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Young Changemakers
TL;DR
You don't have to wait to grow up to matter. Young people have started movements and pushed communities to be better. Communities are always much stronger when we listen to our youngest members new and unique perspectives.
Quick Answers
Can young people really drive change?
Yes. Activism and community organizing have often been led and fueled by young people, and research finds youth engagement carries the greatest benefits for those historically shut out of civic life (CIRCLE, Tufts).
What does youth engagement do for a community?
Communities with higher youth civic engagement tend to be more resilient, and they weather economic downturns better and see lower unemployment (CIRCLE, Tufts).
How do you support a young changemaker?
Take them seriously, give them a real seat and real responsibility, and say out loud that they matter. Belief from one adult is often where a young person's confidence to act begins.
Editor's Note
Many young change makers are not waiting to become tomorrow's leaders, they are acting now.There are so many stories of youth driven change. It could be a girl who organizes a fundraiser to help an elderly neighbor, a teenager who speaks up against an injustice, or the class that decides a problem is theirs to solve. Our stories share what young people can do when we step aside and allow them to become the hero’s they were meant to be.
Featured OGSP Story
(Grandma Sparky) She Survived Abuse to Start a Movement with a goal to reach 1 Billion kids.
At 37 she nearly ended her life. At 83 she has honored hundreds of thousands of people with a blue ribbon that says "Who I Am Makes a Difference", and she is aiming for one billion.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is a young changemaker?
A young changemaker is a young person who acts to make their community better without waiting to grow up. The Young Changemakers guide on One Good Story Project puts it simply. You don't have to wait to grow up to matter, and young people have started movements and pushed communities to be better.
What age can you start making a difference?
You can start making a difference at any age, including elementary school. Blue Ribbons Worldwide, the organization in our film Grandma Sparky, runs school programs from elementary through high school that teach kids to honor each other in 60 seconds or less.
Why do young people’s voices matter in a community?
Young people's voices matter because communities are stronger when they listen to their youngest members and their new perspectives. That is how the Young Changemakers guide on One Good Story Project puts it. A young person is also often the one sitting next to the classmate who feels unseen. Our article on young people making a difference says their words can reach someone an adult never gets close to.
Do you need money to make a difference?
No, you do not need money to make a difference. One Good Story Project's article on how young people can help their community describes an act that takes about a minute and costs absolutely nothing. You tell one person the specific reason they matter to you.
How many people has the blue ribbon movement reached?
The blue ribbon movement has honored hundreds of thousands of people, and its stated goal in the One Good Story Project film Grandma Sparky is one billion. The film also tells how 35,000 people were honored within three months after author Jack Canfield handed out hundreds of ribbons at his seminars.
Why do kids need to hear that they matter?
Kids need to hear that they matter because many are struggling without saying so. The One Good Story Project film Grandma Sparky cites suicide as the second-leading cause of death for ages 10 to 34. The film also shows Helice Bridges, who met kids starving themselves over a parent's lost job or a home about to disappear while volunteering with the San Diego Hunger Project.