Dreamer ENT » Community Featured

Corbin Bleu Wants Your Help To Change the World

Young Dreamer — Sun, 18 Jul 2010 04:09:14 +0000

Corbin Bleu wants your help and voice to make a difference in the world. He recently launched a new project called www.CorbinBleuLive.com where he’s asking everyone to write about issues that are important to them. The response has been great so far, with posts about topics ranging from fighting domestic violence to pollution and recycling.

Corbin, who is currently completing the last few weeks of his run on Broadway’s In the Heights, recently tweeted that he will also be doing live shows from the site. We think it’s great that Corbin is so committed to making a difference in the world and that he’s inspiring others to do the same!

Visit www.CorbinBleuLive.com and click here to read some of the posts being made now. Be sure to join in and lend your voice to a cause that you believe in. (If you have trouble signing up click here for directions.)

(Editor’s Note: I also wrote a piece on www.CorbinBleuLive.com about an issue I’m passionate about, how young people can change the world through their gifts. Click here to check it out).

Watch the Do Something Awards 2010

Young Dreamer — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 22:58:39 +0000

Be sure to watch the Do Something Awards airing live Monday, July 19 at 9/8C on Vh1. The awards will be honoring young people and celebrities who are making change in the world by creating projects addressing causes important to them. The five young nominees for the main Do Something Award are:

Wilfredo Perez Jr., Public Health Education and Training Program for Haitian Youth

Micaela Connery, Unified Theater

Jessica Posner, The Kibera School for Girls and Shining Hope Community Center

Mark Rembert, Energize Clinton County

Jacqueline Murekatete, Jacqueline’s Human Rights Corner

Click here to read a feature on AOL about this year’s nominees and visit the Do Something website to vote for your favorite Do-ers.

More About The Do Something Awards

Since 1996, Do Something has honored the nation’s best young world-changers. Do Something Award Winners represent the pivotal “do-ers” in their field, cause, or issue. Finalists are rewarded with a huge $10,000 community grant, and the Winner receives $100,000. All participate in a special award ceremony that features celebrities, media coverage, and continued support from Do Something.

More info at: http://www.dosomething.org/awards

Do Something Grants

Do Something also gives grants to support young people in their dreams to change the world. Do you need $500 to further the growth and success of your program or turn your idea into reality? Did you recently create a sustainable community action project, program or organization or have a great idea for helping your community? If you answered “YES!”, you’re eligible to apply for a Do Something Grant. Best of all, they’re given out WEEKLY!

More info at: http://www.dosomething.org/grants

Youth Venture Spotlight: Oakland Teens Planting Seeds of Change

Young Dreamer — Thu, 15 Apr 2010 20:13:43 +0000

Have you ever thought about what you could do to change the neighborhood or city you live in?

This past March, seven teams consisting of teens from Oakland, California, got seed funding of $1000 per team to start projects that would help address problems they found in their communities. The grants are from Youth Venture, an organization that supports young changemakers and leaders as they create and grow their own social ventures.

Each of the groups ideas are really impressive and unique, like one of the groups that creates positive hip hop music, two that are supporting the poor in other countries and another which will provide healthy food to the Oakland community. Congrats to all of the winning teams! Read about the groups and watch the videos below where each of the teen describe their projects.

The Winning Youth Venture Teams and Members

Healthy Neighborhood Store Alliance, a service to make fresh produce more accessible in West Oakland: James, Ennis, Jamelah and Alshea.

Grown Your Own Green, community gardening in West Oakland: Rachelle.

Oakland Youth for Peace with Police, improving the relationship between Oakland youth and police: Tamara.

O Zone Music Group Hip-hop with a purpose, youth empowering youth through music: Olondis.

Youth Roots, Creating a positive-message t-shirt line, sold online and now also distributed through local school uniform programs: Diego, Mario, Hazel, Juan, and Isabel.

Project Jatropha, supporting rural schools in Haiti and India: Adarsha, Apoorva, and Callie.

Creating Hope for Future Leaders, sponsoring a school in Nicaragua: Miguel.

Videos from Oaklandlocal.com and Youth Venture

Youth Venture is a great organization that also gave Dreamer ENT’s founder her first community service grant as a teen. Want to get your own grant to spark change in your community? Read more about the organization below and watch another video of the teams from Oakland presenting for their opportunity to win the grants below:

Youth Venture is an international community of young people who are powerful now, changemakers now. Youth Venture inspires and invests in teams of young people to create and launch their own sustainable, community-benefiting ventures. Youth Venture then connects them into a global movement of young changemakers who are together redefining the youth years as a time of leadership and positive social change. This is the foundation of an Everyone a Changemaker world – the key factor for success in every part of society. To learn more how you can get a grant to help your community visit www.GenV.net.

Help for Haiti: How Can You Make a Difference?

