Mart ISD Student is Lone Texan Selected for National Youth Preparedness Council

DENTON, Texas—The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announced this week the selectees for the 2016-2018 National Youth Preparedness Council.

Chandler Villa, a rising senior from Mart High School, will be the sole representative from FEMA Region 6, which serves Texas, New Mexico, Arkansas, Oklahoma and Louisiana.

Created in 2012, the council brings together youth leaders from across the country who are interested in preparedness and making a difference in their communities. Council members will also complete preparedness projects.

The 17-year-old first got involved with the Mart High School Teen Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) a year ago after talking to some of her teachers about it.

“I’ve always had a desire to help others,” Villa said. “I was the kid at the playground with band aids in my backpack.”

The team was recognized for their accomplishments last year. The group received honorable mentions in two categories of the 2015 FEMA Individual and Community Preparedness Awards: Outstanding Achievement in Youth Preparedness and Outstanding Community Emergency Response Team.

That year, the team was deployed to the City of Marlin during a two week water crisis. The team assisted in the distribution of water to residents. Other team activities have include ride along training with paramedics, which is what Villa is most interested in.

Villa has plans to continue her education in the medical field. She has an interest in becoming an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT); and perhaps study to be a nurse and physician assistant in college. She credits the CERT team experience with teaching her more about herself.

“Honestly, there are many things that stick out because I have a really great team with a great instructor,” Villa said. “Marlin was really cool to see what it’s really like with the press conferences, see what else is going on aside from what the public sees in the news.”

Villa will take part in the Youth Preparedness Council Summit July 19-20, 2016, in Washington, D.C.

The summit gives members the opportunity to share their ideas and questions with national organizations. The students will have an opportunity to plan their legacy project.  The council will also meet with FEMA community preparedness staff, who will serve as their ongoing support mentors.

The council supports FEMA’s commitment to involve youth in preparedness-related activities. It also provides an avenue to engage youth by taking into account their perspectives, feedback and opinions.

To learn more about the FEMA Youth Preparedness Council, please visit: http://www.ready.gov/youth-preparedness-council.

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FEMA’s mission is to support our citizens and first responders to ensure that as a nation we work together to build, sustain, and improve our capability to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from, and mitigate all hazards.   Follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/femaregion6 and the FEMA Blog at http://blog.fema.gov. 

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Mart ISD Student is Lone Texan Selected for National Youth Preparedness Council

FEMA Encourages Young People to Join Youth Preparedness Council

WASHINGTON – The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) today announced it is seeking applicants for its Youth Preparedness Council. The Council supports FEMA’s commitment to involving youth in preparedness-related activities and provides an opportunity for young people to offer their perspectives, feedback and insights on how to help make America more resilient. 

“Young people play a key role in advancing emergency preparedness and informing our efforts,” said FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate. “The Youth Preparedness Council offers FEMA the unique opportunity to benefit from the perspectives of young people, while also empowering them to engage with their communities to increase readiness.”

FEMA’s Youth Preparedness Council was formed in 2012 to bring together youth leaders from across the country who are interested and engaged in advocating youth preparedness. Council members are selected based on their dedication to public service, their efforts in making a difference in their communities, and their potential to expand their impact as national advocates for youth preparedness.

As advocates for preparedness, Council members will complete a self-selected youth preparedness project and have the opportunity to share their opinions, ideas, solutions and questions about youth disaster preparedness with FEMA leadership and national organizations working on preparedness initiatives. Members also have the opportunity to brief FEMA officials on strategies, initiatives and projects throughout their one-year term.

To apply, Youth Preparedness Council applicants must be 13 to 17 years old. They must also be engaged in individual and community preparedness or have experienced a disaster that motivated them to make a positive difference in their community. Individuals who applied for 2014 are encouraged to apply again. Current Council members have an option to extend for an additional year, upon FEMA request. Adults working with youth or on community preparedness are encouraged to share the application with young people who might be interested in applying for the Youth Preparedness Council.

To be eligible for consideration, applicants must submit a completed application form (link to be provided once available) and two letters of recommendation. Completed applications and all supporting materials must be received no later than March 2, 2015, 11:59 p.m. EST. New Youth Preparedness Council members will be announced in May 2015.

For more information about completing and submitting the application, please visit: www.ready.gov/youth-preparedness-council.

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FEMA’s mission is to support our citizens and first responders to ensure that as a nation we work together to build, sustain and improve our capability to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from and mitigate all hazards.

