National Youth Service Week 2016

NATIONAL YOUTH SERVICE WEEK 2016 - May 9-17, 2016

Volunteer For Lebanon coordinated National Youth Service Week 2016 in Lebanon, which incorporated Global Youth Service Days within it. We provided a Participation Guide in Arabic and English, with guidelines about participation, project ideas, and the 14 steps of "How to Plan and Implement a Project".

Theme: "Sustainable Service"
Sustainability was promoted in terms of projects

1)     Having longterm or ongoing impact;
2)     Addressing the Sustainable Development Goals, and
3)     Environmental sustainability.

Number of projects:
60 projects were submitted to VFL and we submitted them to GYSD. We received confirmation of 50 of them actually taking place.

Projects:
Food, clothing, furniture and appliances supplied to the poor; Caring/recreation/gifts provided to the elderly, orphans, disabled, and those with special needs. Recycling. Planting of flowers and trees. School beautification (cleaning, painting walls, improving playgrounds. Creating a school library. Home renovation. Cleaning the beaches, school surroundings. Advocacy projects included driving safety, healthy food, gender issues, patriotism, peace and social integration.

Beyond the many benefits to society, there was incalculable impact on the youth who implemented the various service projects: increased confidence, self-esteem, skills, leadership, empathy.
 

Youth Service America, which coordinates Global Youth Service Days received thousands of stories of service projects and chose three to highlight. National Youth Service Week in Lebanon was honored to be one of the three: