Youth Involvement and Leadership

It is with great joy that I write to you, as the National Youth Leadership Network (NYLN) has taken hold of some wonderful opportunities to increase the ways in which we can serve you.

· Leadership development, networking and collaboration, public policy, team-building and personal development filled five days during the National Youth Leadership Network (NYLN) 2005 Advanced Leadership Institute, held July 23-27 in Washington, DC. Building A Common Ground: Creating a more valuable, viable, visible community was the theme for an event that created an overarching emphasis in how young adults share their opinions, experiences and insight in the areas of education, employment, healthcare and disability culture.

The NYLN Research Committee recently completed the collection of surveys that will enable us to compare the style, design, and definition of leadership among three social categories: young leaders with disabilities, young leaders without disabilities, and young people with disabilities who are not yet leaders. With this information, we will be more well-equipped to sculpt programs that will allow us to take leadership roles within our movement and within an all-inclusive society.

· We have established a quarterly schedule to host national teleconference calls run by and for young people. These calls allow young leaders such as ourselves to exchange information and opportunities with our peers, while also forming alliances to provide teamwork, support, and encouragement through our personal and social ambitions.

· And last but not least, the National Youth Leadership Network has formally established non-profit status in Washington, DC. This marks a new beginning for our organization and the ways in which we can provide service and opportunity to you. It also marks a new step in how our country, in general, will envision and perceive young leaders with disabilities and the roles we play in our universal, social community.

I look forward to an exciting and motivational year. There is much more to do, and many more goals to achieve. And we are ready, eager and able to take those next steps. We look forward to continuing to work with you; and we look forward to learning of the many triumphs in your near futures as well.

WE POWER!! YOUTH POWER!! YOU POWER!!

© National Youth Leadership Network. Preparation of the newsletter was supported, in part by grant # H324F0100001 from the Office of Special Education Programs, US Department of Education. The opinions expressed herein are exclusively those of the authors and no official endorsement by the sponsors should be inferred.

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The Chair Says…

By Peter Squire

Governing Board Chair

National Youth Leadership Network

As the youth leadership movement continues to grow and develop, what sorts of challenges should we as youth expect to confront? The most basic challenge is the idea or belief that we will not succeed, and that we as young people do not have anything to contribute about how our own future is governed. Youth leadership is not a single ten-step program or development process. The idea of a “quick fix” to the difficult challenges that we face in our lives is harmful to our transition and our development.

The most important thing that the Network emphasizes about youth leadership is youth involvement – youth-led and youth-directed. Without participating in decisions about their own lives, or without input about challenges that youth face in their lives, how can anyone be expected to understand what challenges a youth faces or what desires a youth has in his or her life? By involving youth in the process concerning their lives, youth become more invested. Rather, than simply stating how outcomes for youth with disabilities have been achieved or might best be achieved, have a youth speak first-hand about those successes and outcomes. Involve youth in their development and allow them to speak a testament of the outcomes they reach.

The second most important thing that the Network emphasizes about youth leadership is that it is not spontaneous. Do not make the assumption that being part of a committee or being involved in an advisory council or on the Governing Board is going to create leadership powers that did not previously exist. There is no magic pill to take that will create a youth leader. Rather it takes experience, practice, and training.

The Network strives to provide an example of this idea through our structure. By allowing individuals to attend conferences we provide a basic opportunity for new experiences and training. After this event, youth have the opportunity to make a decision to continue their development by signing up as a resource consultant. By signing up as a resource consultant youth are stating that they want to be involved in their communities and that they have knowledge around specific topics that they would like to share with others. By making this commitment, youth are taking the risk of sharing information with others about the matters they find important.