Young Dreamer — Sun, 17 Jan 2010 03:15:36 +0000

Photo Credit: REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz

The world witnessed as on Tuesday evening a 7.0 earthquake devastated the capital city of the Caribbean country Haiti. The aftermath and aftershocks of the earthquake left children without food and comfort, many in need of aid, and families without homes in a country that was already crippled by poverty. In such a huge situation, there are ways you can help and make a difference.

How You Can Help?

If you’re able to donate financially or can ask your parents to do so, you can text “HAITI” to the number 90999 on a cell phone. A $10 donation will be charged to the cell phone bill that will go to the Red Cross. It’s quick and easy, and every bit helps. You can also visit www.redcross.org or http://www.unicefusa.org/ to find out how to donate online.

In the coming days and weeks Haiti will be needing much help, and you could start a fundraiser or collection drive to collect things like clothes and other items that may be needed. DoSomething.org suggests that “the most important step when donating materials is to contact an established, professional relief organization BEFORE you collect anything.” Be sure to listen to the news and visit the websites above to see what the people may need the most. Over all, keep the people of Haiti in your thoughts and prayers, and remember that helping others, even if they are miles away, is important, and something you can do even when you’re young.

A Tribute to Service: Variety Power of Youth 2009

Young Dreamer — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 23:08:35 +0000

Variety Magazine honored five young performers, Corbin Bleu, Keke Palmer, Jesse McCartney, AnnaLynne McCord and Miranda Cosgrove, for their dedication to community service at a special ceremony on December 5th, 2009. Variety’s Power of Youth Initiative is focused on encouraging top young talent to become involved with philanthropic and humanitarian causes, using their positions in popular culture to motivate others to do the same. Check out the organizations each of the honorees gives their time to below, and learn more at www.variety.com/PowerOfYouth. You can also take action in your community, and maybe with similar causes, with a grant from the organization Do Something. Click here to learn how you can get involved.

Actress and singer Keke Palmer spoke on how it felt to be honored, and the importance of service in her blog:

“…I attended an all day event honoring young entertainers in Hollywood, not for how many records they sold, or how many movies they have done, but for their charity work, and to be a part of that group was so very humbling for me.

“I could not even speak I was so nervous, I guess I could not believe that anyone would give me an award for helping people something that my parents taught me to do, with much given comes much responsibility, I hear that around our house a lot…

“Yes Charity begins at home, but if you can find some time, just a little time to think of others you will feel like a complete person, and what better time can we help others than at CHRISTMAS!!!!”

- Keke Palmer in her Myspace blog

Check out the honoree’s acceptance speeches in the videos below:

Corbin Bleu
(Disney’s High School Musical 1, 2 & 3)
Organization: Starlight Children’s Foundation

Keke Palmer
(Nickelodeon’s True Jackson VP)
Organization: Boys & Girls Clubs of America

Miranda Cosgrove
(Nickelodeon’s iCarly)
Organization: St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital

Jesse McCartney
(Multi-platinum recording artist)
Organization: City of Hope

AnnaLynne McCord
(CW’s 90210)
Organization: The Blind Project

Young Celebs Unite As ONE Against Global Poverty

Young Dreamer — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 23:08:48 +0000

Several young celebrities are teaming up with the organization ONE in the fight against global poverty. They’re asking college students to take a stand by taking part in the movement, and becoming local activists. Some of the stars who have joined the ONE campaign are High School Musical’s Corbin Bleu, Twilight’s Ashley Greene, Kellan Lutz, Nikki Reed and Jackson Rathbone, 90210’s Tristan Wilds, Gossip Girl’s Leighton Meester, Jessica Szohr and Ed Westwick, Heroes’ Hayden Panettiere, Star Trek’s John Cho and Tropic Thunder’s Brandon T. Jackson.

Corbin Bleu commented on his Facebook page about the importance of the campaign:

“Some people might say young people don’t care about the world beyond our classroom, our family, our friends – but I don’t believe that’s true.

“In an increasingly global world, we have to look beyond ourselves. By raising our voices together, we can and will make a difference in the fight against extreme poverty and preventable disease. Join us as ONE.” – Corbin Bleu

ONE was co-founded by singer and activist Bono and other campaigners, and is backed by more than 2 million people who are committed to the fight against extreme poverty and preventable disease, particularly in Africa. Watch the PSA for the campaign below, and find out how you can help support the campaign and receive updates at www.one.org/us/buzz.

Dreamer ENT » Community Featured

Corbin Bleu Wants Your Help To Change the World

Related Posts:

Watch the Do Something Awards 2010

More About The Do Something Awards

Do Something Grants

See Also:

Youth Venture Spotlight: Oakland Teens Planting Seeds of Change

The Winning Youth Venture Teams and Members

Related Posts:

Help for Haiti: How Can You Make a Difference?

How You Can Help?

See Also:

A Tribute to Service: Variety Power of Youth 2009

See Also:

Young Celebs Unite As ONE Against Global Poverty

See Also: