[vimeo 44346370 w=500 h=281]
June 21 2012
Watch JBJ Speak about the Project REACH Mobile App Challenge at Health Datapalooza
Category Archives: Washington, D.C.
April 13 2012
Jon Bon Jovi Joins Launch of “SparkOpportunity Challenge”
At a time when more than 6.7 million young people are not in school and are unemployed, this cutting-edge Challenge spotlights the power of young people to shape the solutions, and harnesses social media to support social innovation.
“As a White House Council Member, last summer I met with various organizations across the country and the youth that they serve,” said Jon Bon Jovi. “What I saw on these visits were bright, determined, focused young people who were seeking out opportunities to overcome obstacles. These young individuals have learned which services work and which don’t. They have learned that working with like-minded organizations in their communities can create jobs and opportunities.”
“The SparkOpportunity Challenge is a platform for all youth to submit solutions and potentially have their ideas for reconnecting their peers come to life,” says Jon Bon Jovi.
The SparkOpportunity Challenge (SPARKOPPORTUNITY.ORG) calls on young people to submit videos or text detailing their solutions and use social media to campaign for the ideas that they think can really work. The top-voted winners will receive an iPad, start-up grants of $1,500, and mentoring from recognized business and policy leaders to see their ideas brought to life locally.
The Challenge was developed by SparkAction, an initiative of the nonprofit Forum for Youth Investment, and The Youth Leadership Institute, along with a coalition of leading youth organizations across the country.
Organizers are launching this online effort in response to the White House Council for Community Solutions’ call for the nation to do more to reconnect young people with the education, training and comprehensive social supports critical for long-term employment and lifelong economic independence.
The Challenge is designed to spotlight youth-driven solutions and identify new ideas from young people from all walks of life. All solutions are fair game, from entrepreneurial start-ups to ideas for social change.
“Lifting the voices of youth to forge innovative solutions is not only the right thing to do, but the smart thing as well. We are delighted to be part of an effort that does just that,” says C.J. Callen, CEO of the Youth Leadership Institute. The Institute has formed a National Youth Ambassadors initiative to build opportunities for stakeholders in communities to hear the unique and vital perspectives of young people seeking pathways to educational and employment opportunities.
“The Youth Ambassadors bring strong ideas to the table and are the most effective role models and mentors for struggling youth because of what they’ve overcome and what they’ve achieved,” says Caitlin Johnson, co-founder of SparkAction.org, which hosted the highly successful “Ask the Secretary” contest for U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan during the National Youth Summit.
“The SparkOpportunity Challenge will amplify the work of the National Youth Ambassadors initiative, providing all young people across the country a chance to share their solutions to some of the greatest challenges they face—unemployment and the lack of opportunities—and make a real difference,” says Johnson.
To join the SparkOpportunity Challenge, young people and their adult allies can visit SPARKOPPORTUNITY.ORG, submit ideas to create jobs and opportunities, and vote for the ones they think can work.
About the Partnership: the SparkOpportunity Challenge is led by three organizations:
The Forum for Youth Investment is a nonprofit, nonpartisan “action tank” dedicated to helping communities and the nation make sure all young people are Ready by 21®: ready for college, work and life. It was founded by Karen Pittman, a nationally recognized pioneer of the field of youth development in the United States.
SparkAction, which developed the Challenge idea and platform, is a collaborative journalism and advocacy website to mobilize action by and for children and youth. Its stories and action tools help concerned young people and adults get informed and get involved across the full range of issues affecting children, youth and families.
The Youth Leadership Institute has been an innovative leader in field of youth development for over 20 years, working to build communities that invest in youth and support young people in their work for effective community change. YLI serves youth and communities through advocacy, training and consulting services, and through community-based programs.
March 8 2012
SummerQAmp Movement to Create Internships at Leading Tech Companies
We recognize that youth are the future and that by reconnecting youth to jobs, skill training and /or education pathways they will have a brighter future. With this as background we are excited about the opportunities this Summer QAmp program, a commitment to the White House Summer Jobs+ initiative, presents to youth across the country. Jon was instrumental in having this program come to fruition and believes that “the kind of on-the-job training that SummerQAmp aims to provide can create pathways to career opportunities in technology and a brighter future”.
For more information on the Summer QAmp program, please see the official press release below and visit their website.