In addition, we provide opportunities for members from past events to become more involved in the Network by signing up for a committee. Within committees, youth learn more about the Network and become more involved in committee projects. They build new relationships and skills by interacting with others to complete those projects. How much an individual wants to take on and how much he/she wants to be involved is entirely up to him/her. The next step of responsibility within the Network is to become a committee chair, where youth oversee the projects and activities of those committees. In addition to becoming a committee chair, youth can also become an officer of the Governing Board. This process is not a single step. Rather it is a natural transition for youth that allows them to continue their leadership development at a comfortable rate, and allows youth the power to decide how and at what level they would like to use their own power.

Last, as youth with disabilities, we have our own responsibilities to live up to. By wanting to be involved in our own lives and to be involved in projects and activities, we have a duty to ourselves as well as to others to make sure we fulfill our commitments. It is very exciting to be asked to be involved on a committee or to speak before an organization, but first and foremost it should be understood that our interaction speaks not only for ourselves but often times for other youth with disabilities. By failing to respond to communication, or by blaming others, or by blaming your disability, we hurt our cause. We must trust that each time we interact with others we will showcase our YOUTH POWER.

To not live up to one’s commitments and promises means that others will continue to expect less from us, and this ultimately says that we cannot succeed and should not have a say in our own lives. An independent life is a goal all youth hope to achieve. With this goal comes additional responsibility that we must be ready to take on. And others who are invested in our success must understand that our leadership development cannot simply come from being a part of a board or by getting older. There must be a partnership where a natural transition is created and youth can learn about the process - their lives and their outcomes - and when the support services are removed, youth can learn to be independent.

The Role NYLN has Played in the Lives of Emerging Leaders

“I attended the 2004 Conference in Washington D.C. and I think my favorite memory of that entire conference was being able to hang out with all the new people. I especially enjoyed touring D.C. with Nick C. from California and Shiloh and Joe from Nebraska. We hung out in the city until we were so tired we couldn't take it anymore. I saw so many beautiful things and created friendships that I'll have forever. From the conference I learned that it really is okay to be who I am because no matter what, there will always be someone there to appreciate all my traits.”

Nicole J.

2004 Participant

Ft. Kent, Maine

“Attending the 2004 NYLN Conference in D.C. was one of the most incredible experiences of my life. Our Nation’s Capital is breathtaking to say the least! There could not be a better host city for this gathering of young minds! One of my most powerful memories of NYLN ’04 is that the conference was organized and run by youth advocates! This alone was very empowering. Other conference highpoints included hearing Mrs. Yoshiko Dart speak about her experiences, watching video clips of Justin Dart as well as the historical sit-in demonstrations in California. This was incredibly powerful and educational. Nothing can beat the thrill of discovering Washington, D.C. with great new friends who have many of the same life experiences as you do! Roaming the streets of D.C. NYLN ’04 also gave me the opportunity to examine ideas that I had not previously thought of before. This experience truly broadened my horizons and left me filled with pride and enthusiasm for the upcoming year!”

Shiloh Hobelman

2004 Participant

Lincoln, NE

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Red Bar

Member's Circle

Movie of the Month Bucket of Popcorn

Shark Tales

“I recently watched Shark Tales for the first time. I really enjoyed this movie because it was the story of a fish that thought he was a nobody and would always try to be something he wasn't in order to feel appreciated and like he was somebody. By the end of the movie he realized he was good enough for anybody just by being who he really was and he stopped trying. I could totally relate (not to a fish, but to the story) and that's why I appreciated this movie!”

Nicole J.

2004 Participant

Ft. Kent, Maine

Book of the Month

Stack of books Don’t Worry, He Won’t Get Far on Foot

by John Callahan (1989) Vintage Books.

“Is it possible to find humor — corrosive, taboo-shattering, laugh-‘til-you-cry humor — in the story of a 38-year-old- cartoonist who's both a quadriplegic and a recovering alcoholic? The answer is yes. The cartoonist is John Callahan and he tells his story in his own words and pictures. Callahan's uncensored account of his troubled — and sometimes impossible — life is genuinely inspiring and definitely worth the read.

