Partners:

-Matt Morton-

Twenty-one year old Matt Morton studies Political Science and Spanish at Stetson University in DeLand , Florida . After empowering programs and meaningful relationships changed his life, he found himself working to develop effective programs and policies for other disadvantaged youth. He fights nationally for the rights and opportunities of the United States' most marginalized teens as the Vice-Chair of the National Council on Youth Policy and the Youth Advocacy Coordinator for the Southeastern Network for Youth and Family Services.  

As a teenager, Matt led the Pinellas County branch of Youth As Resources, one of the nation's most successful youth philanthropy programs.   At 15, he helped establish 61 C, Pinellas County 's first youth-empowered teen center, and later helped raise over $1 million dollars to build four others.   With his university and local teens, Matt founded CAUSE, named as Florida 's best youth-outreach by any institution of higher education.

Matt has traveled to ten different countries and talked to thousands of youth and adults as a speaker and trainer on advocacy and youth empowerment.   During his summers volunteering, and living in Guatemalan villages, Matt has been profoundly inspired by the warmth, compassion, and endurance of the Guatemalan people.

Learn more about programs Matt is involved with at the following links:

• 61 C Teen Center:   www.61cteencenter.org
• Southeastern Network of Youth & Family Services: www.senetwork.org
• National Network for Youth: www.nn4youth.org
• Stetson University: www.stetson.edu
• Email Matt at mmorton@stetson.edu

 

-Alliance for International Reforestation-

The Alliance for International Reforestation, Inc. or AIR, is a non-profit organization working to make a difference for the people of Guatemala and Nicaragua.  AIR plants trees, establishes tree  nurseries, provides environmental education for teachers and farmers, digs wells, builds fuel-efficient brick ovens , and helps to educate everyone about the environmental challenges facing Central America.

AIR-Guatemala ("AIRES" in Spanish) was named The Best Environmental NGO in Guatemala for 2004 , by the national government's forestry institute, Instituto Nacional de Bosques (INAB). AIR was the smallest NGO of dozens nominated, but was still judged t he most effective , which is a testament to AIR's efficiency as well as the skill and dedication of our staff. Congratulations AIRES!

Learn more about AIR: http://helmet.stetson.edu/org/forest/

 

-Youth Empowerment Alliance-

The Youth Empowerment Alliance creates strategic partnerships with
people and organizations committed to assisting youth in finding and harnessing
their potential so they can positively impact the world around them.

Presently, YEA is actively working with the United Nations Department of Public Information (UN-DPI) and many non-profit organizations to create three projects. The primary project is a youth media network which encourages youth worldwide to express their voice in public policy by creating and distributing news and feature stories for print, television and radio through mainstream media.

Learn more about YEA: www.yealliance.org