My guest today realized that typical clothing donation drives serve the convenience of the donor instead of the recipient, and decided to do something about that. High school junior JoJo from Los Angeles, along with her sister Brooke, created SheStyles, an organization that elevates the clothing donation process to boost the self-confidence of the young women who need it the most.

Learn more @SheStylesofficial

Fifteen-year old Legacy from St. Louis has been volunteering with her family since she was born. She started Little Legacies, a kids-for-kids community service organization with a simple three-fold mission - kids service and fun. Legacy has figured out what I tell parents and nonprofit founders all the time - that if you make volunteering fun and encourage young people to engage in service with their peers, they will want to continue to do this work.

Follow and learn more at @littlelegaciescommunityservice and follow Legacy at @thelegacyjackson

My guests today, Akanksha and Claire from Atlanta, bonded over a shared love of art and a huge heart for the elderly. During the pandemic, they decided to create a free online art program called Sketching with Seniors to bridge the generational gap between young people who want to share their creativity and the isolated and lonely older adults who could benefit from the stimulation and connection.

Learn more at www.sketchingwithseniors.com and follow at @sketchingwithseniors

Henry L. launched his nonprofit Chess Pals when he was only 12 years old as his bar mitzvah project. Chess Pals has grown to serve hundreds of students in 9 public schools in California and 10 chapters around the country. Chess pals serves students in underresourced communities, and also creates intergenerational connections between teens and older adults.

Learn more at www.chesspals.org or follow @chesspals

Twelve-year-old Peyton starting fundraising and hosting collection drives for people experiencing homelessness in her Wisconsin community when she was only seven. As we kick of the "season of giving" this week, I hope this conversation will inspire everyone to find the time to help those less fortunate to have a bright and joyful holiday season.

Learn more at https://www.eyeofachild.org/ or follow @_eyeofachild

My guest today, high school senior Ariela from Los Angeles, has a huge heart for rescue animals. In response to the Girl Scouts Gold Award initiative, Ariela created a nonprofit called Reducing Animal Stress, to help provide enrichment for shelter animals, and to help people understand that boredom and stress are triggers that cause rescue animals to act out. Providing handmade pet toys and other enrichment activities can help shelter animals to thrive and become better candidates for adoption.

Learn more at https://reducinganimalstre.wixsite.com/nonprofit or follow @reducinganimalstress

Skin health is so important.

My guest today, high school senior Ellis, created DermaTeens, an international youth-led nonprofit dedicated to educating teens on skin health and promoting sun-safe habits. DermaTeens leads educational initiatives with global reach, provides access to sun protection, engages in health policy activism, and more to prevent skin cancer and promote healthy skin.

Learn more at https://dermateens.wixsite.com/dermateens and follow @dermateens

Have you ever wondered what happens to "dead" tennis balls, the ones that lose their bounce and are rejected by professional tennis players during their important matches? Well millions of them end up in landfills as non-compostible waste that releases methane into the environment. My guests today, tennis-playing sisters Lily and Maggie from New Jersey, started a nonprofit called Net Love to recycle and upcycle used tennis balls, reminding us once again that every person has the ability to take their passion and turn it into their purpose, making a real impact on the world.

Learn more at https://www.netlovenj.org and follow @netlovenj

The election is next Tuesday.

My guests today, Isaac and Ranen, created an incredibly important organization called OutVote. OutVote is committed to registering and mobilizing LGBTQIA+ voters, partnering with LGBTQIA+ organizations and professionals on voter registration and mobilization efforts, and improving data collection for the LGBTQIA+ communities.

Learn more at www.outvotehq.org and follow @outvotehq

 

October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month, so this episode is especially important and powerful. Childhood friends Nadia and Rhea from the Chicago area have created an organization called Safe and Aware to empower women and youth, focusing on safety and well-being, recognizing that everyone has the right to feel hopeful about the future.

Learn more at https://safeandaware.blog/ and follow @staysafe_beaware

It's not often that I am given the opportunity to share an episode to correspond with the launch of an important project! My guests today, Anna and Boston, are part of a team of people from Maine who, as part of Maine Youth Action, have created a platform called the Maine Youth Political Portal to help young people gain access to all resources they need to run for political office in Maine. The Portal website launches this Friday, October 11th! It is a powerful "youth for youth" model that can be replicated in every state across the country.

