Once upon a time, kids were fed the narrative that they had no power. They simply had to do as they were told and keep their opinions to themselves until they magically mattered on their 18th birthdays.
Today, the approach to parenting and empowering children's voices is quite different. Times have changed, and people understand the importance of keeping their kids informed.
Parents today also understand that great things can happen when they believe in their kids. Kids around the country and the world are making major changes happen. Many times, those kids get started by bringing change to their own communities. If you're looking for some figures to inspire your kids to get started near home, here are some wonderful examples of kids making big moves.
Mari Copeny
It's impossible to make a list of kids changing their communities without mentioning Mari Copeny. As an 8-year-old beauty queen, she got the attention of then-President Barack Obama by writing him a letter about the water crisis in her hometown of Flint, Michigan. Not only does she continue to raise awareness for the Flint water crisis at 14 years old, but she also coordinates fundraisers for underprivileged kids in her area and across the country.
Sarah Goody
Sarah Goody is a youth climate activist living in the San Francisco area. The 16-year-old is the founder of Climate NOW, a youth-led group dedicated to bringing awareness to the climate movement and empowering our youth to take action for their future. She's also at the head of Broadway Speaks Up, a platform inspiring Broadway performers to speak up for climate action.
In her town, Sarah is making history. She is the youngest chair of a town committee, heading the Corte Madera Climate Action Committee.
Arlette Morales
Arlette Morales is advocating for Black, Hispanic, and immigrant rights, starting in her York, Pennsylvania, community. She was inspired to be an activist at a young age, when at 5 years old she witnessed her parents be racially profiled by police officers during a traffic stop. They told a young Arlette that her family would be split up for being illegal, which was understandably terrifying, though it was an empty threat.
Today, Arlette is one of the founding members of the York sector of CASA Pennsylvania, an organization that advocates for Latino and immigrant rights.
Kevin J. Patel
Kevin J. Patel is a Los Angeles native and environmental activist. Kevin is the founder and executive director of OneUpAction, working on direct-action community initiatives to combat climate change. After experiencing heart palpitations and learning the Los Angeles environment might be to blame, he began seeing all the ways the environment impacts quality of life for Angelinos.
Alexandria Villaseñor
At 15 years old, Alexandria Villaseñor is cofounder of US Youth Climate Strike and founder of Earth Uprising. The New York-based teen grew up in California and watched her old stomping grounds be devastated by the Camp Fire up close while visiting family. Today, she works with these organizations to mobilize other teen activists and work on spreading education.
Jamie Margolin
Jamie Margolin is one of the founders of Zero Hour, a group of teen climate activists frustrated by the government's unwillingness to consider youth voices in the climate conversation. Jamie was inspired to act after being caught in a smoke cloud from the Camp Fire in 2018. As an asthmatic, inhaling the air made her physically ill and inspired her to look into what was happening and how it could be stopped.
Jerome Foster II
Jerome Foster II has founded The Climate Reporter and OneMillionOfUs. The former is a international youth-led climate-focused news outlet that shares stories from the front lines of teen climate activism. The latter is an international nonprofit youth voting and advocacy organization that provides resources and training to young adults, hoping to create a youth coalition for five social movements: gun violence, climate change, immigration reform, gender equality, and racial equality.
Thandiwe Abdullah
Thandiwe Abdullah grew up in a family of activists, attending the Free the Jena Six rally with her mom at just 2 years old. At 6, they went to protest the death of Oscar Grant. Now 17, Thandiwe is involved in organizing with Black Lives Matter and cofounder of the Black Lives Matter Youth Vanguard.
