The Generator Blog

Your spot for resources, opinions, and tools that advance the leadership of youth to become civically engaged and informed global citizens.

By Dom Verwey, American International School of Budapest, Co-Founder of Serve Cerebral and Shei Ascencio, International Service-Learning Consultant, Co-Founder of Serve Cerebral We keep talking about the future being away from

By Amy Meuers, NYLC CEO In a world increasingly driven by artificial intelligence and social media, young people face unique challenges in navigating their identities, relationships, and contributions to society.

By Amy Meuers, NYLC CEO As we celebrate Civic Learning Week, it’s crucial to recognize the power of young people in shaping our democracy. Civic engagement isn’t just about voting,

By Amy Meuers, NYLC CEO History is shaped by those who dare to lead. From Mahatma Gandhi’s nonviolent resistance against British rule to Nelson Mandela’s fight against apartheid, George Washington’s

By Pam Siebert, Vice President of Community Impact and Evaluation Borrowing this blog’s title from a talk by Dr. Joel Westheimer to a German service-learning conference, it sometimes seems like

By Bella Sullivan, Marketing and Events Coordinator When Chloe Ng joined NYLC’s Youth Advisory Council (YAC) in 2023, she was searching for deeper ways to connect with her community and

By Bella Sullivan, Marketing and Events Coordinator Molly Mathis, one of NYLC’s Youth Advisory Council (YAC) mentors, has been engaged in service-learning since the sixth grade. When her high-school counselor

By Kristy Verdi, PhD, NYLC Board Member After settling into my seat for the flight back to Florida, there was a little “alone” time away from students and a temporary

In East Orange, New Jersey, a group of determined young people came together this year to take part in National Youth Leadership Council’s (NYLC) Youth as Solutions 9/11 Day cohort.

By Amy Meuers, NYLC CEO Service-learning is a transformative educational approach, engaging students worldwide in solving real-world problems through academic learning connected to community action. What began as a primarily

By Bella Sullivan, Marketing and Events Coordinator Julia Vickery, the Program Director and Students in Philanthropy Foundation Coordinator of the Abell-Hanger Foundation in Midland, Texas, achieved a significant milestone in

By Amy Meuers, NYLC CEO As we look ahead after the 2024 presidential election, the National Youth Leadership Council is more determined than ever to empower young people in leading

By Amy Meuers, NYLC CEO Elections often stir strong emotions, intense debate, and heightened stress, making young people who may be new to engaging in civic matters especially susceptible to

By Caryn Scheel, 2024 Youth as Solutions Adult Mentor As we enter the last weeks of the 2024 election campaigns, teens across the United States are preparing for an election

By Grace C. Liu, NYLC Youth Advisory Council Mentor “La la la! Weee wooo weee.” My voice echoed in the quiet room as I completed my vocal warm-up, a ritual