What is more beautiful to read to young children than stories of real young heroInes?
How can we get Changemaking stories to young audiences? Not through long texts. Nor videos. Comics are the way to go!
Great Teaching Tools
for use in class, when dealing with global issues, sustainability, active citizenship and youth. Print and put the entire story on corridor walls, for everyone to see ~ especially on related UN Theme Days. Add activities supporting the heroIne’s cause.
Must-reads for children, at home
Long-term presence make a memorable impression on children, and nurture a life-long worldview of “youth we can”.
Tips:
(1) They link to videos and everything in YL. Use them with your kids and young peers, connect them to our facebook streams and youtube channel playlists for Change Generation Rising.
(2) Print and use as a stream of posters in kindergarten corridors or rooms – for long-term presence and memorable impact. