At the heart of Youth Allies is action! Our Community Improvement Projects are led by the program's Youth Allies Organizers. Projects are designed to raise awareness about social and environmental issues and address unmet community needs. The Organizer's projects follow sustainable community development guidelines and organizing principles. Our 2009-2010 projects include:
| Youth Voices for Change - we work with Youth Media Project to produce monthly segments on sustainability and social change from a youth perspective that are aired on KSFR local radio. LEARN MORE
| Food Not Bombs - we divert food from the waste stream and prepare it into healthy meals for the homeless and people in need. Our Food Not Bombs project also partners with local community gardens. In our garden plots we grow vegetables and herbs so that participants and those served learn about local, organic food production and benefit from eating healthy, pesticide and chemical free produce. LEARN MORE
| Community Gardening - we work with other community members to install community gardens throughout the City. Some of our garden plots contribute food to our Food Not Bombs project. Other plots are designed to help heal the land by revegetating, improving soil fertility, retaining moisture, and creating habitat for wildlife. We also educate ourselves and others about native plants and their edible and medicinal uses. LEARN MORE
| No Idling - we are partnering with businesses and schools and reaching out to Santa Fe residents to ask that we turn off our car engines when we are stopped for long periods of time to cut down on air pollution in our community and do a small part to reduce CO2 emissions. Look for signs at local drive-thrus and schools. LEARN MORE
| Alternative Transportation - we are working to educate young people about alternatives to car transportation. The bus is free for young people but not everyone knows so we are launching a public education effort to increase youth ridership. We are also working with organizations like the Chainbreaker Collective and Critical Mass to empower people with tools and other means to ride bikes and create viable alternative transportation options in Santa Fe. LEARN MORE
| Art and Revolution - we use art to help raise people's consciousness about issues in our community and the world. In the past we have done mural projects and hosted Art & Social Change slams. This year we are working with an artist collective on a project to inspire people to do something about climate change and mass extinction. LEARN MORE
| Corporate Downsizing and Consumer Consciousness - we create educational materials and do actions that bring attention to the unjust and inhumane practices of corporations so that people can make more conscious consumer choices and feel good about how they vote with their dollars. In particular we are raising awareness about the labor, environmental, and animal treatment practices of corporations and promoting local, just, and humane alternatives. LEARN MORE
| Safe Ride Home - we lost a very dear friend, hero, and fellow YA Organizer this year when a drunk driver hit our friends' car. We are part of the community's effort to address DWI on a larger scale but we also want to do our part to cut down on teen DWI. We have organized a pickup service for young people who need a safe & sober ride home from parties. LEARN MORE
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