@15

During the National Civic Summit last week, I attended a session hosted by Best Buy on their new @15 initiative. The effort is based on their contention that, "What happens at age 15 has a lot to say about teens' success in school and beyond." The Best Buy Children's Foundation commissioned Minneapolis-based, Search Institute, to conduct a national study of 1,817 fifteen-year-olds and draft a new report, Teen Voice 2009 (PDF). The report introduces three concepts that have potential to set or keep 15-year-olds on a positive course at this critical time in their life: Sparks, Teen Voice Index (TVI), and Relationships and Opportunities Index (ROI).

Key Findings from Teen Voice 2009 -Sparks, which are individual talents, passions or gifts that give teens energy, motivation, focus and joy, are critical to teens' well being. Yet, while 66% of teens surveyed can identify at least one spark for themselves, fewer than half who know their spark have much spark support beyond their family. -Teen Voice Index (TVI), a new measure of teen engagement in social issues, found 18% of youth scored high, indicating significant opportunities to help young people find their voice and contribute to their communities. Teens with high TVI scores are at least three times as likely as those with low scores to see civic engagement as important, hold prosocial values and have a sense of hopeful purpose for the future. -Relationships and Opportunities Index (ROI) is a new measure to track three elements that significantly help teens: being valued and treated fairly; having access to high-quality opportunities, such as after-school programs; and having people who nurture their sparks. Only about one in eight (12%) of teens score high on this index. Youth with high ROI scores are much more likely to report positive outcomes and are three times as likely as those with low scores to have a sense of hopeful purpose, express caring values, be actively engaged in school and take on leadership roles.

While I am initially somewhat wary of Best Buy's self-interest in reaching out to the youth demographic (traditionally known to retain the most expendable income for discretionary spending) given the corporation's interests in advancing their bottom line, at the same time, there is, undoubtedly, real opportunity to leverage their access to (droves of young Best Buy retail store employees) and appeal to (electronics-savvy generation) the youth population for the common good. The research and media surrounding this effort is an important step to acknowledging a different kind of story about teens than is typically portrayed. Moreover, highlighting the beliefs of young people in their own power and potential is critical to changing norms and stereotypes that exist around youth. As President and CEO of Best Buy, Brian J. Dunn, notes in the report's welcome letter, "Too often we hear bad news about young people - the challenges they face or the problems they create. Best Buy is committed to changing the conversation about teens and helping the world to see them as the outspoken, intelligent, creative, bring-on-the-world individuals they are."

LWVMNEF recruiting mentors for LOTT Fellows!

The annual LOTT conference is known to be a thought-provoking experience for many, and a life-changing experience for some. I'm excited to have been a part of LOTT's Advisory Committee for the past several years and look forward now to supporting its programming into the next phase! See below for the official announcement about the expanded programming and search for talented professional women mentors for the first round of LOTT Fellows! Contact Allie Moen (amoen@lwvmn.org) for an application form or for more details.

League of Women Voters Minnesota Education Fund (LWVMNEF) is proud to announce a new beginning for Leaders of Today and Tomorrow (LOTT) an ongoing leadership development program.

LOTT was founded in 1993 and for 14 years produced an annual seminar bringing together college-aged women with women in public policy leadership roles. The annual seminar has been an excellent opportunity for young women to form relationships, identify mentors and develop future employment and leadership skills.

LWVMNEF is expanding LOTT from a single annual seminar to an ongoing leadership program which supports young women over time with a consistent alumni network. The expanded LOTT Fellowship Program will provide five months of leadership programming and support to ten outstanding young women and the needed support for goal development and achievement, resulting in a clearly defined vision for themselves as future leaders.

We greatly appreciate your support of the LOTT Fellows Program, and look forward to your continued partnership in taking the program to the next level. Outstanding mentors will be key elements of a successful new fellows program. We ask for your assistance in recruiting high-quality mentor applicants who can help us get the new program off to a strong start. Please share this announcement within your organization and/or with women who you think would be a great fit for the LOTT Fellows Program. To learn more, see the LOTT website announcement or contact LWVMN Program Director, Allie Moen at 651-224-5445 or at amoen@lwvmn.org.

National Civic Summit in Minneapolis next week!

