Subtopic Hub
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.
Watch Now
