Youthlinc

Youthlinc is a Utah based 501(c) nonprofit organization with the mission of creating lifetime humanitarians through local & international service. Our core programs (Service Year, Local Service Directory, Young Humanitarian Award, Real Life SLC) are based in principles from educational and service learning research: student leadership, hands-on sustained service, effective mentoring, cooperative and project based learning. Our Service Year provides a structured school year long curriculum including up 80 hours of local service and monthly meetings where young people are mentored to take leadership roles in service activities at our international sites. Each year, >180 Utah students participate in the Service Year, with 50-60 adult professionals serving as mentors. Each year, our students provide >15,000 hours of local service. Our online Utah Local Service Directory is a student friendly resource of service agencies recommended for providing hands-on service in a positive mentoring atmosphere. Anyone who wants to volunteer can search by category, post a review of a service agency, or log service hours. We also organize an annual statewide search for Utah’s Young Humanitarian, awarded a $5000 college scholarship with three $1,000 runner-up Awards. Our goal is not only to recognize outstanding youth achievement in service, but to inspire other young people to serve their communities. Teen refugees in South Salt Lake are mentored by Youthlinc Service Year students through Real Life Salt Lake City. Under the guidance of our Local Service Director and program interns, Youthlinc students plan and implement an after school curriculum of financial literacy, health & hygiene, job & college preparation, and cultural exchange. This unique teen-to-teen mentoring program provides additional leadership & service opportunities to our students, as well as valuable learning and acculturation, and mentoring experiences for the refugee teens who participate.