Article Source: NBC Miami

Written by - Todd Wright - August 14th, 2009

He's interviewed Oprah, D-Wade and now President Obama. No, we're not talking about Rush Limbaugh, Anderson Cooper or Larry King.Damon Weaver already has a resume to match all of those big shot media powers, and he's only 11.

Weaver, who will be starting the 6th grade next week at Canal Point Elementary in Palm Beach, was at the White House on Thursday to grill the president for an hour on issues much deeper than his favorite cartoon growing up and if he was bullied in school.

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Article Source: Worldwatch Institute

Written by - Anna de Costa - August 2009

India's government has set a new international standard for engaging youth on climate policy.

In June, the Ministry of Environment and Forests invited the Indian Youth Climate Network (IYCN) to comment on the government's climate change regulations. Inputs from the youth movement were then raised in India's lower house of parliament, the Lok Sabha, in an unprecedented gesture to the nation's youth. Youth - defined as people under the age of 35 - are a significant political stakeholder in India, representing nearly 70 percent of the population.

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Article Source: CNN

Written by - Manav Tanneeru - August 7th, 2009

(CNN)  -- Esra'a al Shafei, a recent university graduate in Bahrain, is young, Muslim and frustrated. The 23-year-old says the complexity of who she is as a Muslim is being distorted by extremists and the media coverage of them. Channeling her frustration, she started Mideastyouth.com, a Web site she describes as a place for young people in the region to "show a different side of our religion" and discuss topics big and small, taboo and not.

She represents a generation of Muslims who are using technology to express themselves, connect with others, challenge traditional power structures and create an identity in an era when Islamic extremists often grab the headlines.

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Article Source: The Daily Camera

Written by - Venessa Miller - July 12th, 2009

Boulder County stacked with activities to keep young minds sharp

BOULDER, Colo. — As the novelty of summer free time begins to fade and the doldrums of July start to set in, some Boulder County parents and students are looking for ways to avoid the summer "brain drain." Lucky for them, the area is packed with options for keeping young minds sharp and their bodies active during a three-month break that experts say -- if used the wrong way -- can set students back in their education.

According to the Johns Hopkins University Center for Summer Learning and other research groups, students on average lose 2.6 months of grade level equivalency in math during the summer. All students have some learning loss when they don't engage in summertime education, research shows, and only about 10 percent of students nationwide participate in a type of summer school.

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