Washington, DC (March 17, 2008) Innovations in Civic Participation (ICP) is very pleased to announce the results of our call to participate in the project Innovations in International Youth Volunteering, an effort to identify and reward innovation in youth volunteering (and particularly youth-led volunteering) from around the world, as well as to analyze these experiences and make recommendations for fostering similar innovation in England and other countries. This project was commissioned by (http://www.wearev.com/), a new charity based in England which is dedicated to motivating a million more youth to volunteer in their communities. For the purposes of the project, volunteering was defined as “any activity which involves spending time, unpaid, doing something which aims to benefit other people (other than, or in addition to, close relatives) or to benefit the environment.” These activities could include mutual aid or self-help, service to others, civic engagement, or advocacy and campaigning. We focused particularly on programs involving youth ages 16 to 25.

Out of 134 submissions, the ICP team and members of the project Expert Panel chose 22 projects to profile in the final report. These 22 projects represent 17 countries, including three cross-national programs, from Africa, the Middle East, Eastern and Western Europe, Latin America, and South Asia. Selection criteria included the degree to which the program serves an underserved population; the degree of innovation; the potential to be replicated and adapted; program sustainability; coherence between project objectives and activities; impact; and youth empowerment. From these 22 projects, the following top-scoring programs received cash prizes:

First place: School Girls Unite-Les Filles Unies pour l’Education (Mali-USA)
Second place: ManaTEENS (Florida, USA)
Third place: Tie between Unis-Cité (France) and Campo Amigo Ecuador (Ecuador-
USA)
Honorable mention: Young Philanthropists (Kenya)

Below is a list of the 22 programs selected to profile in the final report.

Amigos de las Américas
Arroyo la Tapera
Campo Amigo Ecuador
Global Connections and Exchange Program
Healthy Housing Project
Human Rights, Democracy and Good Governance Training Program for Young People in Institutions of Learning
IMPACT
Make a Connection
ManaTEENs
MOMIC
Museo Itinerante
National Sexual Assault Online Hotline
National Volunteer Program
Never Again Rwanda Human Rights Clubs
Projeto MetaReciclagem
Residencia Universitaria: Jóvenes Solidarios
Say No to Sexual Abuse
School Girls Unite
Selo Escola Solidária
Starting Line
Unis-Cité
Young Philanthropists