Increasing Youth Involvement in WalkAmerica

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Saving Babies, Building Leaders
marchofdimes.com/youth
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Our Mission

• Each day, babies are born fighting for their
  lives.
• And every day, the March of Dimes helps them
  win.
• The mission of the March of Dimes is to improve
  the health of babies by preventing birth defects,
  premature birth, and infant mortality.

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A History of Success

• Polio Vaccine
• Establishment of NICUs
• Fetal Surgery
• PKU Test
• Surfactant
• Nitric Oxide
• Birth Defects Prevention Act
• State Childrens Health Insurance Program(S-CHIP)

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Unfinished Business

• Half a million babies are born prematurely each
  year.
• That's 1,367 babies each and every day.
• Thirteen babies die every day as a result of
  prematurity/low birthweight
• One in 8 babies in the United States is born
  prematurely

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The Prematurity Campaign

• A multimillion-dollar research, awareness and
  education campaign to help families have
  healthier babies
• Goal 1 Raise Awareness of Problem of
  Prematurityfrom 60 among women of childbearing
  age and
• from 50  among the general public by 2010
• Goal 2 Reduce Rate of Premature Births from
  12.1 in 2002 to 7.6 in 2010
• For more information, visit www.marchofdimes.com/
  prematurity

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What is Team Youth?

• Team Youth is all the youth volunteers, including
  all national youth partners, of the March of
  Dimes.
• Team Youth provides development opportunities for
  students nationwide, while supporting the mission
  of the March of Dimes.
• This is accomplished by ensuring young volunteers
  have access to age-appropriate and
  mission-relevant health education information
  community, state, and national leadership
  opportunities and customized fundraising
  activities that are fun and rewarding.

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Team Youth includes

• All youth volunteers, ages 5 to 23
• High school students in the Chain Reaction
  Programs
• College students in Collegiate Councils
• Youth members of state, chapter, and division
  Boards
• Youth members of state Public Affairs Committees
• National Youth Council
• All March of Dimes National Youth Partners

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March of Dimes National Youth Partners

• Americas Promise
• FBLA-PBL
• FCCLA
• Key Club (Kiwanis, high school)
• Circle K (Kiwanis, college)
• Delta Sigma Phi
• Gamma Sigma Sigma
• Top Ladies of Distinction, Top Teens of America

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The Essential Role of Youth in the MOD

• Increasing awareness about the growing problem of
  premature birth
• Promoting folic acid consumption during child
  bearing years
• Supporting smoking cessation initiatives
• Lobbying for policies that benefit women and
  children
• Organizing fundraising events to further the
  mission
• Participating on state and local advisory boards
  (chapter and division boards of directors)

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What the March of Dimes Offers Youth

• Enriching and enduring lifelong experiences
  through opportunities to
• Build leadership skills
• Network among like-minded student leaders
  nationwide
• Give back to communities and make a difference
  locally
• Become involved in meaningful civic engagement,
  including advocating for local and national
  policies
• Be educated about a healthy lifestyle today and
  in future
• Earn community service credits and enhance resume
  
• Develop public speaking skills while building
  character and self-confidence

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FUNDRAISING

• Some of the more popular ways in which youth
  raise funds for the foundation include
• WalkAmerica, and other Walks
• Coinstar Program
• Coin Banks
• WonderWalk/WalkMania
• Two Colors, One Cause Ribbon Pins
• Tye-Dye Wristbands for Awareness (wearable
  bracelets virtual bands)

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Youth and WalkAmerica

• Youth teams raised more than 7 million in
  WalkAmerica 2005, a 12 increase over 2004
• As many as 1 in 3 Walkers are Youth
• Top 3 youth Walk teams in 2005 raised more than
  2 million

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Walks for All Ages

• WonderWalk is a fundraiser just for younger
  children, age 5-7 children are sponsored to walk
  around their playground or school for the MOD
• WalkMania is just for kids ages 8- 12 kids walk
  around school or soccer field
• WalkAmerica is for teenagers to adults held in
  a city or at a town park
• For materials and information, contact your local
  chapter or visit www.walkamerica.org

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Coinstar

• Most of the 11,000 Coinstar machines nationwide
  accept donations for the March of Dimes by
  entering the code, 1-2-3-0
• Check www.coinstar.com for a participating
  machine near you.
• Note Coinstar charges a 7.5 administrative fee
  for charitable donations
• All funds raised by machines in a local chapter
  are distributed back to that chapter

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Coin Box Collections

• Coin boxes can be used by students to raise funds
  at any time of year, as part of WalkAmerica, or a
  separate fundraiser
• The milk carton-shaped boxes can hold up to 100
  in quarters.
• Any container can be used
• For March of Dimes coin boxes, contact your local
  chapter.

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Awareness Ribbon Pins

• Can be sold in schools, in communities, as an
  after school activity, etc.
• To obtain pins, look for the Ribbon image on the
  Team Youth Website and download the order form
• Go to www.marchofdimes.com/youth
• Click on Get Awareness Ribbons

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Wristbands for Awareness

• Can be sold in schools, in communities, after
  school, etc.
• To obtain wristbands, go to
• www.marchofdimes.com/youth
• Click on Activities icon
• Select the Wristbands for Awareness order form
• To create your own personalized virtual hospital
  band, go to the Prematurity Campaign site and
  click on BandingTogether
• www.marchofdimes.com/prematurity

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HEALTH EDUCATION

• Topics of the Teen-2-Teen DVDs and Videos
• Healthy Lifestyle
• Alcohol
• Smoking
• Drugs
• Audience
• Middle School and High School students
• To see a preview, visit www.marchofdimes.com/you
  th
• For a copy, email TeamYouth_at_marchofdimes.com

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PUBLIC AFFAIRS

• Youth serve an important role in March of Dimes
  Public Affairs activities
• Members of chapter/division Public Affairs
  Committees
• Members of the Advocacy Network
• NYC representative to National Public Affairs
  Committee
• Plan and participate in lobby day at state
  capitol
• Attend district meetings with state legislators
  and congressional delegation
• Conduct voter registration drives
• Promote MOD Youth Internship on campus
• Investigate public affairs career opportunities
  (serving as an elected official working in
  public policy development, lobbying, government)

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For more information

• Visit www.marchofdimes.com/youth
• Email TeamYouth_at_marchofdimes.com