Kristen Jones

Network Vice-Chair

Houston, TX

Website Highlights

www.ada.gov

Information and technical assistance on the Americans with Disabilities Act

www.thenthdegree.com

A place where people can come to find information, understanding and solidarity while sharing talents, skills, and stories

www.youthhood.org

An online community for youth to explore many issues in the youth community and a great place to meet other youth online.

www.fosterclub.org

An online community for youth who are foster kids or who know youth in foster care; also for those who just like understanding where youth who have foster experiences stand

Quotes, Quotes, Quotes!

“We must not, in trying to think about how we can make a big difference, ignore the small daily difference we can make.”

~Marian Wright Edelman

Opportunities for Input

· Public Information Committee is seeking writers for the next newsletter! If have writing talent, good ideas or stories to share, we want to hear from you! If interested please contact Michael Agyin at mkagyin@aol.com or Kara Sheridan at karasheridan@bellsouth.net.

· Membership Committee is looking for quarterly teleconference call topics. All ideas are welcomed! Please send topic ideas to Jen Fitz-Roy at fitzroyj@bc.edu.

Theater light shining Members Spotlight

Hello NYLN members! My name is Kara Sheridan and I’m honored to have the chance to share a little about myself through this newsletter. I attended my first conference as a Kentucky representative in 1998. Since then, I have done all that I can to contribute to our community of people with disabilities. Following the usual trend of my life, it hasn’t always been in the most usual of ways but I’ve definitely made an impact!

I attended Wright State University the Fall after my conference and actively participated in many of their adapted sports programs. My focus quickly became swimming. My disability is Osteogenesis Imperfecta, or brittle bones. Water has always been a refuge for me, but I didn’t know strokes until college. After my first year, I qualified for the Disability National Championships. Each year I trained more, I got stronger, I and swam faster! I definitely faced adversity with fractures and surgeries, but I set one world record and five American records by my fourth National Championships, which fell on the day I graduated from college. Instead of crossing the stage for my diploma, I rolled up on the podium to receive my medals! I aimed to go beyond the national level of competition, but hadn’t been selected for any of the U.S. traveling teams. That changed after my name was read as part of the Team U.S.A. roster following the Paralympic Trials last Spring. Then, the hard work and fun began!

The 2004 Paralympics was the first time in history that the U.S. Olympic Committee and the Paralympic Committee merged to make plans for Team U.S.A. Athletes with disabilities would receive the same support, training, funding, and equipment available to Olympians. I moved with the swim team to train in high altitude conditions at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Four to five hours of training a day combined with the building pressure of the upcoming Games was sometimes very challenging. I received unending support from family and friends. My community of Frankfort, Kentucky raised money for my family to watch me swim in Athens by holding fundraisers and selling “Believe Bands.” I recharged after training by creating my website to educate others about my journey to the Paralympics. I met people with disabilities from around the world and nearly a year later, we still keep in touch!

Just before Athens, Team U.S.A. was extremely busy. We spoke at a few schools and visited Washington, D.C. to speak to our states’ Senators and Representatives about increasing funding for adapted sports. In addition to the benefits of developing a healthy lifestyle, recent research links participating in adapted sports with higher rates of employment for people with disabilities. As athletes, we work hard to spread this message and offer general education about the Paralympics. While the United States is improving, limited media coverage has left the nation behind several other countries in our knowledge of the Paralympics. Many people confuse the Paralympics with the Special Olympics, but the Paralympics is an elite level competition for people with physical disabilities from around the world.

Finally, it was time to go to Athens! Team U.S.A. spent the entire month of September in Greece training and competing. My race day, September 24, 2004, was one of the best days of my life. I finished 9^th with two American records cutting nearly ten seconds off of my lifetime best. While I was not in medal contention, this was still an amazing accomplishment for me. I gained much more than a new personal best from my race and my time in Athens. I now have a new perspective on what life is like for people with disabilities from around the world. The meaning of team for me will forever be changed. I was honored to have the chance to represent Americans with disabilities as part of Team U.S.A.