Learn more at www.maineyouthaction.org and www.maineyouthpoliticalportal.org. 

Follow @maineyouthaction

As we honor Black History Month in February, I'm honored to share this inspiring conversation with a young leader from Georgia named Jayshun, a student at Morehouse College. While he was still in highschool, Jayshun started the Black Youth Empowerment Network, an organization that is dedicated to fostering a sense of community amongst Black youth while providing the opportunities, resources, and tools to bridge the opportunity gap and combat the systematic barriers that are placed against them.

To learn more, visit https://www.byenetwork.org/ or follow at @wearebyen

 

My guest today is Romy, a college sophomore who created a special program called MiSendero. MiSendero is an independent high school student-led organization focused on integrating and connecting English learner students to school activities by creating a format in which they can earn volunteer hours as Spanish tutors, join school clubs, become leaders within the organization, and participate in academic writing competitions to achieve success. Since Romy began this important work in high school, it has expanded throughout her home state of California and across the United States.

Romy is the recipient of a Diller Teen Tikkun Olam Award. Every year, the Helen Diller Family Foundation awards up to 15 Jewish teens with $36,000 each for their leadership efforts to change the world. From the environment to social justice to access to education and beyond, these young people are tackling big challenges in their communities and having tremendous impact. Applications are now open at www.dillerteenawards.org

Learn More about MiSendero at https://www.misendero.org/

Follow @misenderoyouth

Aani and Gage are two friends from Arizona (now both freshmen in college) who bonded over their shared passion for playing musical instruments as well as volunteering with the elderly. Together they created Our Ode To You which allows musicians, singers and visual artists to share their passion for the creative arts with seniors living in nursing homes and memory care facilities.

Follow to learn more and connect @ourode2you

Ayana B. is passionate about understanding the human heart, and raising awareness about cardiovascular health. She created Ligh on the Heart, a nonprofit dedicated to alleviating the struggles of marginalized communities facing poor cardiovascular treatment by providing research advice to high school students, granting insights from medical and research professionals, and pushing for advocacy through legislation. Light on the Heart also creates and distributes Little Hearts Stem crates, providing interactive STEM activities for under-resourced students.

Learn more at www.lightontheheart.org and follow @light.on.the.heart

Grace L. has a passion for research which was sparked when she was a curious 10 year old. She created a nonprofit called Research to Empower which seeks to inspire, support and empower aspiring young researchers, offering a master class, guidebook, resources and leadership opportunities to help students, particularly those from underrepresented communities, to achieve success.

Learn more and access all of Research to Empower's free resources at

www.researchtoempower.org and follow @research2empower

Welcome back to Season 3 of Simple Acts, Big Impact: Celebrating Teen Changemakers. Today's episode is the perfect "back to school episode" about the importance of books, school supplies, and representation in storytelling.

Rohan S. and his sister Anya are the founders of the Let's Learn Foundation which hosts book drives and provides school supplies for under resourced students in central Texas.

Learn more at https://www.letslearninc.org/about and follow @letslearnfoundation

Creativity and artistic endeavors (like photography) can be a way of processing grief and isolation. My guest today, Charlotte from the Bay Area in California, knows this very well. She experienced the loss of her father only days before the pandemic lockdown started in the spring of 2020 and turned to photography as a way to get outside and channel her emotions into something positive. Her new hobby then turned into a generous service organization - the Community Photobooth - which allows volunteers to offer their photographic skills while raising money for charity.

Learn more at www.communityphotobooth.com and follow at @communityphotobooth

My guest today, Ishani from New Jersey, has always loved math and is fascinated by AI. When she noticed that she was the only girl in a national computer science competition, she created a program called Girls Rule AI which empowers girls from around the world with the foundatonal knowledge and programming skills they need to build solutions using AI. Girls Rule AI offers free courses to small groups of girls in a friendly and supportive environment.

To learn more visit www.girlsruleai.org or follow at @girlsruleai

Sanja J. started Global Visioneers to inspire and empower youth to become global citizens and create a more interconnected future. Global Visioneers is a student-led nonprofit organization empowering global understanding and connectivity through language and cultural exchange initiatives.

