The National Youth Leadership Network (NYLN) is accepting applications for our Governing Board (GB) and our two committees. NYLN is a membership-run organization. This means all our members lead and run all the work we do. The main ways to become an NYLN leader is to serve on the GB or a committee.

ABOUT NYLN

The National Youth Leadership Network encourages disabled youth to:
• Build interdependent support systems;
• Participate and serve in local communities;
• Become involved in the Disability Rights Movement and other social justice movements; and
• Know the value behind their experiences.

What does the Governing Board do?

GB members are NYLN’s organizational leaders. They make decisions for NYLN and are often the leaders in NYLN projects. Examples of GB responsibilities include:
• Represent NYLN in coalitions and at conferences;
• Fundraise;
• Recruit new members;
• Build collaboration with other organizations; and
• Serve on at least one committee.

What do the committees do?

NYLN has two committees. One will focus on Outreach & Involvement within the community; the other will focus on Education & Media activities. Examples of some work that the committees did in 2011:
• Publish a zine
• Organize conference tracks
• Run the NYLN facebook and twitter accounts
• Create a resource directory
• Host webinar trainings
What is the time commitment like?
Serving on the GB or a committee typically involves one-two meetings a month. Meetings happen by phone or online chatroom. GB members spend about 15 hours a month on NYLN. Committee members spend about 8 hours a month.

Requirements for Applying

What are my options?

You can apply to be on A.) the Governing Board and a committee or B.) only a committee.

Requirements for serving on the Governing Board or a committee:

Applicants must 1) Be between 14 and 28 years old, 2) Have a disability, 3) live in the United States or its territories 4) Have a passion for social justice and 5) Believe in full-inclusion. NYLN is a cross-disability organization. This means we are made up of people with all kinds of disabilities. Anyone with any kind of disability is welcome to apply.

Important dates:

• Applications for the Governing Board or committees are due on Monday, November 21, 2011.
• Service on the Governing Board or committees begins in January 2012. (There will also be a welcome call in December 2011.)
You can complete the application on-line at www.nyln.org. You can also submit the application in hard copy to the address noted on the application form.
To find out more, visit www.nyln.org. You can also call Stacey Milbern, Community Outreach Director, at Stacey@NYLN.org.

Applications MUST be received by Monday November 21, 2011! 

If you are not able to use the form below, please download and print our application. The mailing address is available on the application. It must be received by Nov 21 so if you are submitting your application by mail you must send it a few days early in order to be considered.

LINK to HARDCOPY APPLICATION.

OUR FIRST EVER DISABILITY CULTURE ZINE!

The National Youth Leadership Network is a youth-led organization that works to build power and community among young people with disabilities. This summer, our Zine Leadership Team put out a call for submissions to create an online zine about disability culture.

We received over 30 submissions from young people with disabilities all over the United States. Some were students. Others were poets. Everyone had a lot to say about disability culture. Our Zine Leadership Team edited submissions and compiled all the work into a zine. We are excited to share our zine with you. We learned so much about media-making in the process: mostly that by participating in disability culture, we are creating it.

To read our zine, visit http://zine.nyln.org.

If you enjoy what you read, please consider making a donation to support the production of our next zine. You can make a donation at www.nyln.org. See the link in the lower left corner.

We would like to thank all contributors and volunteer editors for their hard work in making this edition of the NYLN Zine possible.

What is a Zine?

A zine (prounounced “zeen ” — like the last syllable of “magazine”) is a publication usually made by hand and mass produced by a copy machine. It revolutionized media making because anyone could make their own books and sell them for a few bucks. People also make online zines.

About Us:

The National Youth Leadership Network is a nonprofit organization run by and for disabled youth. Anyone can become a member. To find out more about NYLN, visit www.nyln.org. To contact us, please email us at info@nyln.org or call us at 866-480-6565.

SCHOLARSHIPS MAY BE AVAILABLE! The scholarship application was due on August 15, 2011, but please contact them — the Alliance is committed to supporting young people with developmental disabilities to attend. For more info, visit http://www.allianceforfullparticipation.org/

The Alliance Summit will bring together proactive leaders from around the country, who will gather to share ideas, generate action plans and collectively commit to making the goal of doubling integrated employment for people with intellectual/developmental disabilities (IDD) a reality by the year 2015. Here’s who is taking part:

• 15 national organizations.
• 48 state teams.
• Self advocates from around the country.
• Over 130 expert speakers.
• Employment leaders from Bank of America, Lowes, Walgreens, Home Depot, JW Winco, Acadia Windows and Doors, and Country Inn, St. Marys.
• CNN Special Correspondent Frank Sesno, who will lead a high energy, highly engaging Town Hall on the issues and stumbling blocks that keep us from our goal.
• State and federal policy leaders including Senator Tom Harkin (invited), Utah State Senator Menlove, representatives from the Department of Labor, ODEP, HHS, and the Administration on Developmental Disabilities.
• Family members, providers, researchers, direct support professionals, employers, policy makers, and program leaders. In short, everyone who shares a commitment and a passion for making the Alliance’s vision of full integration for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities a reality.

