Listen Up!. The Way We See It: Resources

1. Create Your Own Learning Experience

Listen, Watch, Create: it is possible to create your own learning experience with tools, original curriculum, and alternate learning resources.

Curriculum Design	The Open Directory Project: The most comprehensive human-edited directory of the Web, this link focuses on links and references to curriculum design guides.
Alternative Learning Tools	Motivation Tools: This site addresses project base learning and alternative approaches to learning and motivating students.
Suggested Resources	What Kids Can Do: Making Students Partners in High School Redesign- resources available from What Kids Can Do • The Schools We Need: Creating Small High Schools That Work For Us • Fires in the Bathroom: Advice for Teachers from High School Students • Student Learning in Small Schools: An Online Portfolio • First Ask, Then Listen: How To Get Your Students To Help You Teach Them Better • Student Research for Action: A Collection of Examples and Resources • Students As Allies: Five Cities Enlist Students As Partners in Improving Schools • Young Organizers Mobilize to Change Their World, Starting with School • Proceedings from the First Bronx New Century High Schools Student Summit

2. Define and Understand Your Rights

As citizens and students we have the right to free speech and creative authority in defending our constitutional liberties.

Rights as a Student	American Civil Liberties Union The sites helps you understand your rights to equality in education, fair treatment, privacy, religious freedom and free expression.
Rights as a Citizen	The National Youth Rights Association The National Youth Rights Association site provides resources about youth rights, working with public officials to devise fitting policy solutions to problems affecting young people and empowering young people.
Rights as an Activist	The Freechild Project The SNAYR is the most comprehensive database of information on youth rights available today. The site is a project of The Freechild project which advocates for social change by and with young people.

3. Participate in Local and National Organizations

There are many benefits to organizational participation, which include identifying a community of well resourced individuals who share the same field of interest and hold expertise as well.

Local (School/ Community Based)	ShiNE SHiNE helps teens take a stand, use their voice, and impact their world- and start up local ShiNE clubs
National	National Education Association NEA has a long history as the nation's leading organization committed to advancing the cause of public education. The site lists national events and contacts for the longstanding and ongoing efforts made with the National Education Association.
Global Networks	IEARN iEARN is a non-profit global network that enables young people to use the Internet and other new technologies to engage in collaborative educational projects that both enhance learning and make a difference in the world. The site lists programs for classroom use that involve other school groups from around the world.

4. Document Your Process

Youth Media production and creation is a great way to self-express, share ideas and organize with individuals across many fields of interest. There are many resources that promote and bolster this process.

Youth Media Organizations

These links provide a wealth of information and resources for youth media and action processes and organizing.
www.listenup.org
whatkidscando.org
soros.org/youth

5. Contact local officials and Policymakers… Regularly

Communication is the baseline of effective political action. Further, communicating your vision and ideas to the policymakers and local officials is a great way to document your efforts and create momentum around organization.

Letter Writing Campaigns	Letter-writing is one of the most effective tools for political action. This site lists a comprehensive guide for successful creating and executing a letter writing campaign. cpawscalgary.org/action/letters-politicians.html
Effective Follow-Up and Follow-Through	This site concisely lists the most effective tips for communication with policymakers. familysupportnetwork.org/TipsonCommunicating.htm

6. Share Your Experience with other Youth Activists

Sharing experience increases the reach and effectiveness of your efforts and creates new opportunities to learn and expand a network of Youth Actionists.

Hosting/Attending Community Events	RoundtableMedia At the heart of Roundtable's work is their belief that social change occurs in a social context: face-to-face in the real and not virtual world. They provide important advise and direction in the community planning process.
Effective Uses of the Media/Press	MediaRights MediaRights.org, a community web site, helps media makers, educators, nonprofits, and activists use documentaries to encourage action and inspire dialogue on contemporary social issues. Youth-produced documentaries can be found throughout MediaRights.org online database, enabling anyone to find work in seconds.
Mentorship	Mentoring is how organizations nurture and grow their people. This site has links to mentorship best practices. sonic.net/~mfreeman/mentor.htm