Teens

Hello! My name is Sabrina Leftoff. This year, I am a senior at North Springs High School.

When Covid19 began to affect our area, school as well as many other time consuming events were cancelled. From this, I was provided with an unaccustomed amount of free time. I decided to reconnect with my love for arts and crafts, considering I normally don’t have the time to do so. I started to obsess over the many things I was able to create, and did not want to stop any time soon.

Although I was content with my crafts, I knew that there were many other people that did not have the same luxury that I was blessed with during quarantine. I began to brainstorm different ways that I could connect my love for art with my concern for those who are suffering. Eventually, I came up with the idea of designing and selling key chains to raise money for an organization that aids people who are suffering during this time. I came into contact with various individuals who provided me with the names of different organizations that fit my interest.

The key chains I designed are a combination of my own drawings, and different slogans that support social justice. I decided to incorporate these slogans so that while people are helping me contribute to those in need, they are also supporting the many movements that deserve of recognition and support.  The drawings that are pictured on the key chains are various drawings I did during quarantine. They represent the time I had to focus on creativity and art, while others were struggling. My understanding of this is what initially sparked my desire to help those in need, which is why I decided to incorporate my own designs.

I hope to sell these key chains to spread awareness of the importance of social justice, share my creations with others, and most importantly, make an impact on an organization that speaks to me and is in need of my contributions.

To purchase a key chain and support my project visit:

https://www.etsy.com/shop/StateOfHeartShop

While JumpSpark was virtually road tripping around the country exploring colleges and universities, the world changed. Important conversations have started about the need for cis-gender, straight, white Americans to educate themselves about the systemic racism and discrimination our country was built on. Jewish Americans are not exempt from this work.

As an organization committed to helping each Jewish teen find an authentic expression of their Judaism, that also has thousands of social media followers, JumpSpark recognizes the privilege of our platform. So, for the month of July, and forever after, JumpSpark is committed to using its social media and programming as a platform to amplify the voices in our community that have been silenced or excluded from communal conversations. We are committing to passing the mic.

Drawing from Encounter’s Communication Agreement, we invite everyone to join us in the radical act of ‘resilient listening’. “Listening does not mean that we endorse a viewpoint or an interpretation of facts, nor validate the facts a person chooses to present or omit. ‘Resilient listening’ allows a person and/or a community to live with tension, to hold multiple perspectives at the same time, and to continue to be open to learning new rather than guarding against and shutting down. Only when we can learn from those with whom we disagree can we be more effective and solution-oriented advocates and change-agents.”

When we are listened to, it creates us, makes us unfold and expand… Listening, not talking is the gifted and great role… So try listening. Listen to your wife, your husband, your father, your mother, your children, your friends, to those who love you and those who don’t, to those who bore you, to your enemies. It will work a small miracle. And perhaps a great one. — Brenda Ueland, from The Art of Listening

During July, you can expect: 

• Curated articles from teen voices published across the country from sources including Jewish Women’s Archive Rising Voices, JGirls Magazine, and Project HereNow 
• Local Atlanta teen voices from our partner VOX ATL, Atlanta’s home for uncensored teen publishing and self-expression 
• Instagram takeovers from Atlanta Jewish teens and young adults on their personal relationships with Judaism 
• Features from SOJOURN’s Sex Ed Queeries video series and special segments for JumpSpark followers from the creators themselves 

On Saturday May 9th, Riverwood students and teachers had the privilege of hearing the inspiring words of Representative Lucy Mcbath (D-GA) on a Zoom call. The call was organized by Riverwood’s Students Demand Action club, started by 11th graders Tess Berman and Sydney Fox. Students Demand Action is a part of Everytown for Gun Safety. Led completely by students, Students Demand Action functions to host events, educate the community, and communicate with legislators to promote gun safety. Tess and Sydney were motivated to start the club following the horrific shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. When the government ceased to take action following the tragedy, the girls realized it was their job to enact change.