In these economic times, employment matters more than ever. The Alliance Summit is about action. How will we, as a community, come together to ensure that integrated employment is a reality for all people with disabilities? Idea sharing, networking opportunities and a closing session that will result in actionable plans on a national, state and individual level all ensure that this meeting will have lasting impact.

Join with the Alliance for Full Participation, and be part of the movement to double integrated employment for people with IDD.

http://www.allianceforfullparticipation.org/

Real Jobs–It’s Everyone’s Business!

This project has grown out of NYLN’s response to the events of last fall, when over fourteen GLBTQI (gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, queer, and intersex) youth committed suicide. Many of the teens faced cruel bullying. These deaths received a great deal of media attention. Most of the media focused on the role that bullying played in these deaths.

NYLN members felt that we should do something to speak out against bullying and violence. Like GLBTQI youth, youth with disabilities face bullying and other forms of violence. We understand what it is like to be marked as different. We understand how violence is used by society to police difference. We also see this as our communities’ issue because many youth with disabilities also identify as GLBTQI and members of other groups who are targeted for violence.

In November 2010, NYLN released a statement about ending violence for all youth. (You can read the statement at this link: Statement of Solidarity Against Violence). Positive responses to our statement prompted us to begin collecting art that addressed the families of the youths who committed suicide. We received over thirty pieces. The artwork spoke against violence. It also showed the importance of community, love, and being yourself.

Now, we have decided to keep the project going by creating Crafting Resilience. We want to keep speaking out, even though the media has stopped paying attention to bullying. We started this collection with the artwork submitted in response to the suicides, and now we are looking for more art (of all kinds) that stands against violence.

HOW YOU CAN SUPPORT US

We are looking for messages about resilience and ending violence. The messages can be in any format. (Examples: poems, prose, drawings, music, videos, and blog posts). Express how personal experiences, survival, community, power, and ending violence will all help strengthen our communities.

You can submit your work and ask questions at http://craftingresilience.nyln.org/. Please share this far and wide with your networks. To contact us the Crafting Resilience team, please email Allegra Stout at astout@wesleyan.edu.

ABOUT US

The National Youth Leadership Network is a national nonprofit organization run by and for youth with disabilities. We work to build power and community among youth with disabilities.
To reach us, please contact Betsy Valnes, NYLN Executive Director, at 866-480-6565 or Betsy@NYLN.org. To become a member, visit nyln.org.

Are you a writer or an artist?

Do you want to express your feelings about disability culture, pride, identity, ableism, and more?

Do you want to have your work seen by hundreds of people?

If you answered YES to the above questions, consider making a submission to the FIRST EVER NYLN Zine Publication.

The NYLN disability culture zine is a 100% youth-made printable online publication.

We welcome any length piece of writing (poems! interviews! essays! blog posts!) or type of printable artwork (paintings! illustrations! digital art!) by any people with disabilities between the ages of 14 – 28 years old.

Writing must be at 8th grade level or as close to it as possible. To find out more about how to make your writing accessible, please contact us.

Deadline to submit is: Wednesday, June 8, 2011 so send in your contribution today!

To submit your work, get ideas, or have questions answered, contact the NYLN Zine Co-Chairs: Sara Moussavian (Written Work), saramoussavian2011@gmail.com or Emily Holmes (Media/Art Work) Cinderella_em1@juno.com.

About NYLN

The National Youth Leadership Network is a national nonprofit organization run by and for youth with disabilities. We work to build power and community among youth with disabilities.

To reach us, please contact Betsy Valnes, NYLN Executive Director, at 866-480-6565 or Betsy@NYLN.org.

New Report by ASAN, SABE, and NYLN

The National Youth Leadership Network (NYLN) is excited to release a new report called “Keeping the Promise of Community”. This report was written with the Autistic Self Advocacy Network (ASAN) and Self Advocates Becoming Empowered (SABE). This is an exciting time for all three groups. It is the first time we have worked together as leaders with developmental disabilities.

