THE 5 PROMISES CHALLENGE

The
5
Promises
1. Caring Adults CHOOSE YOUR
2. Safe Places
3. Healthy Start CHALLENGE PROJECTS!
4. Effective Education
By accepting the 5 Promises Challenge you are agreeing to identify,
5. Opportunities to organize and implement a series of 5 Challenge Projects - one
Help Others
project for each of the 5 Promises. In order to help you get started,
check out our Challenge Project Idea pages.
The Five Promises are
the key resources that all On these pages you’ll find three types of ideas:
children need in order to 1. Projects from our Alliance Partners
grow up happy, to stay The America’s Promise Alliance is built of over 130 unique businesses,
healthy and to become foundations, non-profits and youth serving organizations. Many of our
successful adults and partners have interesting projects and opportunities that young leaders
can get involved with. The projects listed in this section are all sponsored
citizens. Children who
by our Alliance Partners. Many of these projects have toolkits or resources
experience at least four of available online.
the Five Promises at
home, in school and out 2. Bright Ideas
Projects listed in the bright ideas section are creative ways for young
in their neighborhoods are
people to help provide the 5 Promises. Most of these projects ideas are
much more likely to not sponsored by a national organization so you’ll have to get creative in
graduate from high school, finding your own ways of making these ideas come to life!
avoid crime and violence
and contribute to their 3. Days to Celebrate
It might be a good idea to plan your Challenge Projects so that they take
communities. place on a special day. In the “Days to Celebrate” section you’ll find a few
interesting events to put on your calendar that are specific to each of the
5 Promises.

Once you review all of the Challenge Project Ideas, decide which 5
projects you’d like to work on. If you have a great idea for a project
that’s not one of the projects listed on our idea pages, we encourage
you to get innovative and try it out!

Record your project plans on the 5 Promises Challenge registration

form and submit the form to the America’s Promise Alliance.

PROMISE
Caring
Adults 1
Kids need their parents
and other people older
than them to turn to for
friendship, advice and fun.
These mentors can be
teachers, coaches, tutors,
neighbors, religious
leaders, or other members
of the community—
community—
including older young
people, like high school and
college students.
DAYS TO
CELEBRATE!
November
Nov. 18-24, 2007
National Family Week
Nov.17, 2007
National Family Volunteer Day
January
Jan. 2008
National Mentoring Month
Jan. 24, 2008
Thank Your Mentor Day
March
March 20, 2008
Absolutely Incredible Kid Day
May
May 3, 2008
Join Hands Day
May 5-9, 2008
Teacher Appreciation Week
May 6, 2008
National Teacher Day
CHALLENGE PROJECT IDEAS
PROJECTS FROM OUR
ALLIANCE PARTNERS:
Absolutely Incredible Kid Day
On this day, adults are encouraged to let kids know how valuable they are by
taking part in a national letter writing campaign sponsored by Camp Fire USA.
Organize letter writing events for your school or community to provide adults with
an opportunity to write letters of love and support to the children in their lives.
www.campfireusa.org/a_i_kid_day/mainpage.html
Big Brothers Big Sisters
Contact your local Big Brothers Big Sisters to find out if they have school based
mentoring programs or existing opportunities already organized for older
students to be matched up as mentors for younger students.
www.bbbs.org
Family Volunteer Day
Help promote the importance of caring adults within families by organizing
opportunities for families to volunteer together. Sponsored by the Points of Light
Foundation and the Walt Disney Company, Family Volunteer Day was established
to promote the fact that volunteering as a family provides quality time for busy
families, strengthens communication and bonds, and positively impacts local
communities across the nation.
http://disney.go.com/disneyhand/familyvolunteers
Thank Your Mentor Day
Sponsored by MENTOR, thousands of people take a few minutes each year on
Thank Your Mentor Day to express appreciation and gratitude to those who are
mentors for them. Organize activities that encourage people to celebrate this
special day by writing a note, making a phone call, or sending an email.
www.hsph.harvard.edu/chc/wmy2007/Thank_Them/intro.html
BRIGHT IDEAS:
Create a list of Coordinate a “Lunch Make a presentation to
opportunities for your Buddies” program where your Parent Teachers
peers to serve as role models older students are matched up Association or School Board
and mentors while helping as as mentors for younger students. to raise awareness about the
a coach or assistant for a Once a week the pairs meet for importance of setting
sports team, music group, lunch at the younger students’ up in-school mentoring
drama club or scout troupe. school to eat, talk and have fun programs for students of
together. Encourage the older all ages.
students to talk with the younger
students about healthy eating
habits and good study skills.
 CHALLENGE PROJECT IDEAS
PROMISE

2
Safe
Places
PROJECTS FROM OUR
ALLIANCE PARTNERS:
Lights on Afterschool
Sponsored by the Afterschool Alliance, Lights On Afterschool is a yearly event
celebrated to help showcase the afterschool programs offered in your community,
and underscore the need for quality afterschool programs for all children. Make
sure your community takes part in the celebrations!
http://www.afterschoolalliance.org/lights_on/index.cfm