Follow FEMA online at www.fema.gov/blog, www.twitter.com/fema, www.facebook.com/fema and www.youtube.com/fema.  Also, follow Administrator Craig Fugate’s activities at www.twitter.com/craigatfema.

The social media links provided are for reference only. FEMA does not endorse any non-government websites, companies or applications.

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FEMA Encourages Young People to Join Youth Preparedness Council

FEMA Announces New, Returning Members to National Youth Preparedness Council

OAKLAND, Calif. — The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announced newly selected members and distinguished returning Council members of the FEMA National Youth Preparedness Council (YPC). The Council supports FEMA’s emphasis on and dedication to involving the “Whole Community” in preparedness planning and activities.

FEMA’s Youth Preparedness Council was formed last year to bring together youth leaders from across the country that are highly interested and engaged in advocating youth preparedness and to making a difference in their communities. The Council supports FEMA’s commitment to involving youth in preparedness-related activities, and provides an avenue to engage young people, taking into account their perspectives, feedback and opinions. Council members will attend a Youth Preparedness Council Summit on youth disaster preparedness and will also complete a Council project with FEMA support.

In its second year, interest in the Youth Preparedness Council has increased based on the number of applications received this year for the five seats available. The five newest members of the Council from across the country have been selected based on their dedication to public service, efforts in making a difference in their community, and their potential to expand their impact as national advocates for youth preparedness.

The returning Council members from FEMA Region IX are as follows:

•   FEMA Region IX: Divya Saini (California)

•   FEMA Region IX: Tiffany Espensen (California)

•   FEMA Region IX: Christian Chowen (Hawaii)

Over the past year, the Youth Preparedness Council members have been promoting preparedness in their communities and across the nation. Several members achieved noteworthy results, including:

 • Tiffany Espensen (California), is a 14-year old Teen CERT graduate from one of the first classes held by Julian/Cuyamaca CERT organization where she participated in numerous drills and classes and helps teach skills to other youth and promoting CERT in interviews. She currently starts on Nickelodeon’s “Bucket and Skinner” show. Tiffany developed “Tiffy’s Tip Tuesday” in which she relays disaster preparedness tips via her Twitter account and has more than 17,000 Twitter followers and almost 1,000 Facebook likes on her fan page, helping her spread the word through social media.

 • Divya Saini (California) participates in the block Preparedness Coordinator Program and volunteers at local emergency preparedness events to encourage preparedness. She is the founder of Movers and Shakers, a teen club designed to keep Palo Alto resilient. Divya was recently recognized with a grant from Palo Alto High School Board to further her efforts in helping teens be prepared. Recently, Divya was awarded the “Disney Friends for Change” grant for her Block Preparedness Coordinator work, and has authored and published three articles about preparedness in the Palo Alto Weekly Newspaper.

These young people have proven to be positive influencers, leaders, and first responders for their families, peers, and neighbors in taking the preparedness message to heart and to home. The Youth Preparedness Council will continue to provide a venue to engage an often overlooked population and take into account their perspectives, feedback, and opinions.

 This year, Council members will have the opportunity to participate in a community preparedness roundtable event in Washington D.C., where they will advise and ask questions on youth disaster preparedness with the leadership of national organizations working on this critical priority. Council members will also determine their Council project and meet with FEMA Community Preparedness staff, who will be their ongoing FEMA support contacts and mentors. Members will also meet virtually with FEMA leadership on a regular basis throughout the year and will provide ongoing input on strategies and initiatives as well as updates on their projects.

To learn more about FEMA’s youth preparedness efforts please visit: www.ready.gov/youth-preparedness.

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FEMA’s mission is to support our citizens and first responders to ensure that as a nation we work together to build, sustain, and improve our capability to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from, and mitigate all hazards.

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FEMA Announces New, Returning Members to National Youth Preparedness Council

FEMA Seeks Applicants for Youth Preparedness Council

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is seeking nominations for participants in the Agency’s Youth Preparedness Council (YPC).

The Youth Preparedness Council provides an opportunity for young leaders to serve as a member of a distinguished national council; to complete a youth preparedness project of their choosing; to learn about youth disaster preparedness from the leadership at FEMA and other national organizations dedicated to youth preparedness; to voice their opinions, experiences, and share innovative ideas and solutions; and to participate in the Youth Preparedness Council Summit where the council meets with emergency management leadership to discuss steps to strengthen the nation’s resiliency against all types of disasters.

