Resources
Here are several resources that can help you get unstuck, invent your own path, find meaningful work, and build a life that matters. To recommend a resource, please contact Smiley. If you would like to receive more career resources, please subscribe to Smiley's newsletter on Substack!
The Quarter-Life Breakthrough
Workbook, Goal Map, and Posters
QUARTER-LIFE BREAKTHROUGH WORKBOOK
WEEKLY SELF-LOVE RITUALS POSTER
BREAKTHROUGH GOAL MAP
ALIGNMENT VENN DIAGRAM
Download Workbook, Goal Map & Posters
10 Steps To Turn Your Quarter-Life Crisis Into A Breakthrough
Career Resources Guide
BOOKS FOR TWENTYSOMETHINGS
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20-Something Manifesto: Quarter-Lifers Speak Out About Who They Are, What They Want, and How to Get It
By Christine Hassler. New World Library, 2010.
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50 Ways to Excel in Your First Job
By Antonio Neves. 2016.
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Life After College: The Complete Guide to Getting What You Want
By Jenny Blake. Running Press, 2011.
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The Defining Decade: Why Your Twenties Matter—And How to Make the Most of Them Now
By Meg Jay. Twelve, 2012.
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Twentysomething: Why Do Young Adults Seem Stuck?
By Samantha Henig and Robin Marantz Henig. Plume, 2012.
BOOKS FOR TWENTYSOMETHINGS
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50 Ways to Get a Job
By Dev Aujla. TarcherPerigee, 2018.
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The Alchemist
By Paulo Coelho. HarperOne.
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Becoming the Boss: New Rules for the Next Generation of Leaders
By Lindsay Pollak. HarperBusiness, 2014.
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Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life
By Anne Lamott. Anchor, 1995.
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Daring Greatly: How the Courage to Be Vulnerable Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent, and Lead
By Brené Brown. Avery, 2012.
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Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World
By Cal Newport. Grand Central, 2016.
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Designing Your Life: How to Build a Well-Lived and Joyful Life
By Bill Burnett & Dave Evans. Knopf, 2016.
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Do Over: Rescue Monday, Reinvent Your Work, and Never Get Stuck
By Jon Acuff. Portfolio, 2015.
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Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us
By Daniel H. Pink. Riverhead Books, 2009.
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How to Change the World: Social Entrepreneurship and the Power of New Ideas
By David Bornstein. Oxford University Press, 2004.
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How to Find Fulfilling Work
By Roman Krznaric. Picador, 2013.
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How to Raise An Adult: Break Free of the Overparenting Trap and Prepare Your Kid For Success
By Julie Lythcott-Haims. Henry Holt, 2015.
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Man’s Search for Meaning
By Viktor Frankl. Beacon Press, 2006.
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Making Good: Finding Meaning, Money, and Community in a Changing World
By Billy Parish and Dev Auija. Rodale Books, 2012.
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Pivot: The Only Move That Matters Is Your Next One
By Jenny Blake. Portfolio, 2016.
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Promote Yourself: The New Rules for Career Success
By Dan Schawbel. St. Martin's Press, 2013.
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Roadmap: The Get-It-Together Guide for Figuring Out What to Do with Your Life
By Roadtrip Nation. Chronicle Books, 2015.
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So Good They Can’t Ignore You: Why Skills Trump Passion in the Quest for Work You Love
By Cal Newport. Grand Central Publishing, 2012.
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Born For This: How to Find the Work You Were Meant to Do
By Chris Guillebeau. Portfolio, 2016.
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The Art of Work: A Proven Path to Discovering What You Were Meant to Do
By Jeff Goins. Thomas Nelson Publishing, 2015.
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The Artist’s Way: A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity
By Julia Cameron. Tarcher, 2002.
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The Crossroads of Should and Must: Find and Follow Your Passion
By Elle Luna. Workman Publishing, 2015.
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The Freelancer’s Bible: Everything You Need to Know to Have the Career of Your Dreams – On Your Terms
By Sara Horowitz and Toni Sciarra Poynter. Workman Publishing Company, 2012.
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The Purpose Economy
By Aaron Hurst. Elevate, 2016.
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The War of Art: Break Through the Blocks and Win Your Inner Creative Battles
By Stephen Pressfield. Black Irish Entertainment, 2011.
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Tiny Beautiful Things: Advice on Love and Life From Dear Sugar
By Cheryl Strayed. Vintage, 2012.
