Sometimes waiting isn't an option. You can feel it in your bones. No one is doing anything. No one is saying anything. They’re all watching it all happen… they’re all letting it happen. But you always knew you were different. If it’s not you, then who? If it’s not now, then when? History is made by the people who stand up and say something… who stand up and do something. History is made by people who flip the switch…who decide to go on the air and who start doing. You are all those people. It's time to start broadcasting.
In World War 2, during the Nazi German occupation of France, a network of young French men and women from all economic levels and political leanings formed a resistance movement: publishing underground newspapers, secret radio broadcasts, first-hand intelligence and escape networks playing a significant role in the rapid advance of the Allies through France.
The movement started because these young men and women couldn't wait any longer for change to happen through the hands of soldiers alone. They fought with the power of their voices and broadcast a message of intelligence, awareness and freedom that aided in their liberation.
Now, 70 years later, the industry of child sex exploitation is occupying our countries, right under our noses. We need a network of young men and women to form a new resistance movement: Teens who cannot wait any longer for change to happen through the hands of voters, politicians and law enforcers alone. We need to broadcast a new message of intelligence, awareness and freedom that will lead to our lasting change and liberation.
The Backyard Broadcast’s mission is to empower youth to broadcast the message that the sexual exploitation of children is not just taking place far from our borders, but in our own backyards. A new strategy and mentality is needed to defeat the child sex trafficking industry – our youth will be widespread across our nations, broadcasting locally in the backyards of all who need to hear it. The Backyard Broadcast is a youth resistance campaign put on by Child Rescue Association of North America.
In the United States and Canada today, a child is sexually exploited for commercial gain every two minutes. These children are forced into pornography and prostitution and the average age a child is first victimized is 11-13 years old.
The topic of the child sex industry is not easy to talk about and in fact, for many adults, it’s so heavy that it emotionally stuns them into inaction. So every day, they sit idly by while it happens. They say nothing. They do nothing. No more.
The sexual exploitation of children is a multi-billion dollar business worldwide, with frightening levels of activity taking place here in North America. Though child pornography, prostitution and the trafficking of children for other sexually abusive purposes are often perceived as activities only taking place in the developing world, law enforcement in the United States and Canada continue to battle these societal ills here at home. Their efforts, however, are hampered by a pervasive lack of public awareness to the prevalence of these illegal activities in our countries.
The policymakers and talking heads have had their chance. Now it’s our turn. It’s our turn to make some noise about this in our own communities. Our turn to not be ignored. Our turn to give a voice to those who need it. Because we wont be stunned into inaction. We’re not afraid.
The Backyard Broadcast youth leadership program is comprised of a network of broadcast stations across the US and Canada.
Phase 1 Broadcast Stations are 3 or 6 month service commitments that feature online training, flexible time commitments and can be started at any point during the year.
Phase 2 Broadcast Stations are year-long service commitments that are connected to high school clubs and run from July to May. Phase 2 Stations begin with a week-long all-expenses-paid youth leadership and training summit.
All Stations are mandated with the mission to raise public awareness around the issue of SEC. In order to achieve this goal, stations will be given specific tasks to complete throughout each year, educate and train registered members/the station leadership team – with resources and collateral provided by Backyard Broadcast Headquarters, educate their communities about the issue and plan fundraising events for the Station and Backyard Broadcast Headquarters.
A Station Chief is a chapter leader, whose mission is to launch and lead an inaugural school-based Backyard Broadcast Station – recruiting and managing their peers and community members to bring awareness, support and to take on this issue as their own.
If selected for Phase 2 Broadcast Stations, a Chief starts their year long awareness and support campaign by attending an all expenses paid 5-day training summit happening in Salt-Lake City. Station Chiefs get elite level training in the subjects of the issue itself, youth leadership, event planning and coordination, fundraising, media and PR to help them run their Broadcast Station.
Your goal as a Station Chief whether phase 1 and 2 is to lead a team of peers to broadcast and make the subjest of Child Sex Exploitation a household issue for your community. Your duty is to lead that charge and serve as a liaison between your station, community and the Backyard Broadcast Headquarters.
Each Station’s objectives are to create and host a series of awareness and fundraising events, garner media attention and form partnerships and support from local businesses.
The goal? To raise enough money to be able to put on a specialized police officer training day for local law enforcement in your city and to be able to sponsor and support a local response agency working directly in the field of Child Sexual Exploitation.
The Backyard Broadcast Youth Leadership program is open to students who will be entering the 11th and 12th grade as of September 2012.
Application for Phase 1 is open for the 2012-2013 year. We will accept applications from candidates who reside in the continental United States (including the District of Columbia) and all Canadian provinces and territories.
Application for Phase 2 Stations are now closed for the 2012-2013 year.
To apply, please fill out the simple form on the right to receive a confirmation email with a link to complete the rest of your application. Part two of the application consists of filling out additional basic information, gaining parental/guardian support and locating a faculty member from your school that will serve as an advisor to the future school-based Backyard Broadcast Station.
Finally, applicants will need to answer the question: “Why do you want to be a Station Chief?” The question can be answered in any format (video, image, audio, music, writing) and can be as creative as the student wishes, as long as it can be uploaded to an online location and embedded on Backyard Broadcast platforms (website and Facebook page).
Provided all of the information entered in the application aligns with the eligibility requirements, applicants will be entered into the Station Chief Election where the Broadcast Headquarters will select the future leaders based on their response to the question.
By submitting an application, you are acknowledging that you are aware of the requirements of the program and are committed to fulfilling these obligations.
Just because you’re not in the right age group to lead a broadcast, doesn’t mean you can’t make a difference in raising awareness for the issue of Child Sexual Exploitation. If you have any friends who you think would make great Station Chiefs, please share the opportunity through Facebook and Twitter so you can be a part of a Station!
We are working hard to create simple ways to get greater levels of involvement throughout the year. The most important thing you can do is to talk about the issue. Check out our blog or like us on Facebook for ongoing information about the issue as well as ideas for how you could increase awareness in your local community. Get yourself educated and then raise your voice!
We want to encourage parents to refer your children and your kid’s friend’s to apply. Also, share this opportunity and campaign with fellow parents you know. If you’d like to find out more about Child Rescue or the Backyard Broadcast, click here for more information for parents.
As a teacher, you may know students who would be great candidates for a Station Chief. Contact Genna Lasko at genna@backyardbroadcast.org to receive a copy of our "Introduction to the Backyard Broadcast" PowerPoint presentation, which you can present to your students. Talk to your students about the program and encourage them to sign-up. Become the faculty advisor for the Backyard Broadcast Station at your school and share this opportunity/campaign with fellow educators.
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