For A Better Tomorrow

09/02/2026

🌟 YOUNG LEADERS — YOUR IMPACT DESERVES TO BE RECOGNIZED! 🌟

Do you know a young person who is making a difference through community service and leadership? Or maybe that young leader is YOU! 🙌

🏆 YICU Service Award 2026
👥 Ages 12–22
💰 $250 donation to the winner’s nonprofit of choice
✨ Self-nominations welcome!
📅 Deadline: September 15

💙 Share your story. Celebrate your service. Inspire others.

👉 Apply: forbettertomorrow.org/YICU
📝 Self-Nominate: tinyurl.com/yicu-app
🤝 Nominate Someone: tinyurl.com/yicu-nom

📣 Know a young changemaker? Tag them or share this post! Let’s shine a spotlight on the next generation of leaders. 🌟

08/31/2026

☕ **Creating Pathways to a Better Future!** 🌱

In the communities where Creamos works, more than 90% of residents depend on informal employment, much of it connected to the recycling economy of the local landfill.

For women especially, gender-based violence and limited access to education can create economic dependence and make it difficult to find dignified employment.

Thanks to funding from For a Better Tomorrow, 40 individuals have received Barista vocational training, along with complementary skill-building workshops, helping them take meaningful steps toward formal employment and a more secure future. 💪✨

🎉 **14 participants have already secured jobs!**
🔎 **26 are actively searching for employment** and working toward their next opportunity.

Every new skill can open a door. Every job can create greater independence. And every opportunity brings us one step closer to breaking the cycle of poverty and creating lasting change. ❤️

For a Better Tomorrow is proud to support programs that turn opportunity into action.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZCVDebdX1gs

In the communities where Creamos works, over 90% of residents depen...

08/19/2026

🌟 NOMINATE A YOUNG LEADER! 🌟

Do you know an outstanding young person, ages 12–22, who is making a difference through community service and leadership in McLean County?

Nominate them for FBT’s 2026 YICU (Why I See You) Service Award! 🧡💙

🏆 Nomination Deadline: September 15, 2026
💙 Self-nominations are welcome!
🎁 Each winner will receive a $250 donation to a nonprofit of their choice.

Join us in recognizing, celebrating, and honoring our remarkable young leaders!

👉 Nominate: tinyurl.com/yicu-nom
👉 Apply: tinyurl.com/yicu-app

🌟 Let’s celebrate the young people who are making McLean County a better place!

08/18/2026

The learning sessions may be ending, but the leadership journey is just beginning!

Saturday was the last full-day learning session for the YGC Class of 2026, and it was a day filled with reflection, connection, empathy, and growth.We started with a little unexpected leadership practice of our own. A flash flood warning delayed our start and meant moving a team-building activity to another day. Sometimes leadership is simply about adapting when things don’t go as planned.

From there, our YGC students dove into:
Emotional Intelligence with Jon DeRew
Understanding ourselves, our emotions, and how our actions impact others.
BaFa BaFa with YGC alumna and FBT Board Member Claire Campbell Experiencing what it feels like to navigate unfamiliar cultures, communicate across differences, and challenge our assumptions.
Poverty Simulation with Carolyn Hansen
Exploring difficult choices, limited resources, and the systemic barriers that can shape people's lives.
Share Your Story
Creating space for students to open up, listen, connect, and recognize that every person has a story worth hearing.
Community Project Updates
Watching students turn ideas into action as they shared progress on their community initiatives with mentors and liaisons.

And we ended the day with a class debrief and plenty of laughter! Because leadership development should be meaningful, but it should also be fun.

A huge thank you to Jon DeRew, Claire Campbell, Carolyn Hansen, Pranika Kurella, Lance Gray, Sambasivarao Gurijala, Rishabhakrishna Narendranath, Priya Subramaniyan, our mentors, liaisons, volunteers, and everyone who helped make this day possible.
And most importantly, to our YGC Class of 2026:
Thank you for showing up.
Thank you for asking questions.
Thank you for listening to one another.
Thank you for being willing to challenge your own perspectives.

We are proud of you and excited to see how you take what you've learned and use it to make a difference in your communities. The journey continues.

08/09/2026

🍕 Pizza Ranch Fundraiser — Support Our Youth Global Citizens! 🌎

One of our Youth Global Citizen (YGC) Project teams is hosting a fundraiser to support The Baby Fold, a local nonprofit helping children and families through academic, intervention, and early childhood services.

📅 Monday, August 10
⏰ 5:00–8:00 PM
📍 Pizza Ranch
1211 Holiday Drive, Bloomington, IL 61704

Come enjoy a delicious meal with family and friends while supporting a great cause! ❤️

Your participation will help our YGC students make a meaningful impact in our community.

👉 Please share this post and invite your friends and family!
🍕 Eat. Support. Make a difference!

08/09/2026

YGC just had their third 10 hour session today! They heard from guest speakers about leadership presence and public speaking as well as leadership scenarios. Students also participated in a fundraising simulation to practice and receive feedback on their elevator pitches. They also had the opportunity to talk one on one with career experts to understand more about their dream career. Overall this was a fun session filled with games and learning. A HUGE thank you to all of our volunteers!!

08/02/2026

✨ Some days remind you why investing in young people matters. Yesterday was one of those days.

Our first full-day session of Youth Global Citizen (YGC) was filled with learning, laughter, meaningful conversations, and the beginning of lifelong friendships.

💙 We discovered our strengths with Dr. Harriett Steinbach.
🌱 We explored what it means to lead through service.
⏰ We learned time management from YGC alumna Shloka Ravinuthala, proof that today's students become tomorrow's mentors.
🏛️ We tackled a community leadership simulation, debating real-world decisions with no easy answers.
🤝 We had honest conversations about leadership, equity, and creating communities where everyone can thrive.
💡 Our project teams are already turning ideas into action and raising support for causes they care about.

None of this would be possible without our incredible faculty, volunteers, alumni, and community partners. Thank you for pouring into the next generation of leaders.

The best part? The energy never stopped. From icebreakers to deep discussions, these 20 students showed curiosity, courage, and a genuine desire to make a difference.

This is why YGC exists.

Not to create leaders with impressive titles, but leaders with the character, compassion, and courage to serve others.

The journey is just beginning, and we can't wait to see where it leads. ❤️

08/02/2026

YGC just had their second session, they learned about servant leadership, time management, their strengths, participated in a simulation, and even heard from a social justice panel! This was an amazing session with an amazing group of young leaders!

07/27/2026

On July 25th the YGC class of 2026 had their first session! They got assigned their project teams, met the non-profit leaders, and set up plans for fundraising! Can’t wait to see how far these leaders will go!