{"id":55943,"date":"2021-03-19T07:00:00","date_gmt":"2021-03-19T07:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ae.com\/aerie-real-life\/?p=55943"},"modified":"2021-03-16T20:46:15","modified_gmt":"2021-03-16T20:46:15","slug":"aeriereal-changemaker-val-non-profit-validation-project","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ae.com\/aerie-real-life\/2021\/03\/19\/aeriereal-changemaker-val-non-profit-validation-project\/","title":{"rendered":"8 Things #AerieREAL Changemaker Val Has Learned While Leading a Non-Profit"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Hey there! My name is Val (she\/her) and I am a 2020 #AerieREAL Changemaker<\/a> for my youth empowerment organization, The Validation Project, which I founded when I was 14. I was bullied brutally and wanted to create a space where students could know their worth and work together to make a positive impact. Now, I am 23, and The Validation Project<\/a> is a global movement!  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Through social justice curriculum, career \ufb01eld trips, youth empowerment workshops & more, we\u2019ve impacted more than 40,000 K-12 students around the world to turn passion into positive action. The Validation Project recently celebrated our 8-year anniversary! I re\ufb02ected on this milestone and what I\u2019ve learned about leading and growing a non-pro\ufb01t organization at a young age. Read about it all below \u2014 I\u2019m excited to share it with y\u2019all!  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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#AerieREAL Changemaker Val, founder of The Validation Project.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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8 things I learned leading a non-profit <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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1.  What burnout looks like and how to manage it<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Especially when I \ufb01rst started my organization, I put so much pressure on myself to work on it all the time. I thought that if I took a break, it would all fall apart. There\u2019s this idea that if you love the thing you do, it shouldn\u2019t feel like a job. But to be sustainable in your work, you need to have a balance. Burnout looks like exhaustion. It looks like dreading the things you ought to do and feeling that brain fog that clouds any ideas. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, how do you manage burnout? If you have the ability, let yourself take mental health days.  Normalize pressing pause on a project when it isn\u2019t bringing the joy it should. If you can\u2019t take the time you deserve, give yourself permission to air out how you\u2019re feeling to those in your corner. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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2.  Ageism in the work world \u2014 how to recognize it and navigate it<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I started The Validation Project at 14. So many people told me I was just a little girl and I should leave this to the adults. Even at 23, I still experience ageism as a recent grad. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

To navigate ageism, remind yourself that being young is an asset, not a fault. When people tell you, \u201cyou can\u2019t do this,\u201d use it as motivation to prove them wrong. Check in with pals and give yourself the space to express the difficulties of ageism \u2014 it\u2019s likely they\u2019ve experienced it, too. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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3.  The importance of asking for help and how to do it<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Asking for help is often branded as a sign of weakness, but it\u2019s exactly the opposite. If you have an idea and are looking to get it started, think of who is in your circle. What passions do they have? What skills do they bring? Your support system is likely the people already in your corner! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

During college, The Validation Project grew exponentially because my best friends would come over, have pizza, and help me brainstorm. You\u2019d be surprised how your idea can grow when you let your people into the question marks and predicaments of it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The Validation Project program collaborators.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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4.  Thinking small doesn\u2019t mean you won\u2019t make a big impact<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Validation Project started on a grassroots level. I experienced bullying at my school, and I wanted to help other kids in my district feel worth it and make a sustainable change. Thinking small is powerful. If you want to make an impact, look at your community. What issues do you see? What local organizations or activists are already on the ground? How can you support them? Is there a gap you can help \ufb01ll? Do your research, and get the conversation started. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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5.  How to apply for 501c3 status<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I know it seems daunting! First things \ufb01rst, start with the basics: choose your name. Then, you must \ufb01le articles of incorporation where you \ufb01ll out some basic information, like the address for your nonpro\ufb01t. Then, apply for IRS and state tax exemption. Next, draft your bylaws! What does your nonpro\ufb01t stand for? Finally, appoint directors for your board, hold your \ufb01rst meeting, and obtain necessary licenses and permits. You got this! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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6.  How to navigate self-doubt<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019ve been leading The Validation Project for 8 years, and the self-doubt still creeps in pretty frequently. As a high school student, it told me I was too young to lead an organization. As a low-income college student, it told me that I shouldn\u2019t be at my school. Self-doubt tells me my ideas are too much or too little. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

My advice: Talk about it. Self-doubt is most powerful when we treat it as a secret. Sharing my feelings with my friends and family humanized it, and led me to realize that others in my circle had the same feelings in their own lives. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Val works with the youth at an event in St. Louis, 2017.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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7.  How to create community during the pandemic<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In March 2020, The Validation Project shifted to be completely virtual. With K-12 students experiencing intense isolation, I knew that creating an environment to hold space for all the feels was crucial. That\u2019s how Treehouse, our virtual center for young people, came to be. Through social and social justice activities, students across state and country lines are becoming friends and collaborating in social justice work. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Creating community: Have theme nights to your Zoom hangouts. Play Mad Libs, do a PowerPoint presentation party, cook the same meal while you video chat. If you have pals you can distantly see, soak up the spring weather and have a picnic or do an art activity in a park! See which local businesses in your area you can safely support, and incorporate it into your hangouts. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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8.  How to celebrate the wins \u2014 big and small<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Letting yourself soak up the successes is crucial. The Validation Project\u2019s big milestones, like our 8-year anniversary, are exciting, but the small speci\ufb01c ones \u2014 like making our \ufb01rst batch of business cards \u2014 are just as important to celebrate. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

How to celebrate: Let yourself put on your power song and dance. Order your favorite takeout. Call a pal and tell them the news! Collage how you feel to have a memento of the occasion! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Get Val’s look: Aerie Ribbed Henley Long Sleeve T-Shirt<\/a> | Aerie Twill Overall<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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One final thing I want to touch on are some of the ways that the #AerieREAL Changemaker program helped my initiative. Being a Changemaker has provided my organization with the funding to take our efforts to the next level!  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

We\u2019re designing new programming speci\ufb01cally for middle school students about self-esteem and leading our \ufb01rst-ever fellow program to spend the spring designing new events and curriculum for the next eight years. Being a Changemaker has also provided me with a community of fellow activists to sit in the self-doubt with, collaborate with and learn from. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Learn more about #AerieREAL Changemakers<\/a> by checking out the 2021 program, and share your thoughts on Val\u2019s story in the comments below, Aerie<\/a> fam!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Hey there! My name is Val (she\/her) and I am a 2020 #AerieREAL Changemaker for my youth empowerment organization, The Validation Project, which I founded when I was 14. I was bullied brutally and wanted to create a space where students could know their worth and work together to make a positive impact. Now, I am 23, and The Validation Project is a global […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":58,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"callout_image":55992,"mobile_callout_image":null,"_subheading":"","_tribe_rsvp_for_event":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"_wpas_customize_per_network":false},"categories":[11078,11070],"tags":[11072,11071,3275],"tribe_events_cat":[],"class_list":["post-55943","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-aerie-fam","category-changemakers","tag-changemakers-2","tag-changemakers","tag-vision-goals"],"yoast_head":"\n8 Things #AerieREAL Changemaker Val Has Learned While Leading a Non-Profit - 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