Learn more at www.globalvisioneers.com or follow at @globalvisioneers

Mila H. is a high school junior from Hoboken New Jersey who has had a passion for rock climbing since she was 7 years old. She turned that passion into a wonderful program called Climbing for Community which partners with the boys and girls club to make the lif-changing benefits of rock climbing accessible and inclusive to underserved young people in her community.

Learn more and follow at @ClimbingforCommunity

The gym where Climbing for Community holds classes is https://gravityvault.com/locations/hoboken-nj

Meazi Light-Orr was born in a very remote village in Ethiopia called Kololo and adopted by an American family when she was a young child. After her mother established an elementary school in Kololo, Meazi was inspired to start Kids for Kololo and led an incredible fundraising campaign to improve education access by adding a middle school.

Learn more and follow at @kids_for_kololo

Merry Christmas to all who celebrate! I'm delighted to re-share this episode which originally aired in December, 2022. It is a perfect way to remember the true spirit of the Christmas holiday. Ava S. was only 6 years old when a classmate who was fighting leukemia inspired her to launch a project called Ava Claus, providing toys for children in the hospital. The effort turned into Ava Claus and Friends and a partnership with the Broward Children's Center.

Follow Ava's work at @avaclaus and learn more at www.avaclaus.com and www.bcckids.org.

A little LIGHT for your holiday season! Amelia from Arkansas started Lisowe's Lights when she was only eight years old, providing nightlights for children who are navigating the foster care system. Lisowe's Lights makes sure that children who need to leave their homes and to be placed in foster care will have a nightlight to help them feel safe in their new home.

Learn more at www.lisoweslights.com and follow at @lisoweslights

Emily B., has a passion for neuroscience and psychology, and is committed to helping other young people with similar interests - especially those from marginalized groups without representation in neuroscience or healthcare. She created the Teen Neuroscience Alliance to help make neuroscience and psychology education accessible to everyone with an interest in the workings of the human brain.

Learn more at https://www.teenneuroalliance.com/ and follow @teenneuroalliance

If you have an older adult in your life, you may know that criminals frequently try various tricks and phishing scams to get them to hand over personal information or to send money. This is a huge problem affecting millions of people around the globe, with billions of dollars being stolen. My guest today, college student Jake, created CyberAware, to train teen volunteers across the country to go out to senior centers, libraries and nursing facilities, to teach older adults  how to protect themselves from falling victim to these crimes.

Learn more at https://www.cyberawareofficial.org/ and follow @cyberawareofficial

TW: This episode talks about eating disorders

High School seniors from Maryland, Anya and Kendyll, are dancers whose lives have been affected by eating disorders. They bonded over their shared experiences, and joined forces to launch Dancers Beyond Labels, a nonprofit organization which works to address the youth dancer mental health crisis by: engaging with dance company directors, instructors, and aspiring dancers; providing nutrition education; promoting best practices around body-neutral dancer training and performance; and supporting dancers struggling with eating disorders and other mental health issues.

Learn more at https://www.dancers-beyond-labels.org/ and follow @dancers.beyond.labels

Selena M. from Dubai is only 8 years old but she is already committed to making an impact on environmental causes and educating young people about sustainability through technology. Follow her journey on Instagram @SustainabilitybyTech.

Read more about Simple Acts, Big Impact: Celebrating Teen Changemakers being named as one of the 25 Best Motivational Podcasts for Teens on Feedspot at https://blog.feedspot.com/motivational_podcasts_for_teens/

Lena F. from Atlanta, GA is only 13 years old, but she is a powerhouse changemaker! She is an author, a social entrepreneur and a philanthropist and she started pursuing her passions when she was only 7 years old.

Purchase her book "I love Me...and that's OK!" on her website https://positivelylena.com/

Follow her on IG @positivelylena

Learn more about the Kinship Family Initiative and follow on IG at @kinshipfamilyinitiative

Each year, 119 billion pounds of food is wasted in the United States. That equates to 130 billion meals nearly 40% of all food in America is wasted. Today's guests - Skai, Max, and Ben - noticed how much food was being wasted in their school cafeteria and decided to do something about it.

