information.
15. Contact Us
If you have any questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact us at:
Email: hello@foryoupage.org
By using Wiki.ForYouPage.Org, you acknowledge that you have read and understood this Privacy Policy and agree to its terms.
This privacy policy reflects ForYouPage.Org's commitment to transparency, youth empowerment, and responsible data handling. It aims to provide comprehensive information about our data practices while maintaining the organization's values of authenticity, agency, and open knowledge sharing.
FYP Wiki Term of Service
Last Updated: 09/11/2024
1. Introduction
Welcome to Wiki.ForYouPage.Org (the "Wiki"), operated by For You Foundation ("we", "us", "our", "ForYouPage.Org", or "FYP"). By accessing or using our Wiki, you agree to be bound by these Terms of Service ("Terms"). If you do not agree to these Terms, please do not use the Wiki.
2. Acceptance of Terms
By using the Wiki, you affirm that you are at least 13 years old and able to form a binding contract with FYP. If you are under 18, you represent that you have obtained parental consent to use the Wiki.
3. Changes to Terms
We reserve the right to modify these Terms at any time. We will notify users of any significant changes by posting a notice on the Wiki or sending an email. Your continued use of the Wiki after changes constitutes acceptance of the new Terms.
4. User Accounts
4.1 Registration: To fully participate in the Wiki, you must create an account. You agree to provide accurate, current, and complete information during registration and to update this information to keep it accurate, current, and complete.
4.2 Account Security: You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your account and password. You agree to notify us immediately of any unauthorized use of your account.
4.3 Account Termination: We reserve the right to suspend or terminate your account at our sole discretion, without notice, for conduct that we believe violates these Terms or is harmful to other users, us, or third parties, or for any other reason.
5. User Content
5.1 Ownership: You retain ownership of any content you submit to the Wiki ("User Content"). By submitting User Content, you grant FYP a worldwide, non-exclusive, royalty-free license to use, reproduce, modify, adapt, publish, translate, distribute, and display such content.
5.2 Content Standards: You agree not to post User Content that:
- Is illegal, abusive, harassing, or threatening
- Infringes on any patent, trademark, trade secret, copyright, or other proprietary rights
- Contains false or misleading information
- Violates the privacy or publicity rights of any third party
- Contains advertising or solicitations
- Is inappropriate, offensive, or contrary to the spirit of youth advocacy and empowerment
5.3 Content Removal: We reserve the right to remove any User Content at our sole discretion.
6. Intellectual Property
6.1 FYP Content: All content provided by FYP on the Wiki is the property of FYP or its licensors and is protected by copyright and other intellectual property laws.
6.2 Open Knowledge: In line with our commitment to open knowledge sharing, much of the Wiki's content is available under a Creative Commons license. Please check individual pages for specific licensing information.
7. Prohibited Activities
You agree not to engage in any of the following activities:
- Violating any applicable laws or regulations
- Impersonating any person or entity
- Interfering with or disrupting the Wiki or servers or networks connected to the Wiki
- Attempting to gain unauthorized access to any portion of the Wiki
- Using the Wiki for any commercial purposes without our express consent
- Engaging in any activity that interferes with or disrupts the Wiki's purpose of youth advocacy and empowerment
8. Third-Party Links and Content
The Wiki may contain links to third-party websites or resources. We are not responsible for the content, products, or services on or available from those websites or resources. You acknowledge sole responsibility for and assume all risk arising from your use of any third-party websites or resources.
9. Disclaimer of Warranties
The Wiki is provided "as is" and "as available" without any warranties of any kind, either express or implied. We do not warrant that the Wiki will be uninterrupted or error-free.
10. Limitation of Liability
To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, FYP shall not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages, or any loss of profits or revenues, whether incurred directly or indirectly, or any loss of data, use, goodwill, or other intangible losses resulting from your use or inability to use the Wiki.
