IWD-Women’s Day- March 8

Women: They are half of the world’s population, make up 42% of global internet users and control $14 trillion in assets. They also do two-thirds of the world’s work yet receive only 10% of the income. They are disproportionately impacted by HIV/AIDS. In many parts of the world, they lack basic economic, social, cultural, and political rights.

This Sunday, March 8th is International Womens Day (IWD). It is an international celebration marking the achievements of women and their importance to our future.

The IWD website posts:

“IWD is now an official holiday in China, Armenia, Russia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bulgaria, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Macedonia, Moldova, Mongolia, Tajikistan, Ukraine, Uzbekistan and Vietnam. The tradition sees men honouring their mothers, wives, girlfriends, colleagues, etc with flowers and small gifts. In some countries IWD has the equivalent status of Mother’s Day where children give small presents to their mothers and grandmothers.

The new millennium has witnessed a significant change and attitudinal shift in both women’s and society’s thoughts about women’s equality and emancipation. Many from a younger generation feel that ‘all the battles have been won for women’ while many feminists from the 1970′s know only too well the longevity and ingrained complexity of patriarchy. With more women in the boardroom, greater equality in legislative rights, and an increased critical mass of women’s visibility as impressive role models in every aspect of life, one could think that women have gained true equality. The unfortunate fact is that women are still not paid equally to that of their male counterparts, women still are not present in equal numbers in business or politics, and globally women’s education, health and the violence against them is worse than that of men.

However, great improvements have been made. We do have female astronauts and prime ministers, school girls are welcomed into university, women can work and have a family, women have real choices. And so the tone and nature of IWD has, for the past few years, moved from being a reminder about the negatives to a celebration of the positives.

Annually on 8 March, thousands of events are held throughout the world to inspire women and celebrate achievements. A global web of rich and diverse local activity connects women from all around the world ranging from political rallies, business conferences, government activities and networking events through to local women’s craft markets, theatric performances, fashion parades and more.”

Visit the International Womens Day (IWD) website to find an event in your community. Better yet, volunteer with an organization that supports women and girls. Keep up to date on issues affecting women around the globe and inform others. Post links to news stories on your Facebook or MySpace page, etc. Contact your government representatives to voice your opinions and learn more about legislation that affects women and girls. Finally, as authored on the IWD site, “Make every day International Women’s Day. Do your bit to ensure that the future for girls is bright, equal, safe and rewarding.”

Statistics from IWD website: www.internationalwomensday.com.

WIN A SCHOLARSHIP: GYV Essay Contest!

Enter our Global Youth Essay Contest between February 20-April 10, 2010!  Your essay must answer the question “How can I use technology to change the World.” The winners will receive full or partial scholarships to this summer’s program. Click here for offical rules and details.

• You must be ages 15-18 and a US citizen
• Essays should not exceed 500 words
• You must read the official rules
• Essays should be e-mailed to gyv@legacyintl.org
• Essays should be submitted between February 20- April 10th
• Your essay will be judged on
  • (a) overall creativity (20%),
  • (b) content for your proposal on how using technology can change the world (70%)
  • (c) overall grammatical and structural fluency (10%)

Essay Contest Rules

Global Youth Village Scholarship Contest

Official Rules

Contest may only be entered in or from the 50 United States and the District of Columbia and entries originating from any other jurisdiction are not eligible. This Contest is governed exclusively by the laws of the United States. You are not authorized to participate in the Contest if you are not located within the United States.

How to Enter the Global Youth Village Scholarship Contest. To enter the Contest, first read the Official Rules below.  Then submit you essay on “How I can use technology to change the World”  with your contact information via mail or e-mail to gyv@legacyintl.org or mail to 1020 Legacy Drive, Bedford, Virginia 24523. The contact information should include your name, mailing address, phone number, birth date (including age), e-mail address. Global Youth Village holds this information as private and will not distribute to any other parties. If you do not include all of the above contact information, you will not be eligible to receive a prize. Sponsor reserves the right to cancel or modify this Contest in the event an insufficient number of entries are received that meet the minimum judging criteria. Winning essays may be posted online at www.globalyouthvillage.org and may be used in Global Youth Village and Legacy International promotional materials.

1. The subject matter of your essay must answer the question “How can I use technology to change the world.” All entrants must have a valid email address. Limit one (1) entry per person and only one entry for the same essay. All entries become the sole and exclusive property of the Sponsor and receipt of entries will not be acknowledged or returned. Sponsor is not responsible for lost, late, illegible, stolen, incomplete, invalid, unintelligible, postage-due, misdirected entries. Only fully completed entry forms are eligible. Proof of submission will not be deemed to be proof of receipt by Sponsor.

