Youth Venture

There are many ways to turn something you enjoy doing into a community-benefiting organization. Many Venturers address social issues through fun and interesting activities. For example, a Venture Team might create an after school arts program to address diversity in their school or a Venture Team that likes the outdoors might organize clean-up hikes to promote environmental awareness. Below is a list of questions that can help you brainstorm a few Venture ideas. You can use the chart in the downloadable pdf. Brainstorm Venture Ideas_page 2 to record your ideas.

What are your interests and passions?

Make a list of your favorite hobbies, sports, issues, and school subjects. For example, maybe you like knitting, playing soccer, and are passionate about HIV/AIDS education.

What are your skills? What are you good at doing?

Make a list of your talents and abilities. What skills do you and your team possess? For example, maybe you are good at playing the guitar, talking to new people, or painting.

What problems exist in your school or community?

Make a list of problems affecting your community. For example, maybe there’s a lot of vandalism, the food at your school isn’t nutritious enough, or there is peer pressure to use drugs or smoke.

What groups of people in your community need help or support?

Make a list of different groups of people in your community that you are interested in working with on problems in your community. For example, maybe elderly people, new immigrants, or kids that are bullied at school need more support than they’re currently getting.

Think creatively about how you can use your hobbies, skills, interests, and passions to respond to a need, a problem, or an opportunity to create change. Brainstorm ways that your Venture Team can connect the lists that you have created in order to create a community-benefiting Venture.

© Youth Venture, 2007. All rights reserved.