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What Color Is Your Parachute? 2016: A Practical Manual for Job-Hunters and Career-Changers
By Richard N. Bolles. Ten Speed Press, 2016.
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Work on Purpose
By Lara Galinsky and Kelly Nuxoll. Echoing Green, 2011.
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Choose Wonder Over Worry
By Amber Rae. Wednesday Books, 2018.
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Walking On Water: Reading, Writing And Revolution
By Derrick Jensen. Chelsea Green Publishing, 2005.
CAREERS & INTERNSHIPS
50 Ways To Get A Job
A website by the authors of Making Good, that offers actionable steps jobseekers can take at every step in the process, from finding your purpose to interviewing for a job.
80,000 Hours
UK-based organization that conducts research on the careers with positive social impact and provides career advice, including guides and coaching.
B Lab
A non-profit organization dedicated to using the power of business to solve social and environmental problems. Awards B (beneficial) Corporation certification to for-profit organizations that meet certain standards of transparency, accountability, sustainability, and performance, with an aim to create value for society, not just shareholders. Provides a job board with open positions at B Corps.
Bridgespan
Provides a free nonprofit job board and tools to help non-profit organizations build strong leadership teams and individuals develop careers as non-profit leaders.
Commongood Careers
A mission-driven search firm, committed to supporting the recruitment and hiring needs of innovative non-profits.
Echoing Green
Global non-profit that provides seed funding and technical assistance to emerging social entrepreneurs with ideas for social change. Also posts a monthly list of job opportunities at impact-driven organizations around the world.
Elance
A place to find, hire, manage, and collaborate with online freelancers, offering access to over 2 million skilled freelancers from around the world.
Escape The City
A community of motivated corporate professionals who want to ‘do something different’. Provides a job board with exciting, entrepreneurial, and impact-driven opportunities.
GameChangers 500
Lists the world’s top purpose-driven organizations and profiles organizations that are reinventing the world and redefining the rules of business around fun, fulfillment and fairness to all life.
Green Dream Jobs
Your home for green jobs, renewable and clean energy jobs, green building jobs, and environmental jobs.
Idealist
Connects people, organizations, and resources to help build a world where all people can live free and dignified lives.
Imperative
A personalized resource to managing a fulfilling career. Provided tools facilitated by technology to help you discover and live your purpose at work and in your community.
Indeed
Single-search job search engine.
Job Hero
An extensive source of career-related resources, resume samples, cover letters, non-profit career resources, and internship guides.
Levo
A network for millennials in the workplace. Provides young professionals with resources to help navigate and advance their careers.
MediaBistro
Jobs and recruiting, as well as classes, community, and news, for social media and traditional media professionals.
Monday
Recommends companies you might want to work for based on the things you care about.
Follow your favorites to receive notifications when they post new jobs.
NetImpact
A community of more than 50,000 student and professional leaders creating positive social and environmental change in the workplace and the world.
Novoresume
Online resume builder and helpful career resources blog.
Opportunity Knocks
A national online job board, HR resource, and career development destination focused exclusively on the nonprofit community.
Opportune Jobs
A bridge between professionals and organizations in the global nonprofit and social enterprise space.
ReWork
Connects exceptional professionals with companies that are making the world a better place.
The Give
A curated monthly list of social impact jobs and opportunities.
The Muse
Offers career advice on discovering your passion and finding jobs at inspiring companies.
CROWDFUNDING & DIY TOOLS
Awesome Foundation
A worldwide network of people devoted to forwarding the interest of awesomeness in the universe. Distributes a series of monthly $1,000 grants to projects and their creators.
Indiegogo
An international crowdfunding site where anyone can raise money for film, music, art, charity, small businesses, gaming, theater, and more.
Kickstarter
The world’s largest funding platform for creative projects. Helps bring creative projects to life.
Patreon
A crowdfunding platform that allows artists and creatives to obtain funding from their fans or patrons, on a recurring basis.
StartSomeGood
A crowdfunding platform for non-profits, social entrepreneurs and changemakers to raise funds and grow a community of supporters.
Trevolta
Enables travelers to submit their extraordinary ideas for expeditions in order to raise funds for it.
FELLOWSHIP PROGRAMS & FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES
Ashoka
A global organization that identifies and invests in leading social entrepreneurs – individuals with innovative and practical ideas for solving urgent social problems.
Atlas Service Corps
A 12-18 month professional fellowship offered three times a year for non-profit leaders from around the world. Fellows serve full-time at non-profit host organizations either in the United States or Latin America working on issues that complement their expertise.
