Let Youth Voices Be Heard

21st Century Leaders’ Quarterly Publication. Published by leaders, for leaders

.

In This Issue

Tips for studying the right

way in order to maximize your efficiency in school

An article featuring one of our

GYLA recipients and all of the great endeavors that her

organization has taken on

Pointers on how to go about applying to colleges, and how

to deal with rejection. We also tell you what to look for in

schools and important

factors to consider

F A L L 2 0 1 4

LET YOUTH VOICES BE HEARD FALL 2014

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Co-Editor in Chief

Roswell High School

Class of 2015

Imogen Evans

Meet The Staff

Ammu Kumar

Editor In Chief

Wheeler High School

Class of 2016

LET YOUTH VOICES BE HEARD

Dear 21CL Readers,

This is the 2014 Fall Issue of 21st Century Leaders’ Youth Leadership Council

(YLC) Publication. We represent 22 students from 20 different high schools

across the state of Georgia. The YLC is a branch of students who are called upon to create, write and publish the 21CL quarterly publication, work with

the Youth Advisory Board on community service projects, and provide

recommendations for year-round programs. In addition, we serve as year-round ambassadors for our organization. Our goal is to establish a large

foundation that cultivates future generations of leaders who can further

expand our accomplishments. We hope that you find this issue interesting and informative. If you have any questions or comments or ideas for the next

issue, please let us know!

Sincerely,

21CL Youth Leadership Council

LET YOUTH VOICES BE HEARD FALL 2014

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Meet The Staff

Writer Tucker High School Class of 2016

Chris Bunting

Duluth High School Class of 2016

Joanne Lee

Writer

Jordan Purcell

Arabia Mountain High School

Class of 2016

Writer

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21CL Event Highlight:

Back 2 School Kickoff

On September 6th, 21st Century Leaders participated in our annual Back 2 School Kickoff.

This year it was held at the City of Refuge in Downtown Atlanta. For several hours,

students participated in hands on team building and leadership training activities.

Students from a Georgia Tech Leadership Club led us in workshops that encouraged

us to solve problems plaguing our schools. We made plans for programs that would

increase college acceptance rates, stop bullying, and help foster better studying habits.

They also led several teambuilding activities that helped us discover our strengths and

weaknesses. On top of all of this, 21st Century Leaders also collected hundreds of

school supplies for children and families in need. In the words of a senior from

Roswell High School, “All in all it was an amazing and inspiring day.”

REGISTER NOW!!!! Fall Rally Day is on Saturday, November 8th this year at

Georgia Power Headquarters. It’s not an event to miss!

Every year, 21CL students get the chance to reconnect

with one another and meet inspiring professionals. This

year, students will be able to participate in team building

activities, service projects, as well as listen to motivational

speakers. Register using the link below:

http://21stcenturyleaders.org/for-students/school-year-

programs/fall-rally-day/

LET YOUTH VOICES BE HEARD

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21CL Star Student, Tiffani Alexander

By Joanne Lee

Passionate in serving her community, Tiffani Alexander, a home schooled senior, won the Georgia Youth Leadership Award for the year 2013-2014 through her

dedicated work for the “Prevent Child Abuse” program in Rockdale.

Tiffani is a 21st Century Leaders and founder of Butterflies, Beetles and Bees, Oh My!, a bug club for children

sponsored by the “Prevent Child Abuse” program. Her vision to make a difference in other people’s lives has ultimately opened up various opportunities for both her and the children

she works for.

LET YOUTH VOICES BE HEARD

As a facilitator of the 9-12 year old class, Tiffani created the bug club in which she taught the children important life skills through fun activities involving various bug projects.

For instance, the children were told to create their own butterflies with different coloring utensils available to them. The point of this exercise was to teach the students the importance of diversity by allowing them to observe the different colors of each of the butterflies and relate the

observation to real life situations. The activity enabled Tiffani to more easily describe the different genders, eye colors, ethnicity, etc. in terms that 9-12-year-olds could understand.

