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February
2008 E-Newsletter
Pragmatic Pointers by an Experienced Young Activist
by Wendy Schaetzel Lesko
High school senior Whitney Rutt of Salt Lake City is
president of the Phoenix Alliance and describes herself not as a traditional
student leader but one of those "black sheep."
At the end of 7th grade she
heard an ad on the radio by the Phoenix Alliance that included the famous quote
by a RJ Reynolds Tobacco Executive: "We
don't smoke it, we just sell it. We reserve that right for the young, the black,
the poor, and the stupid." Whitney went to www.utahphoenixalliance.org
and filled out an online application to join the statewide youth organization
and became the youngest member. She is no longer timid about being a change
agent. In the past five years, she has
compiled quite a track record including winning the Campaign for Tobacco-Free
Kids Advocate of the Year Award.
On the most personal level, Whitney
succeeded at persuading her mom to quit smoking as well as three other family
members. With the dexterity of a
seasoned activist, Whitney finds ways to circumvent limits that stop most nonprofits
from influencing legislators. She proved to be an effective advocate in passage
of the new state Smokefree Clubs and Bars law. In 2006 she collected 3,000
signatures on a petition to give authority to the U.S. Food & Drug
Administration to regulate tobacco products. She knows how to work with the schedulers
and other gatekeepers to get information to her Members of Congress.
Together with 30-member Phoenix
Alliance as well as local youth-led groups, Whitney now is leading a statewide initiative
to convince colleges and universities to stop accepting scholarship money,
sponsorship and advertising from companies marketing their smokeless tobacco
products. How often does a student - who has been accepted but not yet enrolled
in Southern Utah University -
begin mobilizing for a major policy change.
Whitney shared with me some pragmatic
pointers that are relevant to any group intent of challenging the status quo.
o
Recruiting - Set
up a table at concerts and go to other youth hangouts rather than relying on
counselors and other school authorities to recruit the "right" youth.
o
Avoiding burnout - Keep
reaching out to your friends and continually bring new youth into the
organization.
o
Welcoming newcomers - Make
sure each person who gets involved with your program is matched with a buddy
who is an active member.
o
Setting the agenda - A
four-member executive committee meets one hour ahead of each meeting to map out
the agenda.
o
Presenting issues - Executive
committee members do research on particular advocacy proposals or priorities
and then share the information with all members so everyone has enough details
to have an in-depth discussion of the pros and cons.
o
Socializing -
Start meetings with icebreakers and allow a set amount of time for socializing
at the beginning. This reduces the cliques and also chaos.
o
Making an impact - It's
essential to go beyond awareness and have a "call to action" because results
are necessary to keep going.
o
Chronicling the campaign
- Find one or two members to be historians, a videographer and/or photographer,
to capture meetings and activities.
o
Delegating - When
you are feeling overwhelmed, break down tasks among members and if that still
doesn't work, ask adult advisors to help out.
o
Advice to adults - Listen
and respect our ideas, find creative ways to help us like grant money, be
yourself and act your age.
One real gem Whitney tossed out focuses
on why it is essential to continually recruit younger members:
"Seventh and eighth graders are best at
brainstorming...they go beyond expectations and stretch our thinking."
Chris Stevenson writes in Teaching Ten to Fourteen Year Olds: "[My experience] has left me
with immutable optimism about the potential of young adolescent children. Given
learning opportunities that truly challenge, the responsibility to exercise
meaningful choices, and respect for their ideas and dignity, youngsters are
capable of tremendous commitment and dazzling originality." I would add: There's no minimum age for
leadership.
A FEW FAVORITES
o
www.ThePetitionSite.com -
CARE2 offers any individual or group concerned about green living, health,
human rights or protecting the environment this tool to create and post an
online petition to mobilize others.
- Engaging Youth: A How-To Guide for Creating Opportunities for Young
People to Participate, Lead and Succeed is researched & written by Andy Paul and Bina Lefkovitz with
the Youth Services Provide Network. The Sierra Health Foundation promotes
youth development practices among those who serve tweens and teens. This
60-page booklet is available free at www.sierrahealth.org
- Real Stats = YouthFacts - Bookmark www.youthfacts.org
and check these statistics before you rely on other data and while you are
at it, read one of Mike Males' first rate books such as The
Scapegoat Generation: America's War on Adolescents.
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