Learn more about Food for All and The Stuyvesant Food Security Club at: www.foodforallnyc.org and on Instagram @stuyvesant_food_security_club

Grassroots Grocery (a network of community fridges) is mentioned in this episode. Learn more at www.grassrootsgrocery.org and on IG @grassrootsgroceryny

In this episode, we hear from Jackson, a 17-year-old from Lake Oswego, Oregon whose passion for running inspired him to start a 24 miles in 24 hours challenge. He uses this effort as a fundraiser, and over the last three summers, he has raised over $12,000 for two local nonprofits.

Jackson has raised money for Hunger Fighters (a local food pantry that was started by a teenager) 
and
Respond to Racism - a neighborhood effort to interrupt racism through dialogue, learning, and action.

Jackson's Go Fund Me Page 

On this week's episode, I speak with Ava and Sophia P., two sisters from New York City who are passionate about dance. After years of lessons, rehearsals, and recitals, they realized that they had accumulated piles of dance shoes, leotards, and costumes. They decided to set up a collection box at their dance studio to collect gently used dance equipment and to donate it to under-resourced dance programs in the United States and around the world. Over the last four years, Donate2Dance has become the largest dance charity in the world.   Follow Donate2Dance at @donate2dance or reach out to learn more about becoming an ambassador. Ava and Sophia can be reached through their website at www.donate2dance.org. 

Laila L. is a 10th grader from New York City passionate about dance and movement. Harnassing her interest in coding and legal studies, she is creating a nonprofit called Arts on Pointe to provide dance programs for underserved children and teens in her community. Stay tuned for social media and website information which are still under development. Laila mentions a mentorship program called Curious Cardinals that has helped her realize his vision.

 

Learn more at www.curiouscardinals.com

Ben M. is a high school senior from New York who created Teens Building Bridges to unite teens across cultural boundaries. Learn more and apply to organize events in your local community at www.teensbuildingbridges.org. On this episode, Ben mentions a summer internship with an organization called Civic Spirit. Learn more at www.civicspirit.org.

In the spring and summer of 2020, Isabella H. turned to poetry to help her process the pain she was experiencing as she watched the news coverage of the killings of Breonna Taylor and George Floyd. She was inspired to create a forum for other young people of color to express their feelings through poetry and art. Working with the National Youth Foundation, she created a poetry and art contest called I Matter.

The contest is now open for submissions (until August 2023) - learn more at http://www.nationalyouthfoundation.org/i-matter/

Follow on IG at @nationalyouthfoundation

After the spike in anti-Asian prejudice in 2020, Michelle Q. worked collaboratively with AAPI students all over the country to create a beautiful children's book called Hello From Here: A Celebration of Asian American Identity. She worked with Writopia Lab to create and print the book (which can be purchased on Amazon).

Here are the links to explore:

Purchase the book on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Hello-Here-Celebration-American-Identity/dp/B0B4QNL2FN/ref=sr_1_1?crid=FM0DA83FBA3Q&keywords=writopia+lab+hello+from+here&qid=1674145394&sprefix=writopia+lab+hello+from+her%2Caps%2C122&sr=8-1

Writopia Lab: https://www.writopialab.org/
Writopia Lab IG @writopialab
CreateCalifornia: https://createca.org/

The power of technology to change lives is sort of astonishing, as is this episode. College freshman Jonathan T. and his brother created an organization called Helping Hands which harnesses the power of young computer programmers all over the country to create 3-D printed prosthetic hands. I learned so much during this episode and was so impressed with Jonathan's enthusiasm and heart.

I hope you'll check out Helping Hands on IG @helpinghands.mb and if you'd like to get involved or learn more visit www.helpinghandsmg.org.

Jonathan also mentions an organization in Haiti called Food For the Poor and his brother is certified to make prosthetic hands through E-nable.

Intergenerational volunteerism is probably one of the most meaningful types of service. It is literally a win-win. Teens can learn so much from older adults and seniors get a tremendous emotional boost from spending time with young people. My guests today - Lauren and Proksha started ForgetMeNot International, a nonprofit that works to prevent cognitive decline in the elderly through conversation, music and art, while bridging the gap between generations through a pen pal companionship program.