Participants are expected to represent the youth perspective on emergency preparedness and relay information within their communities. Each council member is expected to develop and complete one preparedness-related project specific to his/her region and interests. In addition to attending the Summit in the summer of 2013, council members will potentially participate in national, regional, state, tribal and local preparedness meetings and present their work. It is expected that members will meet with FEMA on a regular basis via conference call to provide ongoing input on strategies, initiatives and projects throughout the duration of their term.

Anyone between the ages of 12 and 17, who is engaged in individual and community preparedness, is encouraged to apply or be nominated to serve on the Youth Preparedness Council. An individual may apply on his/her own behalf, or can be nominated by an adult familiar with his/her youth preparedness activities. Individuals interested in applying must submit a completed application form, a narrative, and a letter of recommendation. The letter of recommendation can be from any adult, including a parent, guardian, community first responder, or teacher. Applications that do not include a letter of recommendation will not be reviewed. Individuals interested in nominating a young leader to the council should complete the application form and narrative, but a letter of recommendation is not mandatory. Specific information about completing and submitting the application and attachments can be found on the application.

All applications and supporting materials must be received no later than 11:59 p.m. E.D.T. on April 19, 2013 in order to be eligible.

Council members will be selected based on vacancies and announced in May 2013. Once selected, members serve on the Council for one year, with the option to extend for an additional year, based on a formal request by FEMA.

For more information about the Youth Preparedness Council and FEMA’s work on youth preparedness, and to access the application materials, please visit www.ready.gov/youth-preparedness.

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FEMA Seeks Applicants for Youth Preparedness Council

Nation’s Youth Gather in Washington for Community Preparedness Roundtable

WASHINGTON –Members of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Youth Preparedness Council today held their inaugural meeting in Washington, DC to discuss steps to strengthen the nation’s resiliency against all types of disasters.

“This has been an opportunity for members of the Youth Preparedness Council to share their ideas, experiences, solutions and questions on youth disaster preparedness with FEMA, other federal agencies and national organizations,” said FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate. “Engaging youth is critical to including the whole community in national preparedness. The Youth Preparedness Council is contributing to set a national agenda for how young people play a role in emergency management.”

The Council members participated in roundtable discussions and plenary sessions on the first day of their two-day visit to the nation’s capital.  The Council will also meet with Administrator Fugate and discuss steps to strengthen the nation’s overall resiliency. In addition to developing their annual work plan to address youth preparedness during national disasters, the Council is meeting with other federal and private sector partners committed to supporting their work.

“As chairperson of FEMA’s Youth Preparedness Council, I’m excited to have the opportunity to help lend youth’s voice and ideas to emergency management during disasters,” said Rebekka McCaleb of Sterling, Colorado.

Rebekka was joined by exceptional youth council members who together comprise the Youth Preparedness Council. Tuesday, council members will visit Capitol Hill and learn how disaster management legislation moves through the legislative process.

The Youth Preparedness Council is comprised of 13 youth leaders (13 – 17 years of age) from each of FEMA’s ten regions:

 

  • FEMA Region I: Rachel Little (Massachusetts)
  • FEMA Region II: Gabriela Rodriguez Boria (Puerto Rico)
  • FEMA Region III: Donald “Diesel” Embrey (Virginia)
  • FEMA Region IV: Benjamin Cooke (Tennessee)
  • FEMA Region V: Jason Reed (Indiana)
  • FEMA Region VI: Dorian Tre’Vaughn Gregory (Louisiana)
  • FEMA Region VI: Jonathan DeLong (Texas)
  • FEMA Region VII: Nimansha Jain (Nebraska)
  • FEMA Region VIII: Ashley Houston (Utah)
  • FEMA Region IX: Divya Saini (California)
  • FEMA Region IX: Tiffany Espensen (California)
  • FEMA Region IX: Christian Chowen (Hawaii)
  • FEMA Region X: Cayman Kirkhart (Idaho)

Council members are eligible to serve on the Council for two years.

To learn more about FEMA’s youth preparedness efforts please visit: http://www.citizencorps.gov/getstarted/youth/youthindex.shtm.

To learn more about each council member visit: http://www.citizencorps.gov/getstarted/youth/youthpreparednesscouncil.shtm.