11. Indemnification
You agree to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless FYP and its officers, directors, employees, agents, and affiliates from and against any claims, disputes, demands, liabilities, damages, losses, and costs and expenses, including, without limitation, reasonable legal and accounting fees, arising out of or in any way connected with your access to or use of the Wiki or your violation of these Terms.
12. Governing Law and Jurisdiction
These Terms shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of [insert applicable state/country], without regard to its conflict of law provisions. You agree to submit to the personal jurisdiction of the courts located within [insert applicable jurisdiction] for the purpose of litigating all such claims or disputes.
13. Dispute Resolution
Any dispute arising from these Terms will first be tried to be resolved through good faith negotiations. If that fails, the dispute shall be settled by binding arbitration administered by [insert arbitration body] in accordance with its applicable rules.
14. Severability
If any provision of these Terms is held to be unenforceable or invalid, such provision will be changed and interpreted to accomplish the objectives of such provision to the greatest extent possible under applicable law, and the remaining provisions will continue in full force and effect.
15. Entire Agreement
These Terms constitute the entire agreement between you and FYP regarding your use of the Wiki and supersede all prior agreements and understandings, whether written or oral, regarding the subject matter of these Terms.
16. Waiver
Our failure to exercise or enforce any right or provision of these Terms shall not operate as a waiver of such right or provision.
17. Assignment
You may not assign or transfer these Terms, by operation of law or otherwise, without FYP's prior written consent. Any attempt by you to assign or transfer these Terms without such consent will be null and void. FYP may freely assign or transfer these Terms without restriction.
18. Youth Advocacy and Empowerment
In line with FYP's mission, users are encouraged to:
- Engage in respectful and constructive dialogue
- Support and empower fellow youth advocates
- Contribute to the collective knowledge and resources on the Wiki
- Use the platform to amplify youth voices in behavioral health policy spaces
19. Contact Information
If you have any questions about these Terms, please contact us at:
Email: hello@foryoupage.org
By using Wiki.ForYouPage.Org, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agree to be bound by these Terms of Service.
This Terms of Service document aims to protect both the users and FYP while fostering an environment of open collaboration, youth empowerment, and responsible digital citizenship. It reflects FYP's commitment to transparency, authenticity, and community-building in the realm of youth advocacy.
FYP Archive
Decision Structure
Decision Structure for Decentralized Community for FYP
1. FYP Event - Independent
- The FYP Event operates independently, with its own decision-making process and governance structure.
- The event organizing committee has complete autonomy in making decisions related to the event, including theme, program, speakers, and partnerships.
- Decisions are made through consensus or majority vote within the event organizing committee.
2. FYP Community - Decentralized
- The FYP Community operates as a decentralized network, with no central authority or hierarchy.
- Community members are encouraged to self-organize and collaborate on initiatives and projects that align with FYP's core values and mission.
- Decisions within the community are made through open discussions and consensus-building among participating members.
- Conflicts are resolved through mediation and dialogue, with an emphasis on finding mutually agreeable solutions.
3. FYP Wiki - Decentralized
- The FYP Wiki operates as a decentralized knowledge base, with content created and curated by the community.
- Anyone can contribute to the wiki, with an emphasis on sharing resources, knowledge, and community action plans.
- Edits and additions to the wiki are reviewed by the community through a peer-review process to ensure accuracy and relevance.
- Disputes over content are resolved through open discussion and consensus-building among interested parties.
Governance:
- FYP is governed by a set of core values and principles that guide decision-making and actions across all aspects of the organization.
- These core values include agency, compassion, authenticity, togetherness, and humor.
- All community members are expected to uphold and embody these values in their interactions and contributions to FYP.
Operation Team:
- The Operation Team is responsible for maintaining the technical infrastructure and ensuring the smooth functioning of FYP's platforms and tools.
- The team is composed of volunteers who are selected based on their skills, expertise, and commitment to FYP's mission.
- Decisions within the Operation Team are made through consensus or majority vote, with an emphasis on transparency and accountability to the broader community.
