"Act Up! Mix it Up 2!" Returns to MoLAA for a FREE Public Event
Last year 505 people
attended an evening of entertainment, interactive art, education,
health exhibits and live performances. The best news was that 267 of
the attendees were between the ages of 15 to 24!
Today, 54% of all
new HIV infections occur among those ages, 15 to 24. Nearly half of
them are unaware they are infected. On World AIDS Day we reflect on
those we lost to AIDS, support those in ending HIV infections and
show love and compassion for those living with HIV/AIDS.
The "Act Up! Mix it Up 2!" program is the continuation of our
successful community outreach, The World AIDS Day Public Education
Program. The event has entertainment, health provider tables,
interactive art, artists, free giveaways, sampling and more. This
fun-filled event is FREE and perfect for the entire family to
attend.
This is our 3rd year
hosting the World AIDS Day at MoLAA. The event is a bit
smaller than last year and designed more like a Health Fair Expo and
entertainment event.
Our
Spot U Peer-to-Peer program helping to create a National movement.
In May
of 2008, the Foundation launched phase 1 of our Spot U, Youth and
Adolescent Health & HIV Awareness program with a campaign funded in
part by Cable Positive and Charter Communications. The
campaign ran for 7 weeks throughout Southern California focusing on
getting youth and adolescents to get the facts on HIV, get tested
and to volunteer in HIV organizations in their community.
You can see the clip here by clicking on the
video link below.
Phase 2
began in February 2009 with the weekly web broadcast of the
"Tenacity of Teens" webcast on Sundays at 2pm.
This
peer-to-peer program incorporates blog webcasting along with social
network integration. That's a mouthful but what does that
mean?
The
facts are that technology is moving at the speed of light today and
non-profits traditionally have a difficult time catching up to using
today's youth-embraced technologies to communicate, interact and
create activism. It requires "outside-the-box" thinking to
fully engage youth and adolescents. Outreach has to be more
than the "build it and they will come" approach.
The
Foundation was one of the first organizations in the nation to use
the majority of social networks, blogs, webcast, video networks and
multi-method delivery systems to reach youth and adolescents.
Our participants now come from all over the world. Not bad for
a small non-profit trying to make an impact on HIV among youth and
adolescents.
Now
we're expanding our Spot U program even more and Cable Positive is
out there pushing the same style peer-to-peer multi-method delivery
program along with us. It just keeps getting better, but to
read about it more, we need more space. So click here to read
and see how the Foundation is making this program a success!
More...
December 1, 2009 World AIDS Day at the Museum of
Latin American Art.
We've found a way to connect with the
youth, the public and the underserved communities in this amazing program.
Now that's making a difference! Mark your calendar now for December 1, 2009!
Act Up! Mix it Up! Again...
5:00pm
to 8:00pm
505 people attended last
year with 276 of those ages 14 to 24! Middle school, High school
and college students were all there to participate in an evening of fun
and inspiration. It even made the front page of the Press
Telegram!
Let's do it again!
Our outdoor "Mix it Up" event was a hit with the youth and students in
2008. So for
2009 we decided to keep it simple and bring in the best part from
outside and bring it indoors. We've changed the event time and no
jackets needed this year!
Most importantly we
learned what worked from last year and are making this year's "Mix it
Up" event even better.
Youth and adolescents are the
key to our future and yet they account for over half of all new HIV
infections.
So we've got serious work to
do!
This
educational event is great for the family including those ages, 14 and
above. Here is just some of the activities planned for Program #1:
Live music
Entertainment
Murals, paintings, interactive
art
Games and Activities
Health Fair
information
Free literature,
resource guide and handouts.
Give-a-ways,
stickers and much
more!
World AIDS Day:
Universal Access and Human Rights
Started on 1st December 1988, World AIDS Day is
about raising money, increasing awareness, fighting prejudice and
improving education. The World AIDS Day theme for 2009 is 'Universal
Access and Human Rights'. World AIDS Day is important in
reminding people that HIV has not gone away, and that there are many
things still to be done.
According to UNAIDS estimates, there are now 33.2
million people living with HIV, including 2.5 million children.
During 2007 some 2.5 million people became newly infected with the
virus. Around half of all people who become infected with HIV do so
before they are 25 and are killed by AIDS before they are 35.
Around 95% of people with
HIV and
AIDS live in developing nations. But HIV today is a threat to men,
women and children on all continents
around the world.