Continued here:  

Nation’s Youth Gather in Washington for Community Preparedness Roundtable

FEMA Announces Development of Youth Preparedness Council

 KANSAS CITY, Mo.—Yesterday, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announced the formation of its first Youth Preparedness Council—bringing together youngsters from across the country, including Nimansha Jain of Omaha. As a member of the council, she will support FEMA’s emphasis on and dedication to involving the whole community in preparedness related activities.  

FEMA’s Youth Preparedness Council is a unique opportunity for a select group of youth leaders to serve on a highly distinguished national council and to voice their opinions, experiences, ideas and solutions to help strengthen the nation’s resiliency for all types of disasters. Nominated by individuals who can attest to their preparedness activities, Council members demonstrate a willingness to represent the youth perspective on emergency preparedness and take information back to their communities to share it.

“Young people are truly amazing influencers in society. They influence their families and friends and it changes us all for the better,” said Region VII Administrator Beth Freeman. “The Youth Preparedness Council will engage them and harness their ideas and energy to support disaster preparedness, during and after a crisis and it will make the country more resilient.”

Children comprise approximately 25 percent of our nation’s population and are the future of our communities. They can play an important role in disaster preparedness and each have the unique ability to help their communities be safer, stronger and more resilient before, during and after a disaster or emergency event. As such, we all have a vested interest in engaging and empowering youth to become active participants in individual, family, and community preparedness. Research states that:

 

  • Youth who are trained in preparedness are more resilient in actual disasters.
  • Youth are highly effective messengers for reaching and influencing parents and other adults.
  • Youth who are engaged today will ensure a future generation of prepared adults.

Additionally, youth have proven to be positive influencers, leaders, and first responders to their families, peers, and neighbors when they take the preparedness message home.  The Youth Preparedness Council will provide a venue to engage an often overlooked population and take into account their perspectives, feedback, and opinions. 

The Youth Preparedness Council is comprised of 13 diverse leaders (13 – 17 years of age) from across FEMA’s ten regions and who are:

 

  • dedicated to public service;
  • making a difference in their community; and
  • expanding their impact as a national advocate for youth preparedness.

The distinguished members selected are as follows:

 

  • FEMA Region I:  Rachel Little (Massachusetts)
  • FEMA Region II:  Gabriela Rodriguez Boria (Puerto Rico)
  • FEMA Region III:  Donald “Diesel” Embrey (Virginia)
  • FEMA Region IV:  Benjamin Cooke (Tennessee)
  • FEMA Region V:  Jason Reed (Indiana)
  • FEMA Region VI:  Dorian Tre’Vaughn Gregory (Louisiana)
  • FEMA Region VI:  Jonathan DeLong (Texas)
  • FEMA Region VII:  Nimansha Jain (Nebraska) *See biography below
  • FEMA Region VIII:  Ashley Houston (Utah)
  • FEMA Region IX:  Divya Saini (California)
  • FEMA Region IX:  Tiffany Espensen (California)
  • FEMA Region IX:  Christian Chowen (Hawaii)
  • FEMA Region X:  Cayman Kirkhart (Idaho)

This year council members will have the opportunity to participate in a community preparedness roundtable event in Washington D.C. where they will advise and ask questions on youth disaster preparedness with the leadership of national organizations working on this critical priority. It is also expected that members will meet with FEMA on a quarterly basis via conference call or webinar and provide ongoing input on strategies and initiatives. Council members are eligible to serve on the Council for two years.

To learn more about FEMA’s youth preparedness efforts please visit: http://www.citizencorps.gov/getstarted/youth/youthindex.shtm.

Together, we can make the Nation more resilient and secure. 

 

* Nimansha Jain of Omaha, NE                           

Nimansha is a member of the Ralston Fire Explorer’s Unit, which provides training for fire and medical emergency preparedness and is certified in CPR. She has been elected to the University of Nebraska Medical Center Student Advisory Group, which works with high school students to promote public health and preparedness messages through monthly community sessions for almost 100 teens. Because some teens could not attend every session, Nimansha started using social media to share information from the sessions and promote various volunteer opportunities for youth.

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Follow FEMA online at http://blog.fema.gov, www.twitter.com/fema, www.facebook.com/fema, and www.youtube.com/fema.  Also, follow Administrator Craig Fugate’s activities at www.twitter.com/craigatfema.  The social media links provided are for reference only. 

FEMA does not endorse any non-government websites, companies or applications.  FEMA does not endorse any non-government websites, companies or applications.