Official Press Release:
**SummerQAmp Movement to Create Internships at Leading Tech Companies **
The White House, Jon Bon Jovi, CK-12 Foundation, GroupMe, Gilt Groupe, Onswipe and Other Tech Companies Join Forces to Promote Quality Assurance as a Career Opportunity
NEW YORK – March 7, 2012 – Today marks the launch of SummerQAmp, a nationwide initiative to train a new workforce in high-tech skills and help create tech jobs for American youth. It was developed as a commitment to the White House’s Summer Jobs+ initiative, a call to action for businesses, non-profits and government to work together to provide pathways to employment for low-income and disconnected youth this summer. SummerQAmp is being led by former CTO of the White House Aneesh Chopra, musician Jon Bon Jovi, GroupMe co-founder Steve Martocci, Gilt Groupe’s Vice President of Quality Engineering Kevin Haggard and Onswipe CEO Jason Baptiste.
SummerQAmp’s mission is to help keep the U.S. at the forefront of innovation by creating tech jobs in America. Specifically, it will promote awareness for Quality Assurance (QA) as a career opportunity by inviting leading U.S. software companies to offer QA internships this summer to those without formal technical training. SummerQAmp’s goal is to help create at least 1,000 QA internships this summer alone.
“For many people, QA isn’t necessarily a job you go to school for. It’s something you learn on the job,” said Steve Martocci. “I started working closely with the QA team at Gilt and went on to found GroupMe, where our QA team is a critical part of our success. Now I want to inspire others to explore QA as a career, so I’m inviting entrepreneurs and other technology companies to sign our pledge and commit to offering QA internships this summer.”
“Quality Assurance is an important role to ensure your favorite mobile apps and software programs work properly. While there is demand to find Quality Engineers in the U.S., it is difficult to find individuals with experience since it is not taught in school or recognized as a career opportunity,” said Kevin Haggard, Vice President of Quality Engineering at Gilt Groupe. “I am very excited about SummerQAmp because it gives us an opportunity to introduce QA to those students who will be entering the workforce over the next few years. This initiative will help us fill these QA position in the U.S. instead of sending them abroad.”
“SummerJobs+ and SummerQAmp educate and train young people who might not ordinarily consider a career in technology,” said Jon Bon Jovi, who is known for his efforts to help empower at-risk youth. “On behalf of the White House Council for Community Solutions, I support SummerJobs+ and their mission to empower youth who are presently disconnected from education, jobs, and career opportunities. The kind of on-the-job training that SummerQAmp aims to provide can create pathways to career opportunities in technology and a brighter future.”
In addition to creating internships, SummerQAmp is partnering with the CK-12 Foundation to develop and launch an online educational resource later this year where youth can learn more about the role of QA in the development of the hundreds of thousands of smartphone apps available today. This site will include a career guide and listings of the QA internship roles available at tech companies across the country. There will also be an online course that introduces SummerQAmp participants to software development, in addition to an educational genome that can help direct students down the right path to learn more about different software careers (e.g., IT, engineering, QA, etc).
“Learning to code is intimidating and foreign to many and may not be the best first step with regards to software development careers for some people, especially the youth being targeted with Summer Jobs+,” said Neeru Khosla, founder of the CK-12 Foundation. “On the other hand, a Web-based educational component to reach the hundreds of thousands of people who are interested in QA and software development is a very powerful initial step towards learning programming. What can bring more clarity to learning than being able to critique it?”
The leaders of the SummerQAmp movement have already reached out to their network in the tech world to invite them to participate by opening up QA internships this summer. To date, some of the notable tech companies that have taken the pledge to participate include Boxee, the CK-12 Foundation, eBay, GroupMe, Gilt Groupe and Onswipe. In addition, a number of other tech companies, investors and non-profits, such as JIBE, Knewton, SV Angel and Fiver Children’s Foundation, are helping to develop and guide the growth of the SummerQAmp movement.
To be counted among the companies that are committing to create tech jobs in America this summer, visit http://www.summerqamp.org. There, you’ll be able to learn more about the SummerQAmp movement and to take the pledge committing to create a QA internship within your organization.
