MYCP - Monroe Youth Challenge Program

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MYCP Takes 29 Youth to FSU to Meet Nobel Laureate Betty Williams

TALLAHASSEE (539 words) – Monroe Youth Challenge Program lead 29 young people to the PeaceJam Conference at Florida State University March 20 -22. After presenting their service learning projects to 300 fellow students from Florida, Georgia, and North Carolina, they met with the 1976 Nobel Peace Prize winner Betty Williams who not only served as the keynote speaker but worked one-on-one with the students throughout the conference.

“Mrs. Williams got on a level with the students that changed their lives,” said MYCP Director Sunny Booker who adds, “She said, ‘if you remember nothing else from this weekend, remember arms are for hugs, not war.’”

Photo credit: MYCP
MYCP youth leaders pose with 1976 Nobel Peace Laureate Betty Williams at the PeaceJam Conference in Tallahassee held March 20-22.

A native of Northern Ireland, Williams discussed the nonviolent approach to the threat of terrorism and the resurgent violence in Northern Ireland during recent weeks. Saturday and Sunday, Williams met with students to talk about social issues from around the world and participated in their march. The PeaceJam conference was sponsored by the FSU Center for Leadership and Civic Education and Florida Learn and Serve.

PeaceJam founders and participating Nobel Peace Laureates created a Global Call to Action for youth to solve issues around eliminating extreme poverty, ending racism and hate, restoring the Earth’s environment, halting the spread of global disease, and promoting social justice and human rights for all. Through Global Call to Action projects, PeaceJam strives to inspire one billion acts of peace in the next 10 years.

Students from Coral Shores High School, Island Christian School, Marathon High School, Key West High School, and Champion Prep Academy attended the conference as youth leaders with MYCP who have studied the PeaceJam curriculum and initiated acts of peace over the last few months.

Fallon Martin, a senior at Coral Shores said, “I wish I could go back to the conference. It’s one of the best things I’ve ever been to.”

Williams was impressed with how the young people with MYCP showed support to special needs students or students nervous on stage by showing the international hand sign for love. “She wanted to know about our red Be The Change shirts and asked that we mail one to her for her children’s museum,” Booker added.

Students from the Upper Keys presented their World Thinking Day project which resulted in 972 acts of peace completed in one day. The Marathon and Key West student presentation was about environmental issues and a recycling project.

In all, there are three groups of students county-wide who meet on a regular basis after school, during lunch, or on the weekend to study and take action on the top 10 issues of peace for the world as identified by the Nobel laureates. To get a student involved, contact MYCP Director Sunny Booker at (305) 293-1400 ext. 53319 or Sunny.Booker@keysschools.com.

“We engage youth in service learning every year but to see them study and teach each other about these global issues and feel empowered to take a global call to action to inspire peace takes it to a whole new level for both the kids and for me – very meaningful,” said Booker.

Monroe Youth Challenge Program is a project of the Monroe County Education Foundation to foster acceptance, respect, and success in the youth of Monroe County. For more information visit www.monroe.k12.fl.us/mycp.