Youth Power
By Steve Messinetti

Now in its 12th year, the Campus Chapters and Youth Programs department of Habitat for Humanity International is among the few nonprofit organizations' programs that are dedicated to the involvement and empowerment of youth. The past decade brought tremendous involvement in CCYP, including the affiliation of nearly 600 chapters on college and high school campuses in 11 countries.

Some recent highlights:

Collegiate Challenge 2000: Now in its ninth year, a record 8,631 students are registered representing 580 teams from 413 schools. The students have pledged $816,000 to 173 affiliates in 41 states.

Youth Build 2000: Some 15,000 students are expected to meet the challenge of helping build 200 houses in 2000 with affiliates throughout the Philippines. In addition, HFH India hosted a Youth Build in Madras in January. More than 500 high school and college students from six schools participated in the build and celebration. The event's intent was to mobilize the youth of India for their country and to encourage their ongoing social involvement.

World Youth House 1999: During spring break in March 1999, students from Korea, the Philippines, India, Japan and the United States joined efforts during the Jimmy Carter Work Project in the Philippines to build a house with Virginia and Ernesto Giver. Overall, more than 2,000 students participated in the JCWP, building 20 of the 293 houses built during that event.

Pritzker-Cousins Summer Youth Blitz 1999: For the sixth year running, the Pritzker-Cousins program -- sponsored by the Pritzker-Cousins Foundation -- brought together 28 economically diverse young people to build houses and relationships. This summer, the Pritzker-Cousins Foundation and a new sponsor -- the Kerrigan Family Foundation and Trust -- will sponsor three Summer Youth Blitz programs: two in the United States and one in the Caribbean.

Tomorrow's leaders today: Hundreds of youth have become voting members of local affiliate boards of directors, and a position for a campus chapter member has been reserved on the United States sub-committee of Habitat for Humanity's international board of directors.

Millennial chapter: Kyoto Nishi High School in Japan was chartered as the first campus chapter of the new millennium.

For more information about involving youth ages 5 to 25 in the work of Habitat, starting campus chapters or involving students in school-break programs, please see the Campus Chapters and Youth Programs section of this Web site.


Steve Messinetti is director of Campus Chapters and Youth Programs at Habitat for Humanity International.



Reprinted from Habitat World Magazine, April/May 2000.
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©2000 Habitat for Humanity International