Youth Speakers Bureau

In 2007, Learn and Serve America established a National Youth Speakers Bureau to support youth who speak publicly about the positive effects service-learning can have on youth, institutions, and communities.

All Learn and Serve America Grantees are encouraged to support youth as leaders and speakers to help get the word out about your successful service-learning activities through authentic youth voice!

See our topic page on Youth Advisory Councils/Youth Speakers Bureaus for ideas about how you can start-up your own YSB.

Young people from across the country who have been identified as local service-learning champions already engaged in public speaking via Youth Advisory Boards, Speakers Bureaus, Ambassador Programs, or simply as individual students sharing the story of the positive changes they are making through service-learning.

Specifically, all YSB participants must:

• Be either currently enrolled at or graduates of schools & organizations funded by Learn and Serve America
• Be age 13- 25 (or 8th grade - senior in college)
• Have at least one year of service-learning experience
• Be able to articulate what he or she has learned about self, community, school subjects, current affairs, etc. through service-learning
• Have a "Grantee Mentor" who is a teacher or staff member at the school or agency that receives funds from Learn and Serve America.  The Grantee Mentor helps the YSBer schedule and document local speaking engagements, provides on-going support and provides both financial and chaperone support for any YSB travel as funds permit.

How do the YSB Participants fulfill their role?

Core Responsibilities include:

• Establishing a profile on the YSB's password-protected Ning social networking site and commitment to a weekly log-in to receive important messages and communicate with peers.
• Participation in regularly scheduled conference calls.
• Commitment to plan, complete and log (on the Ning site) at least 3 local speaking engagements about Learn and Serve America over the course of the school year.
• Additional communications and collaborations in support of local, regional and national activities.
• Reflecting on successes and working with Learn and Serve America shape future goals of the YSB.

YSB Participant Pages:

East Region

Name: William Meckel
Hometown: Abington, PA.
Bio

North Central Region

Name: Tiffany Korican
Hometown: Allendale, MI.
Bio

Alum
Name: Chelsea Merriman
Hometown: Westerville, OH.
Bio

Name: Laura Saldivar
Hometown: Algonquin, IL.
Bio

Southern Region

Name: Katie Jernigan
Hometown: Panama City, FL.
Bio

Name: Robert Lancon
Hometown: Jeanerette, LA.
Bio

Alum
Name: Nicholas Metrakos
Hometown: Columbia, SC.
Bio

Southwest Region

Name: Emily Davis
Hometown: Inola, OK.
Bio

Name: Mason Waldvogel
Hometown: Inola, OK.
Bio

Are you interested in becoming part of the National Youth Speakers Bureau and seeing your photo here?

Please submit the YSB Participant Info Form via email as soon as possible!
Youth must also fax and mail the Photo Release Form signed by parent.
You can also review more details on the YSB Overview.
Please contact us with any questions!