Why this Project is Important

Potential Long Term Impact

Because New Heights matches citizens with local nonprofits, volunteers see the impact of their efforts firsthand,further investing them into finding longterm solutions to their communities’ problems and promoting volunteerism and civic participation.

Project Message

I am convinced that to make a difference in the world we must begin locally in our own community and society. Volunteerism is the perfect way to give our best and create positive change all around us.
- Myrka Dellanos, Partners volunteer, honorary chair, journalist

Who is Running This Project

Contact

Matt Clausen,
Vice President, Partnership Development
Partners of the Americas
1424 K St., NW, #700
Washington, DC 20005
United States
202-637-6211
Email:

Project Sponsor

GlobalGiving

Organization

Learn more about Partners of the Americas and the project team.

Partners of the Americas's Current Projects on GlobalGiving

Help 500 Rural Haitian Families Fight Hunger

Where this Project is Located

Country

This project is located in Colombia and can also be found under Economic Development.

For more information about Colombia, read the Human Development Report on Colombia or the Wikipedia entry for Colombia.

When this Project was Updated

Last Updated

This project was last updated on August 14, 2008.

Date Added to GlobalGiving

This project was added to the GlobalGiving project catalog on September 08, 2006.

Latest Update from the Field

New Heights in Volunteerism Project: The University, Volunteerism and Solidarity Groups

By Gina Pezzano - Project Facilitator, August 14, 2008 04:49 PM

Colombian youth are not future leaders - they are present leaders taking action now thanks to the support this program has received from donors like you. UNINORTE, with support from Partners of the Americas and Global Giving, provided a unique opportunity for 20 students to formulate and lead projects addressing social problems in their communities and to contribute to the strengthening of youth volunteerism and group solidarity in Colombia at a time of tremendous challenge and opportunity.

Prior to working in their communities, the program creates important spaces to allow university students to discuss social problems and to learn more about the social realities they face. These spaces also provide a forum for students to actively participate in their communities by applying well known strategies for alleviating the problems they discuss. As such, UNINORTE’s Barranquilla program has formed the necessary alliances to advance students’ volunteer participation in local projects with high social impact on vulnerable groups in the region.

To meet these objectives, students in the Caribbean region of Colombia were first organized in a Training and Reflection Group. Upon concluding their training, they worked with seven different civil society organizations to learn about programs in different areas of Barranquilla that address different social needs. They were charged with designing, training and leading activities to help address these needs.

The seven projects in which the students participated include:

1. The Best of Barranquilla, Thanks to You: A citizen participation project that involves 150 merchants in the recuperation of public spaces in the Los Caños region of Barranquilla. Entity: DAMAB.

2. Social Leadership and Citizen Participation: A project to train 32 community leaders in citizen participation methodologies in Malambo, a community of 192,000 inhabitants, including citizen oversight and monitoring of public servants in order to protect their rights. Entity: Foundation Huellas de ACESCO.

3. Artisan Women of South Barranquilla: A training project for 29 women artisans who produce crafts for export to improve their entrepreneurial skills and ability to develop producer cooperatives. Entity: Triple A.

4. Movies and Culture: Promotion of community cultural activities conducted by Cinemateca del Caribe , as part of an education strategy in poor neighborhoods in Barranquilla. Entity: Cinemateca del Caribe .

5. Partners in Education for Barranquilla: An alliance of private enterprises that construct new schools in impoverished sectors of the city. Entity: ARGOS.

6. Youth with a Future: A project to improve the quality of life for youth from low socio-economic backgrounds through the development of social skills and healthy habits. Entity: Children International.

7. Youth with the Right to Have Rights: A psycho-affective recovery project for 75 children and youth from at-risk neighborhoods in Barranquilla. Entity: CEDESOCIAL.

Your continued support will help these projects advanced. Donations will go to those projects with the greatest need and impact. However, you may also specify a specific project for support.

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