Throughout the six-week sessions, Tiffany created and performed similar projects to make the children learn to embrace the difference that exists in their surroundings.

After winning the Georgia Youth Leadership Award, Tiffani has received more support for her projects including corporate sponsorships and interest from the leadership team “Mark It Up”

in which students come together for service projects. She is very thankful that she was given the opportunity to interact with children with different backgrounds, and she too, has learned the

importance of diversity while teaching the children to embrace differences.

After winning the Georgia Youth Leadership

Award, Tiffany has received more support

for her projects including corporate

sponsorships and interest from the leadership

team “Mark It Up” in which students come

together for service projects.

Be sure to nominate a youth leader for the 2015 GYLA!

Or do you know a 21CL Star Student to feature in the next issue?

Let us know by filling out our Star Student Form. Nominate Here!

LET YOUTH VOICES BE HEARD FALL 2014

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21st Century Leaders Youth Task Force:

A Business Internship By Ammu Kumar

Chirag Manyapu

Northview H.S.

Angela Jiang GSMST

Jasmine Barnett Decatur H.S.

LET YOUTH VOICES BE HEARD

Raahul Acharya Northview H.S.

Sara Rountree

Chamblee H.S.

At the end of this past summer, a group of our fellow leaders have been working diligently to revamp the Decatur office and to provide us with a great space for putting plans into action. Known as the 21CL Youth Task Force, nine students from nine high schools were selected for

a business internship for four work phases spread across the 2014-2015 school year. The students underwent a rigorous application process, and once selected, met up to plan how they

were going to tackle the challenge they were facing.

Let’s say “Hello” to the original nine of the 21CL Youth Task Force!

Sheweat Laine

Tucker H.S.

Krush Patel

Milton H.S.

Zani Nobles

Riverwood Int.

Charter School

Jenai Richards

Decatur H.S.

Over the next semester, the Youth Task Force will be rotating and/or adding members to help put

their plan into action. I met up with one of the Youth Task Force members, Sheweat Laine to get the inside scoop. Check it out! (Continued on next page)

LET YOUTH VOICES BE HEARD FALL 2014

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What are some amenities that 21st Century Leaders can expect to see from the new space?

- We plan to add conference space for meetings for 21CL students and

the Youth Advisory Board & Youth Leadership Council. We also plan

to add a sitting area for informal gatherings to make it more

comfortable for the members. We’re also putting in a vending machine

as an additional revenue source.

What do you plan on doing with all the stuff currently in the

storage closet?

- We’re going to sell most of the donated items in order to raise

some capital for construction and materials, and we’ll donate

the rest.

What are some of the challenges you have to overcome? - Raising capital. There is a lot of random items that nobody uses, so

organizing that and trying to sell it will be hard. But that’s why we

had to put together a very complex business plan to show how we

will overcome these challenges, especially when presenting to

potential funders

What is the goal of the Youth Task Force? - Our mission is to convert an unused storage space into a useable

space for 21CL and for all students. We plan to turn into a meeting

space and relaxed part of the room for 21CL students to use, and

eventually rent out the space to other non-profits in the area as a

fundraising tool for 21CL.

LET YOUTH VOICES BE HEARD FALL 2014

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Studying Smarter by Chris Bunting

Autumn has officially rolled around again; and as the days get shorter, does it seem like you are

spending all day studying, but are still not totally ready for tests? You are not alone! Everyone

eventually has tests that they have to wrestle into the night to prepare for, and although you cannot

escape the beast, using these strategies to study smarter will help you conquer preparing for tests,

quizzes, and exams much more efficiently.

Sharpen That Pencil

Taking notes on key points when reading or listening

to a lecture forces your brain to process the

information you are taking in and helps you focus.

Having all the key points in one place makes test

review much more efficient.

Flash Focus

Make flash cards with a question on one side and the

answer on the other. Just creating the cards will better

familiarize you with the information, and once made,

the cards allow you to test yourself on the go.

Better Together

Find people with whom you work well and form a

study group. You can answer each other’s questions

and keep one another on task. Explain what you are

studying to a friend. This requires you to be familiar

enough with the information that you can explain it

clearly and answer questions.