I still think about my experiences relating to the Paralympics each and every day. I returned to school in the Winter and was accepted to Nova Southeastern University where I will begin my doctoral studies next year in clinical psychology. I’ve increased my participation in the Mentorship and Public Information committees. As a Resource Consultant for NYLN, I spoke to young people with disabilities on being the leader of their own lives. Between my own training, I’ve run the first of a few scheduled swim clinics through Blaze Sports, an organization that works to promote adapted sports. I also swam with Team U.S.A. at the World Cup in Manchester, England last month.

My days right now are filled with my new job-working as a teacher in a children’s outpatient oncology unit. As young leaders with disabilities, we can all make an impact in our surrounding communities. Whether it is through sports, advocacy, education, or our own unique contribution, it’s important to find our own passion and share it with the world! Reaching one of my dreams has definitely changed my life. I hope to use my experiences to change others as well. Believe!

Picture of Kara Sheridan smiles from a pool filled with twisting lane lines.

Kara smiling laying back in a pool withtwisted plactic lane dividers around her

If you’d like to contact me, read more about my road to the Paralympics, see pictures, interact with others, and share your opinion on hot topics within the disability community, check out www.karaswims.com.

And the Winner Is…

Check out NYLN’s recent award recipients!

“I was awarded the coveted ‘Best Student Presentation’ by the American Psychological Association for divisions 19 through 21 (military psychology, applied-experimental, and engineering psychology, respectively) at APA’s mid-year meeting in March 2005.

This award meant a lot to me because it was my first year as a graduate student and also my first scientific award.  In addition to the award, I received a cash prize of one hundred dollars and a cool coin!”

~Peter Squire

NYLN Chair

Alexandria, VA

“In Sept. 2004, I received the ‘Walter C. Orem Award’ from the Orem mayor and city council.  During the award presentation, they said I have been a leader for young people and an advocate for people with disabilities.  They also said that I have made Orem a better place to live.”

~ Reed Hahne

Governing Board Member

Orem, UT

Congratulations Peter and Reed! Thanks for sharing your award with the newsletter!

Two stick figures giving each other a high-five

Ways that Youth with Disabilities

Can Make a Difference in Their Communities

By Eryn Kvernevig

2004 NYLN Participant

Aberdeen, SD

There are many ways that a people with disabilities can make a difference in their communities. The first thing a person needs is to ACCEPT that they are disabled according to "normal society standards." When you accept your own disability other people observe how comfortable and accepting you are of yourself. In return, they will be comfortable around you and accept your disability just like you do.

Second, is to BELIEVE that you can make a difference and establish a platform that you feel passionately about. File petitions, write articles, organize marches or protests, meet with the legislatures, and educate the general public about your ideas and beliefs. Most importantly, be able to stand up for your beliefs because there will always be people who don’t agree with your views. You will need to be persistent in order to change their minds or to come around to your way of thinking. Know the background of your issues and both sides of the argument so if you get called to a debate you can not only defend yourself, but defend yourself well. Education is key for our community.

Third, youth need to be able to STAND ALONE. Not everyone will agree with you. They may even try to do something to prevent you from winning. Some people have gone to extreme measures to fight for their rights. One of my friends built a much needed ramp to get into a building overnight. It is important to follow the laws closely, but always stand up for yourself even when everyone else seems to be against you.

Finally, making a difference might start with the STUDY of great leaders from all walks of life. Martin Luther King, Jr. kept things peaceful while he fought for his beliefs even though he went to jail numerous times. Malcolm X was considered a great leader, too, but some of his tactics weren’t always the best options. Malcolm X was also a Civil Rights Movement Leader but he supported violence at times and he did not always get the same results as Martin Luther King, Jr. Study both the good leaders and the notorious leaders. Learn from both sides’ mistakes and use the successful parts of their movements for inspiration to continue working toward your own goals as a leader.