FEMA’s mission is to support our citizens and first responders to ensure that as a nation we work together to build, sustain, and improve our capability to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from, and mitigate all hazards.

 

Original link:

FEMA Announces Development of Youth Preparedness Council

FEMA Announces Development of Youth Preparedness Council; Council Includes Members from Louisiana and Texas

 

FEMA Announces Development of Youth Preparedness Council; Council Includes Members from Louisiana and Texas

DENTON, Texas – Today, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announced the formation of its first Youth Preparedness Council.

FEMA’s Youth Preparedness Council is a unique opportunity for a select group of youth leaders to serve on a highly-distinguished national council and to share their opinions, experiences, ideas and solutions to strengthen the nation’s resiliency for all types of disasters. Council members were nominated by individuals who can attest to their preparedness activities; they also demonstrate a willingness to represent the youth perspective on emergency preparedness and to take information back to their communities for sharing.

Young people are integral part of preparing the nation for all hazards,” said FEMA Region 6 Acting Administrator Tony Robinson. “They influence their family and their friends to be more prepared for any disaster that may happen.”

The Youth Preparedness Council is comprised of 13 members (13-17 years of age) from across FEMA’s 10 regions. They are all dedicated to public service; are making a difference in their community; and are expanding their impact as a national advocate for youth preparedness.

The distinguished members from FEMA Region 6 are Dorian Tre’Vaughn Gregory from Breaux Bridge, La., and Jonathan DeLong from Austin, Texas.

Council members will have the opportunity to participate in a community preparedness roundtable event in Washington, D.C., where they will advise and ask questions on youth disaster preparedness with the leadership of national organizations working on this critical priority. Council members are eligible to serve for two years.

To learn more about FEMA’s youth preparedness efforts, please visit http://www.citizencorps.gov/getstarted/youth/youthindex.shtm.

 

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FEMA’s mission is to support our citizens and first responders to ensure that as a nation we work together to build, sustain, and improve our capability to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from, and mitigate all hazards. 

Follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/femaregion6, the R6 Preparedness website at www.fema.gov/about/regions/regionvi/updates.shtm and the FEMA Blog at http://blog.fema.gov.

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FEMA Announces Development of Youth Preparedness Council; Council Includes Members from Louisiana and Texas

Workshop Participants Innovate to Increase Youth Preparedness

Workshop Participants Innovate to Increase Youth Preparedness 

Release Date: March 21, 2012
Release Number: R7-12-003

» 2012 Region VII News Releases

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Community leaders and educators filled the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Beacon Office Facility today to attend the first-ever Federal Emergency Management Agency-sponsored youth preparedness workshop in Kansas City.

The workshop provided participants with the tools and organizational how-to needed to build programs that teach young people about disaster preparedness so they can make the communities they live in more resilient.

Youth Preparedness experts from FEMA led discussions with attendees from the public and private sectors in Iowa, Kansas, Missouri and Nebraska. Leaders in businesses, not-for-profit organizations, state and local governments shared ideas and best practices about how to create curriculum for, implement and manage successful youth preparedness programs.

“When we think about how strong we want America to be in the future, we have to think about resiliency. As a nation, we’re as strong and able to recover from disaster emergency situations as each individual is, so preparing our youth is like taking an insurance policy out on the American way of life.” said FEMA Regional Administrator Beth Freeman. “When we educate young people about disaster preparedness they share it and spread the word to their peers, their families and on social media. They act as leaders and influencers and if we’re successful, they will transform American culture into a culture of preparedness.”

FEMA Region VII partnered with the American Red Cross and the U.S. Department of Education to host the event. Similar FEMA-sponsored workshops have been and will continue to be conducted nationwide.

If you would like additional information about youth programs, please visit FEMA’s Youth Preparedness (www.citizencorps.gov/ready/kids.shtm) page, which includes a Catalogue of Youth Preparedness Resources (www.citizencorps.gov/ready/resources.shtm). In addition, see the U.S. Department of Education Readiness and Emergency Management for Schools (REMS) (rems.ed.gov/) Website.

FEMA’s mission is to support our citizens and first responders to ensure that as a nation we work together to build, sustain, and improve our capability to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from, and mitigate all hazards.

Last Modified: Wednesday, 21-Mar-2012 14:25:43

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Workshop Participants Innovate to Increase Youth Preparedness