The report defines “community living”. Community living is when people live in their homes rather than nursing homes or large groups homes. Unfortunately, Medicaid funding is often used to support places that are similar to institutions, even though they say they are in the community. (A common example is a group home where people cannot access a telephone or lock their door.) In October 2010, ASAN, SABE, and NYLN came together in Kansas City, Missouri to talk about this issue. Hundreds of self-advocates were interviewed for their own stories. This was done with funding from the U.S. Administration on Developmental Disabilities.

It’s perfect timing to talk about issues around what community living means. The agency that controls Medicaid spending is the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). CMS recently put out new rules on Home and Community Based Services (HCBS) money. CMS is accepting public comment on these proposed rules. HCBS accounts for $33.5 billion dollars. This is the money that supports people living outside of institutions and in their own homes. We want our report to help the disability community decide what to say to CMS.

The report reflects the experiences of a wide variety of people. This includes people with all kinds of developmental disabilities. Many live or have lived in group homes. Many use assistive communication devices. The report supports the language of CMS’ proposed rules. The report also gives ways CMS can do more. It says community living must be understood in five ways:

a) physical size and structure,
b) rights and self-determination,
c) qualities and attitudes of providers ,
d) access to community life, and
e) support and access needs.

The deadline for comments is June 14, 2011. ASAN, SABE, and NYLN have made the report available to help inform people about the issue. We hope self-advocates will give public comment. This can mean the difference between living in a place where meal and sleep time is already determined or being able to have neighbors and go places that you choose.

To read our report, please click: Keeping the Promise of Community Report.

To comment on CMS’ proposed rulemaking, visit REGULATIONS.gov

For more information, please contact Betsy Valnes, NYLN Executive Director. She can be reached at 866-480-6565 or betsy@NYLN.org.

We are thankful to the Administration on Developmental Disabilities for their support.

Are you an activist looking for support to start a youth-led local or state organization?

Do you belong to a group that wants to connect into a national network of disabled youth organizers?

NYLN is a youth-led organization that works to build power and community among young people with disabilities. Over the last few years, we’ve worked three state partners. State partners are independent activist teams or organizations run by and for youth with disabilities. We helped them share information, collaborate on projects, and even fund specific projects. We’ve created a way for state groups to link up with one another. At the same time, we serve as a national support and resource for those teams. This has created a cool connection between individual activists and national efforts. It is a great experience, and we are ready to make this team even larger!

What defines a state partner?
• State partners must be youth-led. This means youth do the work, make the decisions, seek a vision, and determine what supports they need.
• State partners must be inclusive of all types of disabilities and all identities of people. This includes using accessible language and inclusive styles of events.
• State partners are independent groups and organizations.

What are the benefits of becoming a state partner?
• You get to tap into a network of other youth organizations.
• There are opportunities to co-apply for grants with NYLN.
• We have a lot of free trainings, resources, and information to share!

To download a state partner application, please use this link: NYLN STATE PARTNER APPLICATION.

To contact us, please call Betsy Valnes. Betsy is the Executive Director. She can be reached at Betsy@NYLN.org or 866-480-6565.

Building relationships is an important way to grow power. The Reap What You Sow curriculum focuses on ways disabled young people can create support systems. It brings youth with disabilities, families, and allies together. The purpose is for groups to use interactive tools (video, games, and more) to talk about interdependence and self-determination. We decided to make this curriculum for youth, families, and allies because we know we cannot fight for self-determination on our own. Self-determination is a community struggle.

Why We Love Reap What You Sow

- It is hands-on. It uses interactive games, videos, and art. It works for many learning styles, interests, and abilities.

- It includes political education! Very few curricula focus on ableism [disability oppression]. Reap What You Sow weaves personal examples and history into talking about why our lives work like they do. We know we have to talk about ableism if we are going to talk about self-determination.

- It was created by youth with disabilities with family input. Usually adults create trainings for youth. We know youth are our own experts. Other curricula also separate youth and adults. In Reap What You Sow, we create a space where everyone learns together.

Here is a document that explain the curriculum and training packages in more detail. It lists what we offer and curriculum purchase options:

REAP WHAT YOU SOW TRAINING PACKAGES DOCUMENT (.PDF)

REAP WHAT YOU SOW TRAINING PACKAGES DOCUMENT (.DOC)

Reap What You Sow Training Packages

There are several options you can choose if your organization is interested in using the curriculum:

1) Curriculum Facilitator Certification – This option trains and certifies people to lead the curriculum on their own.