ENDURANCE is critical. Often your goals will not be achieved overnight. You will need to have patience and endurance to get to where you want to be and see your issue resolved. Even when your plight seems to be in its darkest hour, there is always a way out of that darkness.

No matter how hard it gets, it’s essential to speak up for your beliefs and speak out against discrimination. During some of the world’s darkest days, the Holocaust took the lives of countless innocent victims. Many wonder what the result might have been had more people spoken out against the cruelties. This poem about this time offers inspiration to speak up for your beliefs:

First they came for the Communists,

and I didn’t speak up,

because I wasn’t a Communist.

Then they came for the Jews,

and I didn’t speak up,

because I wasn’t a Jew.

Then they came for the Catholics,

and I didn’t speak up,

because I was a Protestant.

Then they came for me,

and by that time there was no one

left to speak up for me.

--Reverend Martin Niemoller

Remember that it takes one person to change the world. That person needs to be you because no one can be a better advocate for yourself than you.

Finally, remember you don't need to shoot big to make a difference. You can make a difference in small ways every single day. Be a tutor, a mentor, or just be a friend. You can make a difference in a person's life just by being there for him/her. In small and big ways the results will affect the community. There are MANY ways to be a leader in a community; all you need to do is seize the opportunity!

Opportunities for Involvement

YOU are invited to attend NYLN’s…

YOUTH TELECONFERENCE / WEBCAST

When: Tuesday, October 11th, 2005 cordless phone
8:30pm Atlantic,

7:30pm Eastern,

6:30pm Central,

5:30pm Mountain,

4:30pm Pacific,

3:30pm Atlantic,

1:30pm Hawaii

Why: To hear youth talk about issues important to other youth with disabilities

How: Call a toll-free telephone number or participate on-line. To sign up, please go to www.nyln.org or contact Lisa McMahon at mcmahonl@pdx.edu or 1-866-480-6565, ext. 1.

Thanks to Independent Living Research Utilization (ILRU) for supporting this event!

Computer

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Disability Leader Profile

An Interview with Paul Longmore

By Kara Sheridan

1999 NYLN Participant

Miami, FL

Paul Longmore’s already long list of accomplishments has definitely grown even more in the last few years. This associate professor of history at San Francisco State University is among the most respected figures in the disability movement today. He established and now directs San Francisco State’s Institute for Disability Studies. Mr. Longmore translates his research findings into eloquent writing that has been published and praised by many. His most recent book is a collection of essays entitled Why I Burned my Book and Other Essays on Disability. Sometimes participating in loud protests, Mr. Longmore has served our community as a disability activist for several decades. He now spends most days in the quieter environment of the college classroom, teaching and influencing many young people’s views on the reality of life with a disability. Paul Longmore recently generously offered his time to share some of his thoughts with the members of the National Youth Leadership Network, (NYLN).

One of the issues that Mr. Longmore feels most passionately about involves educating others about the different ways of viewing disability and how those differing perceptions affect people with disabilities. Many people define disability as pathological or as a medical challenge. Paul Longmore studies people with disabilities as another sociopolitical (cultural) group of people, much like research involving different ethnicities and genders. It is important to understand from this perspective that people with disabilities are only limited in society because of oppressive attitudes that are placed upon this group, much like those that challenge other minority groups. The limitations that people with disabilities seek to overcome are not based on their medical functioning, but on societal barriers that marginalize socially disadvantaged groups.

While Mr. Longmore identifies this differentiation as one of the most important things he teaches, he also recognizes the need for his field of disability studies to find more ways to openly talk about the realities of physical existence with a disability. This might involve an honest look at some elements of disability that are not always easy to talk about, like fatigue and pain. The hope is that a full exposure of all elements of living in a different kind of body may lead to society being closer to understanding what life is really like with a disability. The realities will include both the good and the bad, but hopefully fewer assumptions along the way. People with disabilities who adopt this way of thinking can begin to realize that this difference in functioning does not mean we are any less human, but rather it defines membership to another minority group within our society.