Learn more at www.forgetmenotintl.net and follow @forgetmenotintl

 

Miarri Phillips is a college junior in Colorado who created a special extracurricular program called Green Goddess which provides a space for girls of color to be their authentic selves. Through outdoor exploration, holistic healing, career readiness, and mentorship, Miarri provides an opportunity for young girls of color to envision a future as environmental leaders. To learn more, follow on IG @green1goddess

Jahkil J. is a 15-year-old social entrepreneur, student-athlete, dancer, author, and public speaker from Chicago. He launched Project I Am to raise awareness around the issue of homelessness and works to provide blessing bags filled with toiletries to those who are unhoused. He is celebrating a major milestone in this work in February, so I hope you'll follow him and support his work.

Find Jahkil on Instagram at @OfficialProjectIAm @JahkilJackson and learn more at www.jahjkil.com

Alexa K is a high school junior who has created a robust online platform called The Generation that offers a curated database of jobs, internships, scholarships, and other resources for teens. The Generation allows teens to make meaningful connections, find opportunities and explore possibilities for future careers.

Check out and sign up to be informed of new opportunities on the website at www.thegeneration.net and follow on IG @thegeneration.ny
Alexa also mentions www.hackplus.io, an accessible nonprofit accelerator for student-led impacts.

Liam's Lunches of Love distributes meals and kindness to people who are experiencing homeless in the Cambridge, MA community. Liam created the organization when he was only 10 years old, and has distributed over 20,000 meals over the years. Liam and his friend and fellow volunteer Arson share their experiences with this important work, and remind us once again that "food is love." Follow Liam's Lunches of Love @liamslunchesoflove and learn more at www.liamslove.com

Avery K. is an energetic 15-year-old with ambitious goals, big dreams, and a heart for service. She started Love Carries On which provides duffle bags and luggage tags for children navigating the foster care system. I loved our conversation and I hope you will check out her efforts.

You can find Love Carries On on Instagram @lovecarriesondrive
And you can follow all of Avery's work @inspiredmelaninofficial and @askaveryk

Riley's Way Call for Kindness www.rileysway/call-for-kindness/

Together We Rise is a wonderful organization supporting children and teens in foster care www.togetherwerise.og

TogetherRising is a mutual aid organization started by the author Glennon Doyle www.togetherrising.org

Charlie, Alexa, and Jack are high school seniors from New York City who have created a very special model of microfinancing for macro impact. With a passion for finance, entrepreneurship, and social justice, MyFiNYC provides small "game-changing" loans to communities in developing countries.
To learn more, check out their website www.myfinyc.org or follow on IG @myfi_inc
LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/myfinyc/about/

Follow Maya as she works toward her goal of recording 300 interviews! Check out Maya's interviews on her YouTube channel @popstarextraordinairemaya and follow her on Instagram and Tik Tok @thelatestnewswithmaya.

The pandemic certainly put a spotlight on educational disparities and the digital divide in the United States and around the world. Zachary L., a high school senior from NYC, has created an organization to help bridge that divide, Philanthropy4Technology.

If you'd like to learn more or to become an ambassador for Philanthropy4Technology, check out Zachary's website at www.philanthropy4technology.com or follow on social media @philanthropy4technology.

It's the giving season and I'm delighted to share a special HOLIDAY edition of the podcast! Ava S. was only 6 years old when a classmate who was fighting leukemia inspired her to launch a project called Ava Claus, providing toys for children in the hospital. The effort turned into Ava Claus and Friends and a partnership with the Broward Children's Center. Listen and be inspired to give back in a meaningful way this holiday season. Follow Ava's work at @avaclaus and learn more at www.avaclaus.com and

Zach G. is a thoughtful, insightful teen who believes that we should engage in meaningful conversations about tough mental health issues. He created a media platform, Talk with Zach, that is an important space for teens to connect, access resources, and share their feelings. Everyone should follow this work on social media @talkwithzach and check out his website www.talkwithzach.org.

My guest today, Hunter G. from Virginia, is a one-person food rescue warrior. He noticed that food at his local fast food restaurants and cafes was being thrown away, and asked if he could collect the food and get it to a local shelter where it would feed hungry neighbors. His commitment to food rescue - picking up after early morning swim practices - is inspiring, and a perfect example of how one person, committing to one simple act of kindness, can make a big difference. Hunter started a Taste of Home, Inc. has been honored by ReFED, an organization working across the food system to reduce food waste and hunger.

Learn more about ReFED at www.refed.org and connect with Hunter on LinkedIn at linkedin.com/in/hunterguthrie