LET YOUTH VOICES BE HEARD

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The Best Ways to Manage Stress and Master Memory Retention

During Your Fall Semester

By Imogen Evans

As 21st Century Leaders, we are almost halfway through the fall semester, the load from

school, college applications, and other commitments is in full swing. The intense school work and

pressure to succeed amounts to copious stress on high school students, but there are strategies that

can boost memory skills and reduce stress levels.

Retrieving memory actually entails encoding, storage, and retrieval, which implies that

memory retention, is far more complex than simply remembering what was said. It requires

grasping what was said initially and holding on to the memory in order for the brain to retrieve the

memory.

Memory improvement strategies are broken down into several steps.

1. The first of which is to ensure that the material is fully understood. It is best to

experience lessons with as many senses as possible, meaning full visual, mental, and

auditory attention. To fully understand a topic, listen attentively and ask plenty of

questions. Not only will asking questions help you understand the material, it will please

your teacher to see how engaged you are in the material.

Best Ways to Manage Stress

and Master Memory

Retention By Imogen Evans

LET YOUTH VOICES BE HEARD

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2. The next step is to apply the material and use it; write it down, come up with an acronym,

or read it repetitively.

3. Lastly, try to apply the material to your everyday life. Thinking about the material will

ensure that you have developed and maintained a full understanding of the material.

Stress levels also run increasingly high among high school teenagers as they face the challenges of

time management, priorities, and heavy workloads. First, the stressors must be identified, so that

they can be avoided, adapted, or altered. Exercise increases endorphin levels, making it an excellent

stress reliever. Getting plenty of sleep is also ideal in limiting stress. Find someone to discuss your

stressors with in order to handle them appropriately.

Students have discovered their own ways to deal with intense stress levels and tackle tasks

effectively. Maya Underwood, a senior at Roswell High School has been a 21st Century Leader since

2011 and has attended both EarthCare and Summer Youth Leadership Institute.

“I manage stress by doing one simple thing: breathing. I have to take a step back, look at

the situation in full, and see how I am going to approach it and execute the task at hand to the

best of my abilities. If I am too hysterical to do that, then I go out and exercise, come back, and

I’m able to think more clearly,” Underwood said.

Regardless of what strategies work for you personally, it is important to acknowledge your

own health and your own limits. Among all this information, students should be fully aware of the

physical impacts of stress on the body as well as ways of removing the stress. Giving any task your

best shot is simply the best thing to do. Stand tall, 21st Century Leaders, we’ve got some work to do!

LET YOUTH VOICES BE HEARD FALL 2014

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Tips for Collegiate Success

By Ammu Kumar

Dear High School Seniors,

As college applications are rolling around the corner, I got in touch with a few college admission

representatives and asked them for their best tips of advice for applying freshmen. I’ve included the most commonly repeated tips below:

1. Time the Mailing of Your Application Carefully

Make sure to apply as early as possible. Many colleges accepts students on a

first come first serve basis, so you want to make sure that you get yours in

there as soon as possible.

2. Use the “Pajama Test”

Apply to at least one school that

is within reach, but you hadn’t

considered applying to until now.

Find a school were you feel most

comfortable (enough to wear

your pajamas). You might find

your dream school with this easy

test!

3. Keep Your Grades Up

Admissions officers often

encourage students to partake in courses with heavy academic rigor but that

doesn’t mean they weigh bad grades in those classes as favorable. An “A” or

“B” in a standard class is much better than a C in an AP Class.

4. Visit the Campus—The School is Checking

Make sure to visit the majority of campuses for schools you’re applying

to, especially for your dream schools. It gives you a chance to get a feel for

campus life, as well as connect with important individuals.

5. Rejection is OK

Just because you get rejected from an ivy league or a top name school

doesn’t mean it’s all over. What you do with your college is experience and

you who meet while there, will prove to be a lot more important that where

you went. Make sure that it’s somewhere that you feel comfortable, where

you know you will get a good education, and where you can really discover

yourself as a person.