2) Youth-Led Training - This option brings Reap What You Sow trainers to your organization. Our youth and ally trainers will facilitate the tools from the curriculum with your group.

3) Customized Training – This option is for organizations looking for something other than Options 1 and 2. NYLN can completely customize a training that works best for you.

Here’s What People Are Saying About Reap What You Sow!

“Finally! A 21st century curriculum for 21st century youth with disabilities, their families and allies. Put aside what you’ve been using, and run with this remarkable training. I watched an entire room of youth and adults engage in passionate conversations, often discussing what was hidden below the surface. The curriculum is what’s NEW, relevant, empowering, instructive, and fun. Be the first on your block! Thank you for this amazing curriculum. It will change lives! It already has!”

Janice Fialka, parent/author/national speaker
Huntington Woods, Michigan

“I have been part of the disability community over 30 years and thought I was an ‘expert.’ I learned many astonishing ‘aha’ moments I will never forget–new ways to lead and create inclusive environments I have not heard anywhere else.”

Jayne Chase, parent/grandparent/national speaker
Florence, Alabama

“Reap What You Sow is an excellent set of activities. I’m excited to introduce it to family support groups so that young people and their families can learn from one another in such an empowering fashion.”

Stephanie Orlando, Director of YOUTH POWER!, Families Together in New York State
Albany, New York

“Reap What You Sow is a curriculum that was developed by youth WITH disabilities FOR youth WITH disabilities and their support systems. A vital resource that uses an irreplaceable disability lens to explore history and advocacy.”

Chelsea Paulson, youth advocate/educator
Gooding, ID

“This is one of the best self-directed training resources that focuses on building relationships and social capital to grow power for the individual. It is all about interdependence and power.”

Cathy Ficker Terrill, CEO, Institute on Public Policy
Chicago, Illinois

Contact Us

Many groups want the curriculum so our summer schedule is filling up quickly. If you are interested in Reap What You Sow, please contact us immediately!

To find out more about Reap What You Sow or other NYLN trainings, please contact Betsy Valnes, NYLN Executive Director. Betsy can be reached at betsy@NYLN.org. You can also call her at 866-480-6565 ext. 1.

New Priorities

Over time, our membership has pushed us to think about where “change” comes from. Originally, much of our work focused on very literal topics, like policy issues. We used a traditional social framework. (Example: Creating space for youth in policy discussions.) While we still do this work, NYLN has identified more personalized priorities for the coming years. We started this by supporting grassroots leadership in local communities. Why? We believe in people power. We know people power swells from the ground up.

We also know that the Disability Rights Movement has a long way to go. Right now, many people cannot participate. We want to work to make the disability community a better place. We want it to be a more inclusive place, a more powerful place.

Beginning in 2011, we are committing ourselves to supporting leadership of disabled youth of color, gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, queer (GLBTQ) youth with disabilities, and disability activists from other communities that have remained marginalized, even in our quest for full-inclusion. This also represents people with different disabilities who need personalized support to fully participate.

While we broaden our disability work to include racism and heterosexism, people have asked if we are still a disability organization. [Racism and heterosexism are systems that hurt people of color and GLBTQ people, like ableism hurts disabled people]. It is important to note that NYLN remains dedicated to the Disability Community. In no way are our goals shifting away from that priority. Our goals, however, are expanding to create a stronger, more inclusive Disability Community.

This commitment applies to everything we do. For example, some of our new activities include:

1. Launching the Reap What You Sow: Harvesting Support Systems Curriculum
This includes developing communities that maximize self-determination. We are asking questions: How can we build a community interdependently? What can our lives look like if we build support systems that love all parts of us?

2. Promoting Disability-Positive Sexuality and Sexual Health
This includes hosting public conversations and creating educational guides. Sexuality is a taboo topic in American culture. Being disabled complicates things even more. So, we must ask: How are young people with disabilities informed about sexuality? How can holding back information be harmful? How can we celebrate our bodies?

3. Supporting Independent Media Making
This includes organizing the Allied Media Conference Disability Justice track. Media is powerful. We ask: How can we use media tools to tell our stories? How can we record our communities’ experiences? How can we build with each other?

4. Documenting and Sharing Resources
This includes launching a library with over 500 books, movies, and zines. Resources are not easy to access. NYLN asks: What can we do to support youth having access to our history? How do we get the resources we need when it comes to race, gender, class, power, disability, and creating the world we want to live in?

These projects are only a few of our upcoming activities.

Beginning in January, we also changed our structure [the shape of our organization]. Two brand new committees were formed. These replaced the Public Outreach, Advocacy, and Accessibility committees. These two new committees are the Outreach and Involvement Committee and the Education and Media Committee.