2. Start/End Dates. Contest begins at 12:01:01 Eastern Time on February 15 and ends at 11:59:59 PM Eastern Time on April 10, 2009.

3. Eligibility. Participation open only to legal residents of the fifty United States or the District of Columbia who are between the ages of 15-18 as of June 30, 2010. Void outside of the 50 United States. Employees, officers and directors of Legacy International and their immediate families (parents, children, siblings, spouse) or members of the same household (whether related or not) are not eligible to enter. You are not authorized to participate in the Contest if you are not located within the United States or the District of Columbia. All federal, state and local laws and regulations apply.

4. Judging/Judging Criteria. Judges reserve the right, in their sole and absolute discretion, to disqualify any essay Submissions that are inappropriate for any reason, including without limitation, for depicting or mentioning sex, violence, drugs, alcohol and/or inappropriate language. All essay submissions will be judged by a panel of judges that have the required knowledge and experience to apply the judging criteria. All essay submissions will be judged based on the following judging criteria: (a) overall creativity (20%), (b) content for your proposal on how you can use technology to change the world (70%), and (c) overall grammatical and structural fluency (10%). By entering the Contest, entrants fully and unconditionally agree to be bound by these rules and the decisions of the judges, which will be final and binding in all matters relating to the Contest.

5. Prizes. One (1) Grand Prize Winner will receive an $800 scholarship towards the tuition of the Peacebuilding Program at GYV upon completion of application. One (1) First Runner Up will receive tuition scholarship valued at $550 towards the Peacebuilding Program at GYV upon completion of application. All remaining submissions may be considered for GYV programs without financial aid upon completion of an application. Prizes are non-transferable. No substitutions will be allowed except by sponsor who reserves the right to substitute a prize of equal or greater value for any reason. Limit one (1) prize per person.

6. Notification. (changed a bit) Winners will be notified by email on April 15, 2010 and will be required to sign and return completed application within ten (10) days of prize notification. If any winner cannot be contacted within five (5) calendar days of first notification attempt, if any prize or prize notification is returned as undeliverable, if any winner rejects his/her prize or in the event of noncompliance with these Contest rules and requirements, such prize will be forfeited and may be awarded to the Essay Submission with the next highest score. Upon prize forfeiture, no compensation will be given.

 

7. Privacy and Use of Data: Sponsor will be collecting personal data about entrants online and will not share this information with any third parties without authorized consent.

8. List of Winners. To obtain a list of winners, send a self-addressed, stamped envelope by April 10, 2009. to: Global Youth Village Essay Contest, 1020 Legacy Drive, Bedford, VA 24523

9. Sponsor. Legacy International, 1020 Legacy Drive, Bedford, VA 24523

American Camp Association’s Guidelines for Parents

From the American Camp Association website

Questions To Ask Camp Directors
When looking through the various summer program brochures, you are bound to have questions pop into your head regarding the facilities, safety, activities, location, and so on.  In writing everything looks picture perfect and all you are reading sounds great.  But are you getting the information you need as a parent?  Take away all of the pretty pictures and unending lists of activites and what is left?  The American Camp Association is a group of camping professionals who have come together to share their knowledge and experience about summer programs to ensure program quality.  The ACA has been in existence for over 100 years and is highly regarded.  On their website the ACA created a list of questions which they recommend parents ask Camp Director’s when looking at a summer program (http://www.campparents.org/safetytips.php). 

GYV staff have added our responses to the questions

What is the camp’s philosophy and program emphasis?

The Global Youth Village promotes respect as a standard for human interaction. Program activities help participants discover a common ground for understanding people of diverse cultures and backgrounds, by encouraging core human values such as peace, justice, tolerance, ethics, service, and equity.  Workshops promote skill building and leadership development. More information on GYV’s philosphy can be found at: Philosophy and Goals.

What is the camp director’s background?

The ACA minimum standards recommend directors possess a bachelor’s degree, have completed in-service training within the past three years, and have at least 16 weeks of camp administrative experience.

Mary brings 22 years experience to the GYV, playing a key role in fundraising and youth recruitment throughout the year. During the summer months, she trains staff and oversees program quality and content. A native of Philadelphia, Mary received her Bachelors degree in Sociology and French from Trinity College in Washington D.C. She taught for several years at the pre-school and elementary levels, but has dedicated most of her life to training teens and young adults. Mary is fluent in French and “knows a little bit of Indonesian,” as she directs many of our U.S. State department sponsored programs with Indonesia. To watch a video featuring Mary go to Who We Are: Our Team. 

What training do counselors receive?

