Why would I start a project?

Teens often find themselves asking — if I’m not old enough to drive or vote, why should I start a project to help others?

Every young person sees problems in our world. Some people have been bullied for liking art in middle school, been the victim of discrimination or have spent weeks feeling isolated in a hospital. All young people have been personally impacted in a way that, despite their young age, has allowed them to understand how broken so many parts of our world are.

We believe these moments are the inspiration to imagine something better. They’re moments that allow people to imagine a world of abundant connection, empathy and support. We know young people are going to encounter struggles in their lives. The question is, how do they respond to them? Do they feel resigned to living in a sub-optimal society, or do they step up and try to make it better?

To start off this series, you’ll find stories of young people who experienced a challenge, saw a problem, and were inspired to make a difference.

Weekly Changemaking Challenge

Every week you can follow along with our activities that will help you grow your changemaking skills. Our first question is:

What’s a problem that you’ve recently seen in the news or social media?

Leave your response in the comments!

Next week we’ll be back with a post all about inspiration and a story of a student who turned a personal challenge into a passion project.