What is Seeding Change?

Seeding Change is a nonprofit formed in July 2008 (501(c)3 status, April 2009) to govern the Great Lakes PeaceJam program. Its Board of Directors is made up of compassionate and devoted community leaders, eager to work towards a better future for Kalamazoo and Battle Creek, the Great Lakes region and the world. Some board members have been or are currently members of the Great Lakes PeaceJam Task Force.  The Task Force remains active, steering the programmatic work of Great Lakes PeaceJam.

The mission of Seeding Change is to develop life-long civically-active, and globally-aware leaders of peace and justice.

What is PeaceJam?

PeaceJam is an international educational program built around Nobel Peace Prize winners who work personally with youth to pass on the spirit, skills, and wisdom they embody. The goal of PeaceJam is to inspire a new generation of peacemakers who will transform their local communities, themselves, and the world. Youth ages 5-25 study the lives and work of one or several Nobel Peace Laureates while going through a curriculum exploring violence, oppression, isms, peace and nonviolence, and the Nobel Peace Prize. The students work together to create a Global Call to Action service learning project to make their community and the world more peaceful and a better place to live.

PeaceJam seeks to motivate and support a generation of young leaders committed to positive change in themselves, their communities and the world through the inspiration of Nobel Peace Prize winners who pass on the spirit, skills and wisdom they embody. The PeaceJam Foundation has the largest number of Nobel Peace Laureates in the world working together for a common cause—our youth.

PeaceJam is a year round, on-going education program where students study and engage with the greatest living peacemakers of our time.  The result?  The cliché of “one person making a difference” comes powerfully alive for each participating youth.

Since the PeaceJam program was launched in 1996 nearly 600,000 young people have participated in the program worldwide. Through PeaceJam, over 300,000 Global Call to Action projects have been developed and implemented, and thousands of new volunteer  opportunities for youth have been created.

‘PeaceJammers’ have succeeded in creating teen centers, diversity programs, local food-growing programs, AIDS education projects, conflict resolution workshops, aid for the homeless, violence prevention  programs, meals for senior citizens – and much more.  

PeaceJam Programs

PeaceJam Juniors (elementary school)

A standards-based curriculum that integrates conflict resolution and character development through the childhood stories of12 Nobel Peace Laureates, and a Global Call to Action project.

PeaceJam Leaders (middle school)

Builds leadership, social skills, and personal identity through the stories of the adolescent lives of Nobel Peace Laureates, as well as a Global Call to Action project.

PeaceJam Ambassadors (high school)

Builds civic engagement, peacemaking skills, and understanding of social justice issues.  Students complete a Global Call to Action project and study one Nobel Laureate each year, culminating in an annual conference with that Nobel Laureate.

PeaceJam Scholars (college)

Student groups are formed on college campuses. Students participate in an in-depth study of international issues and the lives of Nobel Peace Laureates, and complete a Global Call to Action service project.

PeaceJam Juvenile Justice

Designed for incarcerated and recently released youth from the juvenile justice system. Emphasizes civic responsibility and reconciliation through the study of Nobel Laureates and the completion of a Global Call to Action project.

Clubs & Projects

Click HERE for a list of Great Lakes clubs and their most recent service projects

View Club Locations in a larger map

Newsletters

Click on the links below to read our current and recent seasonal newsletters:

Fall 2011

Spring 2011

Winter 2010

Fall 2010