Gen Y Inspiration

Youth with a Cause

I was sent this by a great young person I know and asked to spread the word. I have to say I think this is one of the coolest things I have seen for ages…..mighty impressed.

CONSPIRACY FOR GOOD, A SOCIETY OF ARTISTS, THINKERS , CREATIVE’S AND DOERS, CONSPIRING TO DO GOOD IN THE WORLD.

Tim Kring, the brain behind the massively successful sci-fi drama Heroes, has created Conspiracy For Good in conjunction with Nokia’s Ovi platform. The first alternate reality game played out on a large scale, where the participants actually affect meaningful real life change via a range of benevolent and charitable organisations.

Though the game play is fictional, the potential outcomes are anything but. Conspiracy For Good are joint partners with the Pearson Foundation and Room to Read aiding these philanthropic organisations to build 5 libraries in Zambia. Whilst the Thames 21 charity – where the game launched at the weekend – is dedicated to revamping London’s waterways by utilising 8000 volunteers a year to aid in graffiti removal , the cleanup of 1000 tons of litter per year and creating new waterside habitats for wildlife.

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Fink supports the Big Lunch

Get talking in your communities

I am so excited that one of my companies is supporting the   2010 Big Lunch by offering downloadable question cards to help conversation flow at Big Lunches across the country. Nine questions are available to download here.

The Big Lunch is a one-day get together with your neighbours on Sunday 18th July 2010. It can be anything from a simple lunch to a full-blown street party with DJs and a hog roast.

Amongst the questions to help you break the ice – who is your favourite superhero and what would be in your ideal lunch box?

Fink Lisa Warner, from Fink explains “We want to encourage people to talk. Fink is all about asking questions that start conversations, because we believe that simple, honest communication builds relationships. Supporting The Big Lunch seems natural to us as our products aim to deepen and strengthen relationships.”

In addition to the resource available to download, we’ll be giving away some free packs of Fink Cards, so keep an eye on Facebook and Twitter for details. What’s more, all Big Lunch organisers are entitled to 50% off any Fink Products – simply visit the FINK site and enter the code PYPO in to the basket.

Join the Fink Big Lunch

Acne Awareness Month

Teens and Acne

Summer is here, which should mean fun in the sun and stress-free days for today’s teens. However, in today’s ultra competitive society, that is not always the case.

With so much pressure on teens to get into a good college, land that perfect summer job and other common activities, many teens may find themselves experiencing high amounts of stress. Stress can lead to teens taking on yet another worry – acne, a chronic medical condition .

June is Acne Awareness Month

Did you know acne is the most common skin disorder ? In fact, 85% of adolescents experience the chronic skin condition. However, acne doesn’t have to be a rite of passage for teens. To help teens and their parents understand that acne is a medical condition that can be successfully treated with help from a doctor, June has been designated as National Acne Awareness Month.

In recognition of National Acne Awareness Month, Drs. Michele Borba and Linda Stein Gold answers questions about managing teens and their acne.

Daughters:

Sons:

Junior Apprentice – and the winner is

The Gen Y business prodigies

OK. so Junior Apprentice has finally finished and Arjun, the quietest and most consistent throughout the programme, won.

I think that if I had not done the work I did, perhaps I would have not stuck through the programme. For me it was just the adult version with fewer steroids, which is where I think they made a mistake.

What disappointed me most was the feeling that we did not see any of the innovation, creativity, collaboration or customisation that makes Gen Y so unique. We just saw young people trying to do adult stuff and getting it wrong a lot of the time. Also, they did it mostly without complaining or bitching, which does not make for an intersting TV show.

I was thinking a lot about why this was; why on a show that should have delivered on the above, we didn’t see much of it. I think it was the format… youth thrive and ably demonstrate their uniqueness in their own environment, an environment where they are experts, and that is the digital world. The show failed to allow these kids to really shine by insiting that they do the same tasks as the adults, which is a bit poor really. While it is obvious why they did it, (watching someone on the computer is boring, after all) I just think we didn’t get to see what these young people could be truly capable of. In fact, the lack of technology they had was interesting in itself. What this meant was that a lot of the time, these kids looked lost and in need of an adult. They were in a face-to-face, deal-making world where really, they have little expereince.

While some strokes of creative potential came out, (especially from Tim) we saw little in terms of real innovation. I wonder if, for the cup cake challenge, whether instead of selling them in a store they sold them on-line, the results would have been different.

This just goes to show how far behind the business and media worlds are when it comes to young people and how they live their lives. What I would have loved to have seen is a target set, an outcome and then the rest of what they do left up to them, rather than being fed things on a plate. I think this would have shown us what Gen Y really are capable of.

Junior Apprentice catch up

Junior Apprentice, Week Four

The Gen Y business prodigies

Well, Week Four and I’m not sure what I can say that I have not said already. Tim is still hanging on by the skin of his teeth, showing us that Gen Y really do need their mummies and that delivering on time with a sense of urgency is not a quality his team possess. With him and Kirsty left, they really do have a weak offering; two young people who show promise but are just too lazy to deliver. A real shame.

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Junior Apprentice, Week Three

The Gen Y business prodigies

Well, all I can say is, where is the innovation and creativity that this generation is supposed to bring; we are not seeing much of that, are we. The more I watch this programme, the more convinced I am that Gen Y and the next generation are only really great when they have adults around to support and guide them. With this support they feel safe and can excell; when they lose this support, they fall flat on their faces. The thing that was so noticable for me in this programme was how lost they all looked.

With Adam going home due to illness, you really got a sense of how young they all are. Adam was suffering and Lord Sugar did the distant thing by sending him home.

Rhys was bullied into being project manager and did a pretty poor job and, as Lord Sugar said when sending him home, he was not just not ready. However, watching his team was like watchingan argument in the playground and I think that Tim is on his last legs yet again, ducking and diving and at one point saying that he just could not get excited about the task. Again, maybe we are seeing a lack of Gen Y staying power. All words, all ideas, a bit of action then fizzling out.

Zoe managed the winning team and, until now a strong contender, she lost her way in task and showed no real leadership. Nevertheless, she managed to pull them through. We did see a bit more of Emma in this task, who did show maturity beyond her age and a very level head. Emma has a passion for achieving and believes that if you make your own bed, you should lie in it. Selling eggs and sweets to make money, she believes that hard work and never giving up are the keys to achieving success.

I just think that what we are seeing at the moment are tired, stressed and bewildered young people. Even though these youngsters think they don’t need adults around them, it is becoming clear that they do

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