Independent Anonymous Decision Board:
- The Independent Anonymous Decision Board serves as a moral compass and advisory body for FYP.
- The board is composed of five anonymous individuals who are selected based on their expertise, integrity, and commitment to FYP's core values.
- Board members are required to provide at least five references to support their selection and maintain their anonymity.
- The board provides guidance and recommendations on ethical and moral issues that may arise within the FYP community.
- Decisions made by the board are not binding but serve as a strong moral authority and influence on the community's actions and direction.
This decision structure aims to balance the principles of anarchy and decentralization with the need for guidance, coordination, and adherence to core values. By emphasizing autonomy, consensus-building, and moral authority, FYP can create a dynamic and inclusive community that empowers youth to drive change and address the mental health crisis.
FYP Code of Conduct
last updated: 11/18/2024
Preamble
We, the youth of ForYouPage.Org (FYP), in order to empower our generation to be fiercely ourselves and to change our world for the better, do hereby unite, ordain and establish this Governance Charter for ForYouPage.Org, for you.
We, all youth of FYP, will prove that authenticity, compassion, and kindness always triumph.
Article I: Values, Mission, Theory of Change
Our values, mission, and theory of change are fully articulated in the FYP Manifesto. This Code of Conduct serves to implement those principles in practice.
Article III: Organizational Structure
Section 1. Independent Anonymous Youth Decision Board
A. Independent Anonymous Youth Decision Board
(Note: Structure approved but implementation pending)
- Composition: Individuals under 25 years of age from diverse backgrounds, cultures, and countries.
- Selection: Open application process requiring at least five letters of reference attesting to integrity.
- Powers: Collective veto power over key decisions and approval authority over FYP general partnerships.
- Term: Staggered two-year terms, with half the board selected annually.
- Global Representation: No more than 40% of members from any single country.
B. Operation Team
- FYP Principle: Director & primary spokesperson of FYP.
- FYP Associates: Fully admitted direct builders of FYP with voting rights.
- FYP Assistants: Partially admitted direct builders of FYP without voting rights.
C. FYP Community through Operational Products
- FYP Wiki: Open collaborative knowledge-sharing platform.
- FYP Event: Coordinated advocacy and networking events.
- FYP Community: Engagement and support networks for youth advocates.
- FYP Intern: paid internship program that allow youth to work in areas of their passion, strictly limited to maintain FYP's core commitment to no monetary incentives. Currently Experimental.
Section 2. Roles and Selection
A. FYP Principle
- Selection: Elected annually by majority vote of FYP Associates.
- Duties & Power: Primary spokesperson, coordinator of strategic initiatives, ensures adherence to mission and values.
B. FYP Associates
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Selection: Majority vote by associates for: a) Recognized youth leaders formally recommended by FYP Associates or b) FYP Assistants i. who have completed 20 youth leader interviews, of which a minimum of 5 must be international demonstrating understanding of those that fyp serves, core values and needs, diversity, and equality of youth, and nonviolent communication, and ii. who have written an essay demonstrating their own ability to be authentic, iii formally recommended by FYP Associates.
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Duties & Power: Voting rights on all major decisions and direct builders of FYP operational products; official affiliation
C. FYP Assistants
- Selection: Open application, interviews, and majority vote.
- Duties & Power: Same as FYP Associates but with no voting rights and contribution to FYP products require supervision of at least 1 FYP Assistant.
Section 3. General Managers
A. Appointment: Rotating 3-month leadership roles for specific projects, open to both Associates and Assistants. B. Selection: Appointed by consensus of the Operation Team.
Section 4. Age Requirement
All team members must be under 26 years of age at the time of admission with exception allowed by majority vote of associates.
Article III: Decision-Making Processes
Section 1. Strategic Decisions
A. Led by the FYP Principle. B. Requires consensus among FYP Associates. C. Subject to veto by the Independent Anonymous Youth Decision Board.