Advocate for Play

There are a lot of
hours and days when
kids aren’t in school; so
there needs to be safe
places for them to go to
participate in appropriate,
structured activities
during those hours.
Visit the KaBOOM! website to read up on why play matters. Check out their list of
“20 Ways to be a Play Advocate.” Ideas range from researching the safe place
spaces in your community, to calling government officials, organizing community
awareness events and hosting play days! If you really want to go all out, start
fundraising and build a healthy and safe new play space by organizing a
KaBOOM! playground build.
www.kaboom.org
i-Mentor Program
Help kids stay safe in the virtual world by starting an i-Mentor program at your
school. Sponsored by i-SAFE, INC., the i-Mentor program gives you tools and tips
that help you educate and empower peers, parents, and community members on
how to make safe and responsible decisions online. i-SAFE provides lesson plans,
activities and suggestions for events.
www.imentor.org

Youth Traffic Safety Month

Help the National Organization for Youth Safety raise awareness around the
dangers of drinking and driving and encourage safe driving habits for teens by using
their activity ideas to organize events during Youth Traffic Safety Month.
DAYS TO www.noys.org/AllState.htm
CELEBRATE!
September
Sept. 16, 2007
National Neighborhood Day BRIGHT IDEAS:
October
Oct. 18, 2007
Lights on Afterschool
Volunteer to teach an Use “No Name Calling Contact area
January
Jan. 21-25, 2008 after-school “life skills” Week” in January to put an end museums, theaters,
No Name Calling Week
class, like cooking, creating to bullying in your school and business leaders, and sports
March/April and maintaining a budget, community. Download the Stop complexes and ask them to
March, 2008
National Safe Place Week appreciating art, or basic Bullying Now Guidebook host monthly, weeknight or
March 30 - April 5, 2008
fitness. developed by the Department weekend field trips for
National Boys & Girls Club Week
of Health and Human Services groups of young people.
May
May, 2008 and use the activities to teach Ask them to help with
Youth Traffic Safety Month smaller children about bully transportation too.
July prevention.
July, 2008
Recreation & Parks Month www.stopbullyingnow.hrsa.gov/index.asp
 CHALLENGE PROJECT IDEAS
PROMISE

Healthy
Start 3 PROJECTS FROM OUR
ALLIANCE PARTNERS:
March of Dimes WalkAmerica
WalkAmerica is the oldest and one of the most popular walking events in the
nation. Get your friends and neighbors to walk and raise money to support
research and programs to help babies in your community and across the nation
get a healthy start.
www.walkamerica.org

Host a Health Fair

Visit the American Academy of Pediatrics’ website to find resources to help you
organize a school or community-wide health fair. Use the fair to distribute
Kids need to learn how information about your state’s Child Health Insurance Program (SCHIP),
to eat healthy, how to immunizations, free or reduced-price health services and screenings, nutritional
recommendations, vision and dental care, mental health issues, fitness and more.
exercise, how to recognize
http://www.aap.org/family/healthfairkit.htm
signs of trouble, how to
manage emotions, how to
Positive Choice Program
talk about sexuality, and
Use the resources from the teen section of the Positive Choice Program from
how to make smart
HOPE worldwide to teach teens about safe sex practices. The program equips
decisions about alcohol youth with the tools to say no to risky behaviors and yes to their future goals and
and drugs. Learning these dreams.
things now will help kids www.positive-choice.org
grow up to become
responsible, healthy adults. Prevent Teenage Pregnancy
Visit the National Campaign’s Stay Teen Website to learn about teenage
pregnancy prevention. This website was created for young people and provides
DAYS TO resources, statistics, and ideas for how to get involved.
www.stayteen.org
CELEBRATE!
September
Sept.9-15, 2007
Suicide Prevention Week
Sept. 22-29, 2007
BRIGHT IDEAS:
YMCA’s America on the Move Week
October
Oct. 23-31, 2007
Red Ribbon Week Help organize a Organize a series of Many schools are
“Give Kids a Smile” event health practitioner “show offering fewer
November
Nov. 2007 at your school or community on and tell” events. Invite doctors, opportunities for physical
Prematurity Awareness Month
February 1, 2008. Taking place dentists, optometrists, and education and recess. Help
February during National Children's Dental mental health providers to visit kids stay active by working
Feb. 2008
Children’s Dental Health Month Health Month, “Give Kids a classrooms to help students with athletic teams or your
March Smile” was designed to provide learn what happens at their sports-minded friends to
March 2008
education, preventative and offices. organize exercise and
National Nutrition Month
March 2008
restorative care to low-income fitness classes for children
American Red Cross Month children who do not have at local schools, community
April access to care. centers, religious
April 2008
Cover the Uninsured Week organizations, and public
www.ada.org/prof/eventsfeatured/
April 12, 2008
gkas/index.asp housing complexes.
YMCA Healthy Kids Day
 CHALLENGE PROJECT IDEAS
PROMISE