Coro
Trains ethical, diverse civic leaders nationwide.
Dell Social Innovation Challenge
Identifies and supports promising young social innovators who dedicate themselves to solving the world’s most pressing problems with their transformative ideas. Provides university students with world-class teaching and training, as well as with start-up capital and access to a network of mentors and advisors.
Do Something
Encourages young people to create their own vision for making a difference in their community and provides them with the resources and support needed.
Echoing Green
Global non-profit that provides seed funding and technical assistance to emerging social entrepreneurs with ideas for social change.
Encore
Taps the skills and experience of those in midlife to improve communities and the world.
Fulbright Program
Sponsored by the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, the Fulbright Program provides funding for students, scholars, teachers, and professionals to undertake graduate study, advanced research, university teaching, and teaching in elementary and secondary schools.
Global Citizen Year
Forges a new educational pathway for America’s emerging leaders by immersing a diverse corps of Fellows in developing countries during a “bridge year” after high school, preparing them for success in college, careers, and the global economy.
Kairos Society
Selects the most innovative engineering, science, design, business, and entrepreneurship students from top universities in each region of the world to create pioneering solutions that will push the world forward.
Mobilize
Empowers and invests in millennials to create and implement solutions to social problems.
New Sector Alliance
Operates fellowship programs that engage early career professionals committed to careers in the social sector.
Opportunity Collaboration
www.opportunitycollaboration.net
A global network of leaders dedicated to building sustainable solutions to poverty.
Points of Light Civic Accelerator
www.pointsoflight.org/civic-incubator
Invests in and supports seed stage social ventures that solve pressing social and environmental issues by engaging people.
Presidential Management Fellows Program
A prestigious paid government fellowship for recent graduate students who seek a two-year fellowship in a U.S. government agency.
ProInspire
ProInspire develops leaders at all levels for organizations addressing the world’s greatest challenges. The ProInspire Fellowship recruits outstanding professionals with 2-5 years of business experience to spend one year working full-time at a social sector organization.
Thomas J. Watson Fellowship
A grant that enables graduating college seniors to pursue a year of independent study outside the United States.
Thiel Fellowship
Brings together some of the world’s most creative and motivated young people, and helps them bring their most ambitious ideas and projects to life. Fellows are given a no-strings attached grant of $100,000 to skip college and focus on their work, their research, and their self-education.
Unreasonable Institute
A non-profit organization that aims to incubate and finance social ventures through world-class mentorship, and thus far has helped 82 ventures from 37 countries collectively raise over $37 million in funding and impact over 2 million lives.
FINANCIAL PLANNING
Chime
Offers automatic savings features and other features to help drive individuals toward smarter financial decisions and financial literacy.
Earnest
Offers low-interest loans based on your unique financial profile, including student loan refinancing and personal loans.
LearnVest
Empowers people everywhere to take control of their personal finances so that they can afford their dreams.
Mint.com
Website that pulls all your financial accounts into one place so you can set a budget, track your goals and do more with your money, for free.
ReadyForZero
Provides online, personal financial management tools for paying off debt.
The Simple Dollar
www.thesimpledollar/category/education
A personal finance website, with a section on education and managing student loan debt.
SoFi
Provides low rates for student loan refinancing and other loans.
SKILLS & EDUCATION
Code Academy
Learn to code.
Coursera
Take free online classes from 80+ top universities and organizations.
Creative Live
Curated classes by the world's top experts.
Experience Institute
A 12-month higher education program that partners with companies, creative workshops, and conferences to place students within real world learning experiences.
General Assembly
Learn from top practitioners of programming, business, and design. Courses are available in eight cities across the globe, as well as online.
iTunesU
Puts complete courses and the world’s largest online catalog of free education content on your iPad, iPhone, or iPod touch.
Khan Academy
A non-profit educational website that provides free content in math, art, computer programming, economics, physics, chemistry, biology, medicine, finance, history, and more.
Mycelium
A learning community that provides an alternative for aspiring entrepreneurs and social-change agents of all ages, who believe they can learn better with less structure, more support and in collaboration with others.
Open Masters
The Open Master's is a global community for self-directed learners, like a homeschool network for people who want to design their own education.
School For Change
Online learning for changemakers. Offers courses on a variety of subjects related to changing the world.
Skillshare
Learn real-world skills from incredible teachers, online and in-person.
