National Youth Involvement Month

What is National Youth Involvement Month?

National Youth Involvement Month is one of the Red Cross National Youth Council’s most exciting and encompassing annual initiatives aiming to celebrate the accomplishments of Red Cross youth and young adult volunteers across the nation. Taking place in November, NYIM has a different theme each year: this year’s theme is “Youth: Heroes in Action.”National Youth Involvement Month is a time to celebrate the great work our youth and young adult volunteers do to support the Red Cross. The goal this November is for you to explore the Red Cross’ Mission through engaging youth and young adults in new challenges the Red Cross faces in its mission delivery/volunteer services. 

This year during NYIM, each week will be dedicated to the various Red Cross initiatives such as Be Red Cross Ready, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, International Humanitarian Law, and much more! There will be prizes available each week so stay engaged and increase your chances to win!

You can view the list of planned events below and sign up to attend those events via the national calendar here.

Calendar of Events

WEEK 1: Volunteer Services and ”Youth: Heroes in Action” Week

11/1, 7PM – 8PM ET : NYIM Kick-Off Event

Kick off NYIM by attending the NYC’s virtual kick-off event where we will discuss the month’s events, challenges, and vision regarding NYIM this year!

11/6, 7PM – 8PM ET: “How do I start a Red Cross Club?” Virtual Event

Learn how to start your own Red Cross Club from NYC members who have done so already!

11/7, 7PM-8PM ET: “How do I host a Blood Battle?” Virtual Event

Join the National Collegiate Assembly in learning how to start your own Red Cross Blood Drive!

11/8: Instagram Takeover: BTS of a Red Cross Club Volunteer

Tune in for a day in the life of an American Red Cross Youth Volunteer!

WEEK 2: Disaster Cycle Services Week

11/13, 7PM – 8PM ET: Disaster Action Virtual Event

Join National Youth Council members and DAT members in discussing Red Cross initiatives toward natural disasters!

11/15: Instagram Takeover: BTS of a National Youth Council Member

Tune in for a day in the life of an American Red Cross National Youth Council member!

11/18, 7PM – 8PM ET: “Be Red Cross Ready” Virtual Presentation

Join National Youth Council members and USVI/Central Florida volunteers in learning about natural disaster preparedness through a BRCR virtual presentation!

WEEK 3: Sustainability and Latino Engagement Week

11/20, 6PM-7PM ET: Sustainability and Latino Engagement Panel Event

Attend a panel event led by National Youth Council members and experts on discussing the importance of Latino inclusion and climate and sustainability!

11/22: Climate and Sustainability Instagram Live

Tune in to an Instagram Live discussing climate and sustainability in the Red Cross!

WEEK 4: Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Week

11/27, 7PM-8PM ET: DEI Virtual Panel Event

Join the DEI team in learning more about the American Red Cross’ diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives!

11/30: 2023 NYIM Recap Instagram Live

Join the NYIM team on Instagram to celebrate all the NYIM achievements accomplished this year!

How Can You Participate in NYIM?

Host or participate in a Red Cross volunteer event as a Red Cross Club or an Individual Volunteer 
Sign up to Donate Blood
Attend a virtual volunteer event hosted by the National Youth Council.
Participate in this year’s challenges:
- International Humanitarian Law Challenge: Create artwork dedicated to IHL 2023’s theme of nuclear weapons and armed conflict! Simply post your art on Instagram with your name, region, a description of your art, and the hashtag #IHLArt2023. The challenge is opened early and exclusively to our youth and young adults volunteers as the official competition starts later in the month. Get a headstart!!
- Brazen Recruitment Challenge: Each month, ARC’s National Recruitment Team holds a recruitment event in an effort to engage more youth and young adults. This November, NYC will hold a competition to see who can bring the most volunteers to the Red Cross. Share the recruitment event link and instruct your friends to list your name as the referral when registering. The most referrals sent to the event on 11/27 wins!
- Weekly Engagement Raffle: Register and attend each weekly NYIM event to be entered for a chance to win a prize. Live drawings each week!

Kudos Board: Volunteers, clubs, and regions will have the opportunity to submit their NYIM memorabilia into a Kudos Board, where any and all will be able to see the amazing work of volunteers this year!  
Being an Inclusive Team Member: This year's training is now available. Take the training and log your hours!

How Clubs and Individuals will be spotlighted?

Outstanding Clubs and Individual Volunteers will be selected to be a featured spotlight based on form submissions, event/volunteer details, and alignment with the weekly themes! If you want to be spotlighted as a Club and/or Individual, please submit your service activities by posting them on social media with the hashtag #NYIM23.

Please include:

Region/Club name
Event you participated in
Pictures from the event
Event results (how many people were trained, number of volunteers, hours logged on Volunteer Connection, etc.).

Not sure where to start?

No worries, we have a number of resources to guide you in selecting the right activity given your timeline, resources, and most of all passions! Take a look at the activity guides page to get an idea of how you can participate in NYIM! 

Check back here for updates. Follow our Instagram at @americanredcrossyouth and Facebook page at American Red Cross Youth Network to receive updates on NYIM 2023. Feel free to post updates on your personal Instagram and Facebook pages with #NYIM23 and #redcrossyouth!

If you have any questions, please direct them to youthinvolvement@redcross.org. We hope that you join us in encouraging youth and young adults to serve with their passions by participating in NYIM 2023!