Effective
Education 4 PROJECTS FROM OUR
ALLIANCE PARTNERS:
Common Cents
Help teach students about good money habits in a fun, memorable way. Visit
the State Farm Common Cents website to find games and resources to use with
students from kindergarten to grade 12. It’s never too early – or too late – to
develop good money sense!
www.statefarm.com/learning/kid_stuff/commoncents/

Groundhog Job Shadow Day

While schools take the lead
in helping kids learn, they
need help from community
Encourage your school to participate in Groundhog Job Shadow Day. On this day
students are encouraged to “shadow” adults in the work place and learn about
fields of interest. Through this experience, students are able to see firsthand how
the skills learned in school relate to the workplace.
www.jobshadow.org

members, including
additional tutoring and
enrichment, job-
job-shadowing
opportunities, internships,
service-
service-learning projects,
and apprenticeships to help
kids build a set of skills
required in the job market.
Semester of Service
Youth Service America is encouraging students to develop a semester long
service-learning project that launches on Martin Luther King Day in January and
culminates on Global Youth Service Day in April. Help teachers inform teachers
about this opportunity and work with classrooms to design and implement projects.
www.imentor.org

Give Kids Good Schools

Help make sure that all children are given access to a quality education. Help find
ways to get your friends and classmates involved in the Give Kids Good Schools
Campaign. Visit their website to learn about what you can do to help.
www.givekidsgoodschools.org

DAYS TO
CELEBRATE! BRIGHT IDEAS:
October
Oct. 18, 2007
Get Smart about Credit Day Use the Start Something Coordinate a college
Oct. 15-21, 2007 Collect information
Give Kids Good Schools Week about local internship Curriculum (provided by fair to give high school
February opportunities for students. Ask the Tiger Woods Foundation students information about
Feb. 2 2008
Groundhog Job Shadow Day local professionals or a and Target) with a group of admissions and financial aid,
university business club to younger students to get them fields of study, student activi-
March
March 3, 2008 provide workshops on resume thinking about what they want ties and employment, cam-
Read Across America Day
writing or interviewing skills to to be when they grow up and pus living and more.
April help students get prepared to how they can get involved as
April, 2008
Teach Children to Save Day apply. volunteers in their community
April 25, 2008 today.
Take your Son or Daughter to Work
www.tigerwoodsfoundation.org/
startsomething/
 CHALLENGE PROJECT IDEAS
PROMISE

Opportunities
to Help Others 5 PROJECTS FROM OUR
ALLIANCE PARTNERS:
Global Youth Service Day
Organize a project for Global Youth Service Day in April. On this day, millions
of young people across the world branch out to projects ranging from park
clean-ups to visiting people in senior centers to painting and restoring community
centers.
www.gysd.net

Kids Care Clubs

Studies show that when
kids are asked to serve,
they are eager to do so.
Kids need to be asked to
serve in their schools,
religious organizations,
after-
after-school programs,
neighborhoods, athletic
teams, youth groups
and families.
Help teach younger kids about the importance of giving back by starting a
“Kids Care Club,” a program of the Points of Light Foundation. The mission of
these clubs is to develop compassion and the spirit of service and philanthropy in
elementary and middle school aged youth. Visit their website to find tips and tools
for how to start a club for kids in your community.
www.kidscare.org
Presidents Volunteer Service Awards
Make sure your school is sponsoring the President’s Volunteer Service Awards
program to reward young people for serving 100 or more hours per year. To help
promote the award consider starting a President’s Volunteer Service Awards
Challenge in your school or community to see who can log the most volunteer
hours.
www.presidentialserviceawards.gov

Red Kettle Collections

Organize volunteers from local schools to ring bells for the Salvation Army’s Red
DAYS TO Kettle Collections in December. Each year the Salvation Army raises millions of
CELEBRATE! dollars to aid needy families, seniors and the homeless.
www.salvationarmyusa.org
September
Sept. 11, 2007
My Good Deed
Sept. 17-23, 2007
National Learn and Serve Challenge
October
Oct. 27, 2007
BRIGHT IDEAS:
Make a Difference Day
January
Jan. 21, 2008
Did you out grow Do groups like your school Celebrate Random
Martin Luther King Jr., Day of Service
trick-or-treating? Try board, city council, and Acts of Kindness Week
February
Feb. 9-15, 2008 something new this year. Get community foundation grant at your school and engage
Random Acts of Kindness Week people from your school and committees have young people your classmates and friends
April community to dress up and serving on them? If they don’t, in some of the special
April 22, 2008
Earth Day Trick or Treat for UNICEF. volunteer to work with them to activities offered by the
April 25-27, 2008 www.unicefusa.org/trickortreat develop opportunities, write up Random Acts of Kindness
Global Youth Service Day
the descriptions and recruit young Foundation
April 27– May 3, 2008
National Volunteer Week people to serve. Check out the http://www.actsofkindness.org

May resources on the Youth on Board

May 5, 2008
website to get started.
Join Hands Day
www.youthonboard.com