Singularity University
Part university, part think tank, part business incubator located in Silicon Valley whose mission is to educate, inspire, and empower leaders to apply exponential technologies to address humanity’s grand challenges.
TechShop
A chain of member-based workshops that lets people of all skill levels come in and use industrial tools and equipment to build their own projects.
The Escape School
Offers classes, courses, and events to provide the career, life, and startup education you never got at school.
Udemy
An online education marketplace with over 7 million students enrolled in more than 30,000 courses.
Uncollege
Helps people take control of their education. Offers a Gap Year program, a 12-month skills-building regimen designed to equip young adults to succeed in the 21st century.
SUPPORTIVE COMMUNITIES, EVENTS, PROFESSIONAL NETWORKS & LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT
99U Conference
Shifts the focus from idea generation to idea execution. Brings together some of the world's most productive creative visionaries and leading researchers.
Be Social Change
A team of passionate community-builders on a mission to educate and connect the next generation of social entrepreneurs and changemakers creating bold, innovative social impact.
Camp Grounded
Tech-free summer camp for adults where grownups go to unplug, get away and be kids again.
Center for Social Impact Strategy
Offers intensive programs designed to support and provide emerging leaders, social entrepreneurs with the training they need to make a bigger impact on today's most challenging social issues.
Conveners.org
Develops programs and tools to unlock the collective potential of the impact ecosystem to change the world. Maintains a global calendar of conferences and events in the impact ecosystem.
Digital Detox
An organization dedicated to creating balance in the digital age. Produces device-free events, as well as workshops, retreats, Camp Grounded (summer camp for adults), and corporate trainings to bridge the gap between disconnecting and connecting.
Esalen Institute
Workshops and continuing education courses in Big Sur, CA that help people reach their full potential.
Generation Progress
Formerly Campus Progress, Generation Progress educates, engages, & mobilizes a new generation of young progressives.
Generation Waking Up
Igniting a generation of young people to bring forth a thriving, just and sustainable world.
Global Shapers Community
A network of hubs developed and led by young people who are exceptional in their potential, their achievement, and their drive to make a contribution to their communities.
GOOD
A global community of people and organizations working towards individual and collective progress.
Hive
Educates and connects extraordinary purpose-driven leaders age 21-39 to create an abundant and sustainable world for all.
Impact Hub
Offers you a unique ecosystem of resources, inspiration, and collaboration opportunities to grow the positive impact of your work.
Institute for Compassionate Leadership
instituteforcompassionateleadership.org
Takes leaders on a journey where you discover your purpose for creating meaningful change in today’s world. Six-month training program offers executive coaching, mentorship and tools to become a compassionate, self-aware leader.
Makespace Community Coworking
Builds pop-up creative spaces offering a change in your daily routine and a space for you to pursue your dreams in the company of other dreamers.
Meetup
Helps groups of people with shared interests plan meetings and form offline clubs in local communities around the world.
Millennial Trains Project
Nonprofit that leads crowd-funded transcontinental train journeys for diverse groups of young innovators to explore America’s new frontiers, grow as leaders, and launch projects that benefit and inspire their communities.
Nexus Youth Summit
A global movement of young people working to increase and improve philanthropy and impact investing by bridging communities of wealth and social entrepreneurship.
New Leaders Council
Works to recruit, train and promote the next generation of progressive leaders. NLC recruits Fellows from outside traditional power structures and equips them with the skills necessary to be civic leaders in their communities and workplaces.
New Organizing Institute
A community of organizers, committed to solving the biggest challenges that stand in the way of change. Trains organizers to build and manage effective moments by integrating tried-and-true community organizing, cutting-edge digital strategy, and data-driven decision making.
One Young World
The preeminent global forum for young leaders aged 18-30; gathers the brightest young leaders from around the world, empowering them to make lasting connections and develop solutions to some of the world's most pressing issues.
Real Food Real Stories
Community gathering of authentic storytelling by different agents in the local, sustainable food system.
Roosevelt Institute Campus Network
www.rooseveltcampusnetwork.org
As the first student-run policy organization in the United States, empowers young people as leaders and promotes their ideas for change.
Skoll World Forum
Accelerating entrepreneurial approaches and innovative solutions to the world’s most pressing problems.
Social Capital Markets: SOCAP
Organizes events dedicated to accelerating a new global market at the intersection of money & meaning.
Social Good Summit
A two-day conference examining the impact of technology and new media on social good initiatives around the world.