December 14 2010
PRESIDENT OBAMA ANNOUNCES INTENTION TO APPOINT JON BON JOVI TO WHITE HOUSE COUNCIL ON COMMUNITY SOLUTIONS
On today’s announcement, Mimi Box, JBJSF Executive Director, said, “Jon has shown tremendous passion for his philanthropic work and great compassion in working with the homeless and those living in poverty. I’m confident he will make significant contributions to the important work of this White House Council.”
The White House’s announcement follows:
THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 14, 2010
President Obama Announces Members of the White House Council for Community Solutions
WASHINGTON – Today, President Barack Obama signed an Executive Order establishing the White House Council for Community Solutions. The Council will provide advice to the President on the best ways to mobilize citizens, nonprofits, businesses and government to work more effectively together to solve specific community needs.
The President also announced his intent to appoint the following individuals to the White House Council for Community Solutions:
•Patty Stonesifer, Chair, White House Council for Community Solutions
•Auguste, Member, White House Council for Community Solutions
•Diana Aviv, Member, White House Council for Community Solutions
•Paula Boggs, Member, White House Council for Community Solutions
•Jon Bon Jovi, Member, White House Council for Community Solutions
•John Bridgeland, Member, White House Council for Community Solutions
•Jim Canales, Member, White House Council for Community Solutions
•Scott Cowen, Member, White House Council for Community Solutions
•John Donahoe, Member, White House Council for Community Solutions
•Michael Fleming, Member, White House Council for Community Solutions
•David Friedman, Member, White House Council for Community Solutions
•Jim Gibbons, Member, White House Council for Community Solutions
•Michele Jolin, Member, White House Council for Community Solutions
•Michael Kempner, Member, White House Council for Community Solutions
•Steven Lerner, Member, White House Council for Community Solutions
•Maurice Lim Miller, Member, White House Council for Community Solutions
•Laurene Powell Jobs, Member, White House Council for Community Solutions
•Norman Rice, Member, White House Council for Community Solutions
•Kristin Richmond, Member, White House Council for Community Solutions
•Judith Rodin, Member, White House Council for Community Solutions
•Nancy H. Rubin, Member, White House Council for Community Solutions
•Paul Schmitz, Member, White House Council for Community Solutions
•Jill Schumann, Member, White House Council for Community Solutions
•Bobbi Silten, Member, White House Council for Community Solutions
•Bill Strickland, Member, White House Council for Community Solutions
President Obama said, “These impressive men and women have dedicated their lives and careers to civic engagement and social innovation. I commend them for their outstanding contributions to their communities, and I am confident that they will serve the American people well in their new roles on the White House Council for Community Solutions. I look forward to working with them in the months and years ahead.”
In addition to providing advice to the President on solving specific community needs, the White House Council for Community Solutions has been tasked with three key functions: enlisting leaders in the non-profit, private, and philanthropic sectors to make progress on key policy goals; providing strategic input and recommendations to help the federal government promote greater innovation and cross-sector collaboration; and honoring and highlighting those making a significant impact in their own communities. The Council will be composed of leaders from non-profits, corporations and foundations who are committed to social innovation and civic engagement.
October 6 2009
Jon Bon Jovi Speaks at World Habitat Day
Secretary Shaun Donovan of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and Dr. Anna Tibaijuka, executive director of the United Nations Human Settlement Programme, UN-HABITAT, co-hosted the program which was intended to help promote affordable housing and sustainable urban development. The program included a video message from President Obama among the speakers.
According to the United Nations, more than 100 million people in the world today are homeless. Millions more face a severe housing problem living without adequate sanitation, with irregular or no electricity supply and without adequate security.
Worldwide, more than 2 million housing units per year are needed for the next 50 years to solve the present worldwide housing crisis. With our global population expanding, however, at the end of those 50 years, there would still be a need for another 1 billion houses.
Raising awareness and advocating for change are the first steps toward transforming systems that perpetuate the global plague of poverty housing. World Habitat Day serves as an important reminder that everyone must unite to ensure that everyone has a safe, decent place to call home.
Jon Bon Jovi’s comments about the work of the JBJ Soul Foundation and our work in the communities across the country was punctuated by a call to action. He encouraged all to become part of “The Power of WE” and to get involved, at any level, in revitalizing their communities.
CLICK HERE to read a copy of Jon Bon Jovi’s speech from this event
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