The largest youth peacebuilding Initiative in the United States and Caribbean

Join in!

In 2021, a new and exciting initiative called Youth & Peace in Action (YPA) was introduced.

It’s the largest local youth peacebuilding initiative in the US and Caribbean.

YPA leverages an innovative online peace platform to provide virtual and live peace education, training, and mentoring to schools and teachers that puts young people at the center of peacebuilding. YPA’s two interactive programs are the Leading Peace Project Teams (LPPT) experience available to Interact and other service clubs and the My Peacebuilder Foundations (MPF) online certification accompanied by a teacher toolkit.

my peacebuilder foundations (MPF)

An innovative, 10-hour online course for any interested teachers and students in schools that sign up for YPA. Completion is recognized with certification and students can qualify for service hours. Teachers also receive an additional toolkit of downloadable activities, materials, and conversation prompts that they can use in ways that support subject lessons and standards.

  • Seven modules interactive modules introduce fundamental drivers of conflict and peace. Students learn to use established frameworks to consider how power, conflict, violence and peace intersect.

  • MPF content has been used in high school social studies, English, career-tech, and social-emotional learning classrooms. Content is useful to students in other class research, papers, and capstone projects.

  • Teachers have access to course overview materials, guided discussion questions, and additional activities that can be completed during class time further deepen learning.

leading peace project teams (LPPT)

LPPT is available for members of high school service clubs who want to imagine and implement a peace project. LPPT includes a short online introduction to peace project fundamentals and a live, interactive virtual training experience. Coaches/mentors provide feedback on peace project ideas. Students who complete LPPT become certified NewGen Peacebuilders and often qualify for service hours, awards, recognition, and scholarships.

  • Through a live, virtual training experience teams of student leaders receive facilitated instruction and guidance that results in a peace project plan and implementation over 8-12 weeks.

  • The Leading Peace Project Teams training experience is ideal for Interact Clubs, Key Clubs, student government associations, and other student organizations focused on leadership and service.

  • Teams are facilitated to understand the root causes and visible effects of conflict in their communities, and brainstorm solutions with input from local stakeholders and experts. Peace project completion achieves advanced certification that supports students in applications for competitive awards, scholarships and recognition.

BRING YPA TO YOUR SCHOOL OR CLUB

Interested in getting your school system, school, or service club involved in YPA?

Click the button below to send us an email and set up an initial conversation.

Join in!

  • schools

    PRINCIPALS, TEACHERS, CLUB ADVISORS

    Teacher and administrators can make the My Peacebuilder Foundations (MPF) course available to any/all interested staff and students.

    Service clubs can apply for a group of students to participate in Leading Peace Project Teams training and mentoring.

  • community sponsors

    ROTARIANS, KIWANIS, OTHER CIVIC LEADERS

    Participation in YPA can be funded by a school, youth club, Rotary Club, or other civic organzation. Districts in Rotary Zones 33 & 34, Ohio, and Alabama are founding sponsors of Youth & Peace in Action.

  • peacebuilding advocates

    STUDENTS, PARENTS, OTHERS

    Learn how a school or organization in your community can get involved and access resources to talk to a Principal or service club advisor at your local high school about signing up for YPA.

Results and Impact

Hundreds of high schools and youth clubs/orgs have signed up for Youth & Peace in Action (YPA). It’s a great message that young people care when students register for YPA and the My Peacebuilder Foundations course. More than 8,000 students, teachers, and community supporters completed a total of 70,000 hours of YPA peace education and mentoring. Students have designed and initiated 100 peace projects and there are 2,250 certified young peacebuilders. And 1,000 toolkits to support teachers have been distributed.

This is a time for bold measures. This is the country, and you are the generation.

—Bono

 
 
 

NewGen Peacebuilders (NGP) emphasizes the role, value and impact of young people ages 14-24 in achieving a peaceful world. Content that powers YPA has been “road tested” in workshops, dialogues, and peace projects led by NGP since 2014.