The annual National Association of Secretaries of State conference will be held in Minneapolis at the end of next week and it turns out there's an open invitation to join in on the fun at the National Civic Summit! If you are interested in improving nonpartisan civic imagination and impact, you won’t want to miss this opportunity to interact with national leaders on a wide spectrum of critical topics. Following are two events where you can join the conversation: The Opening Night Party at the National Civic Summit Mill City Museum - Minneapolis, MN Wednesday, July 15, 2009 6:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. $50 Tickets The National Tweetup is the opening night mixer for the National Civic Summit and the launch of the national conversation about all things civic. The event will feature: * Social Media Team to help people use new social media tools * Civic Voice Stage where participants can share their views and accomplishments * Ustream.tv Live Stage where we will stream participant comments and response to event poll questions THE CONNECTION at the National Civic Summit The Minneapolis Hilton 1001 Marquette Ave Mpls, MN 55402 July 15-17, 2009 Over 100 nonpartisan organizations will showcase their ideas, approaches and tools through exhibits and workshops at the Minneapolis Hilton Hotel. Download the current agenda of speakers, topics and schedules (PDF file) or register today to attend The Connection. This event is free and open to the public.

Nominations open for MN Junior Chamber 2009 "Ten Outstanding Young Minnesotans" Awards

The Junior Chamber's "Ten Outstanding Young Minnesotans" (TOYM) program is Minnesota’s only statewide recognition program for outstanding young leaders. The program acknowledges the efforts of young leaders that have contributed to the state through service, thought and influence, community involvement, entrepreneurship, and more. Since 1950, the TOYM program has recognized the leadership of over 400 young people across the state. Past awardees have included such public figures and community leaders as Walter Mondale, Marlene Johnson, Dave Winfield, Tim Penny, Paul Douglas, Matt Blair, Wheelock Whitney, Joe Senser, and Martin Sabo.

Nominees are selected on the basis of their achievement in any 3 of the following areas:
1. Personal improvement
2. Financial success or economic innovation
3. Social improvement or major contemporary issues
4. Philanthropic contribution or voluntary service
5. Politics or governmental service
6. Scientific or technological contribution
7. Legal reform
8. Cultural achievement (to include literature, history, education or all arts)
9. Academic leadership
10. Athletic accomplishment
11. Moral and religious leadership
12. Success in the influence of public opinion (news media and other means)

The deadline to nominate a Minnesota leader between the ages of 18-40 is July 15, 2009. Nominees need not be a member of the Junior Chamber. To learn more and/or to submit a nomination, visit the MN Jaycees' online.

2009 Christine O. Gregoire Youth/Young Adult Award for Outstanding Use of Tobacco Industry Documents

This past week, I was fortunate enough to witness a good friend of mine, Nic Buron, be presented with the 2009 Christine O Gregoire Youth/Young Adult Award for Outstanding Use of Tobacco Industry Documents at the National Conference on Tobacco or Health in Phoenix, AZ.

Presented by the American Legacy Foundation, the Christine O. Gregoire Youth/Young Adult Award for Outstanding Use of Tobacco Industry Documents recognizes a person 24 years of age or younger who has made a contribution to the health of the public in the recent past through use of tobacco documents. The award honors innovation in the use and application of tobacco industry documents to improve the public's health and, where applicable, to further the goals of tobacco prevention and control in order to help build a world where young people reject tobacco and anyone can quit. Those nominated should be individuals who have made a notable impact through innovative use of tobacco industry documents as applied to research, policy, or advocacy. Nic's career in tobacco control and prevention is noteworthy, including stints as a grant manager at the Minnesota Department of Health, working with the Metropolitan Federation of Alternative Schools on their youth tobacco prevention initiatives, and most recently, his leadership with Catalyst, a statewide network for youth advocates across Minnesota working to fight back against Big Tobacco and to promote healthy eating through creative youth activism. Nic worked with Catalyst youth leaders to dream up and execute the Killer Quotes Tour, which utilized tobacco company document quotes to expose industry marketing tactics directed at the underage segment. These are a few of the quotes used in the Killer Quotes Tour: "The base of our business is the high school student." -Lorillard Tobacco, 1978 "We really need something for people to die of." British American Tobacco, 1987 "Cherry Skoal is for somebody who likes the taste of candy, if you know what I'm saying." - U.S. Smokeless Tobacco, 1994 Congratulations to Nic!