Jonas Brothers Surprise MN Teens, Headline Volunteer Project

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- The Jonas Brothers and actress Mia Farrow dropped in at Patrick Henry High School Wednesday to encourage young people to give back.

The brothers were surprise guests for the 500 teenagers who showed up for the assembly. The event introduced We Day, a star-studded, youth service initiative coming to Minnesota.

When you're trying to get hundreds of teens motivated to serve, a little pop-star power never hurts. And you can't buy a ticket to We Day on Oct. 8, you've got to earn it.

Just to get into the event at the Xcel Energy Center this fall, teens have to do both a local and global project of service.

That commitment to serve is part of the We Act program, providing service-based lesson plans and resources -- free of charge -- to schools.

We Day and We Act co-Founder Craig Kielburger talked about what giving back does for young people on "60 Minutes."

"Adults often are looking for meaning and purpose in their lives, kids also want to assert who they are," he said.

The Jonas Brothers will join former Soviet Union President Mikhail Gorbachev at Minnesota's We Day. Joe Jonas has hosted the event before in Canada.

"Just a lot of energy and excitement, and also you get to meet all the people that have the same inspirations as you," he said.

Minnesota will be only the second U.S. city to host it. Co-Founder Marc Kielburger says when it comes to helping others, Minnesotans get it.

"Minnesota has a huge sense of social engagement, citizenship and service learning," he said. "This all comes down to what young people stand for, who they are, and what they care about."

WCCO is the official TV sponsor of We Day Minnesota. The first We Day event will be in Seattle in March, and Minnesota will hold the country's second event.