Change Your World...And Get Paid

The focus of this blog is to help improve your chances of getting into college. But, my ultimate goal is to provide as much information as possible on opportunities to help everyone lay the foundation for a better life. College is a doorway to a successful life. And, every good application packet includes examples of your past leadership experiences and volunteer work. This post contains great opportunities to add some amazing stuff to your application!

Have you ever dreamed of changing your world, of making things better for kids who grow up in the same situations and community that you did? What's holding you back?

What holds most people back is that they simply don't know what to do. The rest of us are held back by a lack of resources to make change happen--no money, no help.

There's good news. Several businesses and organizations have teamed up to support your dreams of improving the world around you. Here's are a couple of notable ones:

• Staples/Youth Ventures "That Was Easy" Initiative -Staples, the office supply retailer, has teamed up with Youth Ventures, an organization that inspires, coaches, and invests up to $1000 in teams of young people aged 12-20 to start social ventures. Your new venture must address one of these areas of social need: health, environment, diversity, education, youth, community and civic engagement. For example, setting up a weekend produce market in a neighborhood that doesn't have access to fresh produce as a way of improving the health of people living in poor neighborhoods. Check out more examples. Launch your own social venture through Youth Venture by (1) completing and submitting one Action Plan as a team and (2) present your idea to a Selection Panel who will decide whether the action plan will be launched. If your Venture is approved by the panel, you will receive a grant of up to $1000 and coaching to help you launch your Venture. If you have any questions, or if you would like someone from Youth Venture to review a draft of your plan, email thatwaseasy@youthventure.org. Download the action plan worksheet.
  

• There's also a "That Was Easy" Competition where youth venturers can win a free trip to Staples headquarters for special award ceremony and consulting opportunities, $1,000 Venture funding, and a$5,000 Staples shopping spree (Grand Prize). Enter the competition.