Elected in 2018, Congresswoman Mcbath is the Representative from Georgia’s 6th district. As a victim of gun violence, she works with Everytown and Students Demand Action to tackle America’s daunting gun issue. In the Zoom call, the Congresswoman shared the story of her son, Jordan Davis, who was shot and killed while unarmed in 2012. The Representative proceeded to empower the students by encouraging them to believe that they have the power to enact change, just as she has. She stressed the importance of young voices in promoting progress.

It is amazing how quickly the world can change. I want to thank everyone in the JumpSpark community for your patience as we reassessed our SparkGrants for FY20. Through conversation with many community partners and stakeholders, both locally and nationally, we have created a three-phase approach for SparkGrant applications and decisions.

The world is still changing. With all of our grants, both renewals, and new grants, JumpSpark is requiring a completed scenario planning sheet. This sheet is designed to share how the grant would be operationalized in-person, virtually and in a hybrid (mixed virtual/in-person) scenarios.

Please note, all grants must meet Spark Grant requirements and be able to be operationalized in either a hybrid (in-person/virtual) or all-virtual settings. Grants for in-person only programming will not be considered at this time.

As always, the JumpSpark team is here to talk, dream, and build with you. We are all in uncharted waters, but we are all here together. Please reach out to talk at any time.

SparkGrant Key Dates:

• June 1^st          Renewal agreements and scenario planning sheets due
• June 15^th      Revised grant proposals and scenario planning sheets due
• July 15^th       Revised grant decisions announced
• July 15^th-August 1^st    #StayingStrong grant applications open
• September 1^st              #Staying Strong grant decisions announced

Phase One: FY19 Spark Grant Renewals only ($190,000)

• On Friday, May 15^th grant renewal agreements and scenario planning sheets will be sent out to the recipients of FY19 SparkGrants
• Please return both documents to JumpSpark by June 1, 2020
• Renewal payments will go out by June 15^th, 2020 electronically.

Since the start of stay-at-home measures, JumpSpark has continued to provide micro-grants to organizations creating responsive programming or opportunities for teens that speak to the current moment. (Up to $7000). Example: NFTY-SAR’s virtual Spring Kallah https://jumpsparkatl.org/spark-note-the-one-on-zoom/

Phase Two: Pending SparkGrant Applications for R&D Grant, Navigating Parenthood and Teen Thriving ($150,000)       

• If you or your organization applied for an FY20 Spark Grant that is still able to be operationalized, you must submit a scenario planning sheet by June 15th to be considered for a grant.
• Revised grant proposals must meet Spark Grant requirements and be able to be operationalized in either a hybrid (in-person/virtual) or all-virtual settings. Grants for in-person only programming will not be considered at this time.
• Decisions for phase two will be announced on July 15^th, 2020

Phase Three: #StayingStrong Grants ($300,000)

Given the new reality we are in, what does your organization need to make sure your teens, parents, and youth-serving professionals are #Stayingstrong? What learnings have you gathered during this uncertain time that is changing how you want to do things moving forward? In what way do you want to seize this moment to try something new? How could you rethink collaboration in this virtual world to increase impact and expand bandwidth? Grant funding is available up to $25,000 to support staffing, professional development, and program creation and design.

• JumpSpark will open the new #StayingStrong grant applications on July 15^th, 2020, and close August 1st.
• All new grant proposals must complete a Spark Grant application and a Scenario Planning sheet.
• New grant proposals must meet Spark Grant requirements and be able to be operationalized in either a hybrid (in-person/virtual) or all-virtual settings. Grants for in-person only programming will not be considered at this time.
• Decisions for #StayingStrong grants will be announced on September 1, 2020.

All SparkGrants must:

•Serve either Jewish teens, teen-serving professionals, the families of Jewish teens, or all three. •Support, develop, or foster the infrastructure of the Atlanta Jewish teen community. •Seek to create new points of entry for Jewish teens, parents, and professionals to thrive in the Atlanta Jewish community. •Meet an identified need or want in the community and have an established constituency. •Create spaces that are pluralistic and radically welcoming. •Provide high-level Jewish learning and community building opportunities. •Foster collaboration with multiple partners with one clear project owner