According to ACA at a minimum, camp staff should be trained in safety regulations, emergency procedures and communication, behavior management techniques, child abuse prevention, appropriate staff and camper behavior, and specific procedures for supervision.

At GYV, the summer starts with a 9-10 day training program for all staff.  Legacy staff share our signature methods for program design and delivery, group building, and lesson planning.  Staff training addresses the following areas: Human Relations, Intercultural Relations, Professional Skill Development and other components such as: facility set-up, curriculum planning, risk management, health care, and orientation specific to individual responsibilities.  To find out more go to: Staff Training.

What is the counselor-to-camper ratio?

ACA standards require different ratios for varying ages and special needs.  To find specific ratios go to their website at: How to Choose a Camp: Safety Tips.

At GYV the counselor-to-camper ratio is 1:3.

What are the ages of the counselors?

ACA standards recommend that 80 percent or more of the counseling/program staff be at least 18 years old. Staff must be at least 16 years old and be at least two years older than the campers with whom they work. 

At GYV, staff range in age from 21-45+  with 90% being above age 22. We attract very high caliber teaching due to our well-know currciulums and the unique opportunity the diverse population provides.  

 What are desired qualities in camp staff?

Every summer, Legacy recruits between 25-30 staff members to deliver our life-changing summer programs. The success of our programs is based on a comprehensive staff selection process.  We attract a diverse group of highly enthusiastic, idealistic, practical and committed adults who want to make a difference in the world.  We look at the combination of skills and how the team is constructed in order to offer a wide array of activities ranging from skill building workshops, to afternoon recreational activities, to cabin life and engaging all campus programs.  Please feel free to review the criteria for the various staff positions.

What percentage of the counselors returned from last year?

 The GYV staff return rate is 30-40%

Information provided in part by the American Camp Association.

Parent Reflects on Son’s Experience in Morocco

I wanted to take the time to thank you for giving my son the experience of his life by awarding him an exchange opportunity in Morocco summer 2008.  First let me compliment you on your ability to see that Max, although young, was fully up to the task! I believe he was an asset to your program and it is really your vision that allowed him to contribute. We noticed how much he matured on his trip from the minute he got off the plane but it was all good-he is still our wonderful son but seems to be much more appreciative of our care now that he has lived without us for several weeks. I encourage all parents of teenagers to send them away for a little while!

I was completely confident in Max’s safety and well-being the entire time he was in Morocco-from the moment his plane was met in Washington D.C. to his host family welcoming him with open arms. He was so well taken care of that, at times, Max ate so much delicious food he said he was literally stuffed! No more food could physically go down! All members of the family took time to work with him on his Arabic language, allowed him to observe the preparation of traditional meals and helped him with his every need. They tended to him without suffocation-he felt confident to do his own exploring around ancient Marrakech as well. It really was a wonderful combination of care and independence, and the perfect match for Max. So, while he did miss us a bit, he never mentioned it because he was so happy with is Moroccan family. Legacy did an excellent job with host family placement. The trips that the group took were definitely the highlight of Max’s journey. Riding camels across the Sahara, watching the ocean while eating breakfast on the roof of the hotel in Essaouira, attending Mosque in Rabat and buying Fez hats in Fes-these are memories he will treasure forever and solidified his love of Morocco, the Moroccan people and the Arabic culture. 

The school in Marrakech was top-notch. Max said upon his return, “Those are people who know how to teach.” Not only did his knowledge of Arabic expand immensely, he connected with his teachers on an emotional level and I believe the connections made will last a lifetime. Although the school days were long and the homework intense, he never felt overwhelmed and was able to meet the challenge.  Finally, the majority of students chosen for this once-in-a-lifetime experience were exceptional. Max has a couple of friends from this trip that I know he will stay in touch with forever. How nice for Max to associate with such a fine group of young people. I believe Legacy picked the cream of the crop for this very special journey and I am honored that my son was found to be worthy of such an honor. I am confident that he will bring back what he learned in Morocco and improve the understanding between our cultures for years to come. Already Max is singularly responsible for signing several of his friends up for Arabic class at Washington High this school year!

I am forever indebted to you for making my son a citizen of the world. There is no doubt in my mind that Max will be embarking on more adventures every summer between now and graduation.  Please accept my thanks and my gratitude.

~Alyssa Turk-McGee

Legacy International in partnership with American Language Center in Marrakesh delivered the Arabic Language Institute in 2007, 2008.  The program is supported by a grant form US Department of State Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs

Vegetarian and Vegan recipes

Please visit our FOOD FOR THOUGHT AREA and try our recipes collected by GYV alumni.   Feel free to post any recipes you have as well, just click on comment and type away.