The Outreach and Involvement Committee:
- Organizes trainings in the community;
- Leads efforts to recruit new members;
- Runs NYLN’s social media presence; and
- Connects with other organizations.

The Education and Media Committee:
- Publishes a disability culture zine;
- Coordinates the Disability Justice track at the Allied Media Conference; and
- Creates media projects speaking out against violence.

Change comes for a reason. And while some aspects of NYLN remain the same – being a disability organization, being led by and for young people, and more – we are expanding our efforts. We are thankful for a community that has held us accountable to do so.

We are excited for the road ahead of us. We welcome your questions and comments. And we look forward to working with you to reach our goals!

2011 New Leadership

Washington D.C., U.S. – January 2011, marks the beginning of a new year for the National Youth Leadership Network (NYLN). New priorities and new members to the governing board represent the directives of influential young leaders for 2011. The board and staff will work collectively on Network projects throughout the year. NYLN depends on the leadership abilities of young people with disabilities across the nation.

“We had amazing applicants this year,” said Betsy Valnes, NYLN Executive Director. “These leaders are doing incredible things all over the country. We are so honored to welcome such motivated individuals to guide our network and lead the youth movement.”

Leading the NYLN Governing Board, elected officers are ready to bring new life to the Network: Aaron T. Baier, President, New York; Cynthia Singletary, Vice-President, Mississippi; and Christian Borrero, Secretary/Treasurer, Ohio.

In 2011, NYLN launched a new committee structure. With that came the election of two new chairpersons: Amy Doherty, Outreach & Involvement Committee Chair, Massachusetts; and Savannah Logsdon-Breakstone, Media & Education Committee Chair, Pennsylvania.

NYLN is excited to welcome a full slate of Governing Board members. Please meet: A’ishah Meghan Hils, Virginia; Cara Liebowitz, New York; Gabriel Cazares, Texas; Jacqulyn Thomas, Illinois; Jennifer Overfield, North Carolina; Jessica Croner, Idaho; Marc Rosen, New York; Micah Fialka-Feldman, Michigan; and Rosie McDonnell, California.

Biographies and photos of board members and staff are available on our website, www.nyln.org under the “Meet the Governing Board” section.

About the National Youth Leadership Network

NYLN is a youth-driven, youth-led organization. We are a formal non-profit organization. NYLN is made up of young leaders with disabilities from throughout the United States and its territories. NYLN promotes youth leadership and education. We teach young people how to advocate. Our goal is to ensure that young people with disabilities know how to set and reach their own goals.

For more information, visit the National Youth Leadership Network at www.nyln.org. You can also contact us at 1-866-480-6565.

allied media conference save the date: june 23-26

Two NYLN Governing Board members, A’ishah Hils and Savannah Logsdon-Breakstone, attended a coordinator’s meeting for the Allied Media Conference. The Allied Media Conference is an annual gathering for independent media makers, activists, and community builders. The conference happens in Detroit every June. This year, NYLN is helping to coordinate the Disability Justice track. AMC is many NYLN members’ favorite event of the year and tons of us try to make it every summer. Best. Conference. Ever.

In January, all the track coordinators (there are over twenty tracks!) met in Detroit. They met to discuss planning for the conference, connect with one another, and brainstorm ideas for fundraising and creating workshop sessions. A’ishah and Savannah led a group skillshare on accessibility and inclusion with fellow activist Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-Samarasinha. Everyone brainstormed ways to make the conference as a whole a welcoming space for people with disabilities.

Savannah playing with a baby while Leah works in the background

The purpose of the Disability Justice track is to build leadership among disabled people and share a disability justice framework with our communities. This year rural queer youth are in leadership.

We want to envision creating spaces where we can be our whole selves. We are dreaming spaces where we don’t have to separate our gender from our disability from our economic status from our sexuality from any of our other identities – where our struggle for liberation is interconnected. We are excited about working with the other tracks and with Allied Media Projects to explore how media making, technology, and education can further this work.

From the Allied Media Conference website:

This year the AMC features 19 amazing, participant-organized tracks. A track is a series of sessions united around a shared theme or strategy. These tracks are being coordinated by diverse networks who will use the AMC to deepen their relationships and forge alliances across networks, to showcase their current media-based organizing practices and to develop new ones.

We invite you to submit a session proposal for AMC2011 that aligns with one of these tracks OR is completely outside of these tracks. Your session proposal does not have to fit within one of these tracks.