Organizations Making a Difference
Here is a list of organizations that are making a positive difference in the world today. All of the organizations mentioned in the book are in this directory as well as many others currently doing excellent work around the globe.
To see more information, hover over the title of an organization. To see organizations in a particular category, click the category name below.
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Advocates for Youth fights for young people's rights to honest, realistic sex education, family planning, and effective HIV/STD prevention programs in the United States and in developing countries. The organization believes that adolescent sexuality is normal and healthy and promotes the philosophy of Rights.Respect.Responsibility: Treat young people with respect, provide them their right to information and services, and they will act responsibly.
The Alternative High School Initiative is a network of youth development organizations committed to creating educational opportunities for young people for whom traditional school settings have not been successful.
The Big Picture Company was founded by educators Dennis Littky and Elliot Washor, both formerly of the renowned Thayer High School in New Hampshire and the Annenberg Institute for School Reform at Brown University. In 1995, they began collaborating with Rhode Island policymakers to design a student-centered high school, and created The Big Picture Company as the launching pad for what has now become a national education reform movement.
BRIDGES to Understanding engages K-12 students worldwide in direct,interactive learning and storytelling to build cross-cultural understanding. They use today's new multi-media technologies so students can powerfully communicate and interact, all with the goal of creating lasting cross-cultural understanding. Young adults take digital storytelling workshops offered in the United States while others choose to travel on volunteer vacations with BRIDGES for similar workshops with local youth and teachers in South Africa, Peru, Guatemala, and India.
Citizen Schools partners with middle schools to expand the learning day for low-income children across the country.
The Center For Civic Education is an nonprofit, educational corporation dedicated to promoting an enlightened and responsible citizenry committed to democratic principles and actively engaged in the practice of democracy in the United States and other countries. They administer a wide range of programs that help students develop an increased understanding of the institutions of American constitutional democracy and the fundamental principles and values upon which they are founded.
Common Vision brings inspiring and relevant earth education to diverse communities and to cultivate dynamic and experienced leaders in sustainability practice and education. With a fleet of vegetable-powered vehicles, a dedicated staff, and big vision, Common Vision’s mobile operation weaves a wide network in California as it creates and inspires collaborations amongst volunteers, schools, farms, mentors, nurseries, musicians, and native peoples.
The Forum For Youth Investment is dedicated to ensuring that all young people are Ready By 21: ready for college, work, and life. The Forum provides youth and adult leaders with the information, technical assistance, training, network support and partnership opportunities needed to increase the quality and quantity of youth investment and youth involvement.
Future 5000 is a dynamic directory of youth organizations working for justice across all 50 states. All of the 700+ organizations listed on Future5000.com have their own profile that describes their work in one of four Sectors of Youth Organizing: campus, community, civic engagement, and cultural.
GenerationEngage is a nonpartisan youth-civic-engagement initiative that engages young Americans - particularly those outside the boundaries of university campuses - in the evolving political debate, to provide the knowledge, the organization, and the voice we need to shape the future we will inherit.
Headstand, based in San Francisco, is committed to improving the academic, psychological, and physical health of students and teachers in Bay Area classrooms through the use of regular, simple, and fun yoga exercises.
Founded in 1990, IYF builds and maintains a worldwide community of business, governments, and civil society organizations committed to empowering youth to be healthy, productive, and engaged citizens.
The Met School believes that true learning takes place when each student is an active participant in his or her own education, when a course of study is personalized by teachers, parents and mentors who know that student well and when school-based learning is blended with outside experiences that heighten the student's interest.
Mobilize.org is an all-partisan network dedicated to empowering, educating, and energizing young people to increase political participation and increase civic engagement. Their website offers a multitude of resources to show young people both how their lives are affected by public policy and how they can impact public policy.
The National Farm to School Program is a collaborative program of Center for Food & Justice (CFJ), a division of the Urban and Environmental Policy Institute at Occidental College and the Community Food Security Coalition (CFSC). Initiated in 2000, the National Program has spearheaded the development of the farm to school movement across the country, successfully assisting organizations in starting up and sustaining farm to school efforts, fundraising, and providing informational resources, education and training for farm to school stakeholders.
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