Social Innovation Summit
Twice annual event taking place at the United Nationals and Silicon Valley, that represents a global convening of black swans and wayward thinkers.
StartingBloc
Brings together entrepreneurs, activists, educators, and innovators struggling to create change. Hosts transformative 5-day Institute for Social Innovation where Fellows learn from proven changemakers, are pushed to take bigger risks, and find new life-long allies.
Tea + Purpose
Brings together groups of women for authentic, action-oriented conversations over tea.
Tea With Strangers
A community of people that bring strangers together for great conversations.
The Bold Academy
A life accelerator program designed to give you the clarity, courage, and community to lead the life you’ve always wanted to live.
The Feast
Conference and events focused on creative solutions to today’s greatest challenges.
The OpEd Project
A social venture to increase the range of voices and quality of ideas we hear in the world. Increases the number of women thought leaders contributing to key commentary forums.
The Passion Co.
Inspires, enables, and supports a world where people are honoring their dreams by hosting classes and events centered around engaging in their passion.
Thousand Network
A community of young people, spanning five continents, bound by their curiosity and creativity.
Wisdom 2.0
A global community of people dedicated to living with deeper wisdom, compassion, and awareness in the digital age. Hosts conferences, meet-ups, and workshops throughout the year.
Women 2.0
A media company at the intersection of women, entrepreneurship, and technology. Creates content, community and events for aspiring and current women innovators in technology.
Women Catalysts
A community dedicated to inspiring more women to take action.
World Domination Summit
Annual gathering of remarkable people in Portland, Oregon.
VOLUNTEER SERVICE & CIVIC ENGAGEMENT
AmeriCorps
www.nationalservice.gov/programs/americorps
Engages more than 80,000 Americans in intensive service each year at non-profits, schools, public agencies, and community and faith-based groups across the country.
AVODAH: The Jewish Service Corps
Engages Jewish young people to become lifelong leaders for social change through a year of full-time work at an anti-poverty organization.
Black Girls Code
Nonprofit organization that focuses on providing technology education to African-American girls ages 7–17.
Black Lives Matter
Freedom and justice for all black lives.
The Bronx Defenders
Provides innovative, holistic, and client-centered criminal defense, family defense, civil legal services, social work support and advocacy to indigent people of the Bronx.
BUILD
Uses entrepreneurship to excite and propel disengaged, low-income students through high school to college success.
City Year
An education focused non-profit organization that unites young people of all backgrounds for a year of full-time service to keep students in school and on track to graduation.
CODE2040
A non-profit that creates access, awareness, and opportunities for top Black and Latino/a engineering talent to ensure their leadership in the innovation economy.
Code for America
A non-profit that connects citizens and governments to design better services, and supports a competitive civic tech marketplace.
Design Corps
Creates positive change in traditionally underserved communities by using design, advocacy, and education to help them shape their environment and address their social, economic, and environmental challenges.
Equal Justice Initiative
A nonprofit organization providing legal representation to indigent defendants and prisoners denied fair and just treatment in the legal system.
IDEO.org
Designs products, services, and experiences to improve the lives of people in poor and vulnerable communities.
Peace Corps
Volunteer program run by the United States government. Volunteers collaborate with local communities in 65 host countries in areas like education, youth development, information technology, and the environment.
The Future Project
Non-profit that inspires young Americans to live lives of passion and purpose -- and learn how to change the world.
Moneythink
The only movement of young people working to restore the economic health of America through financial education.
NextGen Climate
Acts politically to prevent climate disaster and promote prosperity for every American.
Qeyno Labs
Transforms children’s lives and gives them the power to transform their worlds through social innovation, education, and technology. Creates mindfully inclusive hackathons for high-potential youth in low opportunity settings by mentoring their STEM college and career interests.
Serve.gov
A nationwide service initiative that enables individuals to find volunteer service opportunities in their community, as well as create their own “do-it-yourself” projects.
Volunteer Match
Strengthens communities by making it easier for good people and good causes to connect. Offers online services to support a community of non-profit, volunteer and business leaders committed to civic engagement.
Vote.org
Everything you need to vote.
VSO
Offers volunteers the chance to work abroad to fight poverty in developing countries.
Worldwide Opportunities on Organic Farms (WWOOF)
Organization assisting those who would like to work as volunteers on organic farms internationally.
Youth Service America (YSA)
Working with young people and their adult mentors, YSA improves communities by increasing the number and diversity of young people serving in substantive roles.