LET YOUTH VOICES BE HEARD

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Leadership Counts in School By Jordan Purcell

Arabia Mountain High School is excited to be one of the newest high schools to bring a 21CL Youth Action Center for the 2015-2016 school year. A Youth Action Center is student-run and student led community service and leadership-based club, through 21st Century Leaders. Youth Action Centers are usually

referred to as “YAC’s”. YAC’s are integrated in high schools all

over Georgia. This is a unique club that intertwines with other clubs in a high school to help their leaders become more efficient and communicate with their members more effectively. YAC members do a number of service projects throughout the year. They are able to develop important budget planning, communication, and leadership skills.

All YAC members are also able to attend various 21st Century leadership events year-round. YACs stretch across the metro Atlanta area and as far south as Swainsboro, including Langston Hughes High School, Booker T. Washington, Tri-Cities High School, Henry W. Grady High School, Centennial High School, North Springs Charter High School, Emanuel County Institute and Swainsboro High School. Along with Arabia Mountain High School, Chamblee Charter High School will also be getting a YAC for next year. These will be the first two high schools in Dekalb County to have a Youth Action Center! There is great excitement for the Youth Action Center next

year at Arabia Mountain and I’m proud to be one of the founding

members. The YAC would be a great way for students to help learn valuable lessons about goal setting, teamwork, and project management. Next year, we will encourage officers of other clubs in the school to join so they can further their leadership skills. Hopefully, in turn, they would influence others to join and incorporate what they learn in their own positions. Also, members will get volunteer hours for different events, filling the requirement of volunteering on college applications. The YAC would be a great addition to Arabia Mountain because our students have leadership potential. The skills they learn from the YAC and 21st Century Leaders will help them to prevail in their chosen career paths.

CENTER

LET YOUTH VOICES BE HEARD

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World It was announced in October that Malala Yousafzai won the Nobel Peace Prize for her activism in children’s and women’s

rights. She is the youngest Nobel Prize winner for any category, and she hopes that this win will foster better

educational equality throughout the world. A perfect example of extradorinary youth leadership. You never know what kind of impact you can make on the world with a project or cause, until you start.

Billboard Hits

1. All About That Bass

Megan Trainor

Pop/ Hip Hop

2. Riptide Vance Joy

Alternative

3. Bailando Enrique Iglesias

Latino/ Hip Hop

21st CYL #Trending Here’s a compilation of various trends and happenings in the social world that we think all of

our fellow leaders should definitely check out!!

LET YOUTH VOICES BE HEARD FALL 2014

Fall Must Reads

1. The Giver Lois Lowry

2. The Fault in

Our Stars

John Green

3. Divergent

Veronica Roth

BE SOCIAL WITH 21CL

#21stCenturyLeaders

November 6, 2014

SAT Subject Test Registration

Deadline

What it is: All students who

are planning on taking an SAT

subject test on December 6th

must register for the test by

this date.

November 7, 2014

Alumni Launch Party

What it is: Attendees will be able

to reconnect and reminisce with

old friends. They will also have

the opportunity to network with

various professionals.

November 8, 2014

Fall Rally Day

What it is: Hosted at Georgia

Power Headquarters, this is our

annual event where students can

reconnect with old friends and

participate in various leadership

workshops.

November 13, 2014

Georgia Gives Day

What it is: Help donate to your

favorite charitable

organization by participating

in community-service oriented

committees.

December 5, 2014

Georgia Youth Leadership

Awards Nominations Deadline

What it is: If you know of an

exceptional leader in your

community whom you want to

nominate for a GYLA award,

you must send a submission in by

this date.

December 15, 2014

Summer Program Application

Opens

What it is: Apply to 21CL’s one-

week summer leadership

programs on a college campus,

including SYLI, EarthCare or

Leadership Unplugged.

SAVE THE DATE

21CL Fall Calendar

Here are some important dates that are coming up sometime in the

near future! Make sure to sign up for all of our 21st Century

Leaders events and participate in our service projects!