Section 2. Operational Decisions
A. Managed by the FYP Operation Team. B. Requires consultation with relevant team members.
Section 3. Product-Specific Decisions
A. Directed by respective Product Leads. B. Involves consultation with product team members.
Section 4. Proposal and Implementation
A. Any FYP member may propose changes through monthly public hearings. B. Requires majority approval from Associates and absence of veto from the Independent Board.
Section 5. Transparency
A. All voting records, meeting minutes, and organizational documents to be publicly accessible. B. Regular public reports on activities, impact, and financial status.
Section 6. External Engagement and Partnerships
A. Youth Groups: Formal recommendations for partnerships with youth groups may be submitted by any FYP Community Member to the Operation Team. Approved if no majority objection from the Operation Team.
B. Non-Youth Groups: Partnerships with non-youth groups require formal recommendation by an FYP Operation Team, majority approval from the Operation Team, and majority approval from the Independent Decision Board.
C. Active engagement with policymakers and industry leaders to amplify youth voices.
Article V: Ethical Standards and Financial Governance
Section 1. Code of Conduct
A. All members shall uphold FYP's core values, maintain integrity, respect diversity, and foster inclusivity. B. Conflicts shall be resolved through open dialogue, with escalation to the Operation Team and Independent Board if necessary.
Section 2. Accountability
A. Regular peer and self-evaluations conducted quarterly. B. Monthly public reports on activities, impact, and financial status.
Section 3. Financial Principles
A. Volunteer-driven model with minimal financial transactions. B. No monetary compensation for core team members, with limited exceptions for specific intern roles. C. Any funds received shall be transparently allocated for operational costs and youth stipends. D. Major financial decisions require consensus approval from Associates and review by the Independent Board. E. Quarterly financial reports shall be made public.
Article VI: Amendments and Dissolution
Section 1. Amendments
A. Proposal:
- Any FYP Associate or Assistant may propose amendments through monthly public hearings.
B. Ratification:
- Requires two-thirds majority approval from FYP Associates.
- Final approval from the Independent Anonymous Youth Decision Board.
C. Regular Review:
- Annual evaluation of operational processes and governance structure.
- Recommendations for adjustments presented to the Operation Team for implementation.
Section 2. Dissolution
A. Conditions:
- May be considered if FYP no longer effectively serves its mission.
B. Process:
- Requires unanimous decision from Associates and approval from the Independent Board.
- All assets to be distributed to aligned youth advocacy organizations, as determined by the Independent Board.
Community Involvement
Creating and strengthening communities is at the heart of everything we do. Living is a collaborative effort, and interpersonal connection is key in building and maintaining a healthy mental environment. We currently (as of July 2023) facilitate one community group in Blacksburg, VA. However, if you're looking to form your own group, either on your own or with our help, then you're in the right place. If you're looking to join something that's already established, we also compile lists of preexisting community groups (clubs, coalitions, etc.) for cities and towns across the globe.
More coming soon...
Grassroot OnBoard
If you're new to our organization, then here are a few things you can do to get started:
- familiarize yourself with the wiki. Check out our resources, the different pages people have added, and see if we're missing something that you think should be included.
- If you decide you'd like to contribute, go ahead and make an account in the top right corner.
- Creating/editing a page is simple and takes just a few minutes. Please don't delete things that other people have added, and be reasonable with your contributions.
Part 1 Introduce What ForYouPage do (5min brief)
- introduce core philosophy
- tackle mental health by mobilizing grassroots advocacy
- tackle mental health by mobilizing grassroots advocacy
- introduce our working model (pyramid)
- our Impact
- Do you have any questions
Part 2 Listen
listen to what they do and what they need
understand their mission
their events type
their engagement level
their current and future plans
Part 3 How to build that center
talk about to get them involved
- Set up Weekly or Bi Weekly Meeting*
- Set up Wiki Page*
- organizing mental health related local resources
- organizing a list of interested clubs/community groups/school program*
- organizing mental health related local resources
- Set up community meetings
- build discord hub
- talking to school programming and find projects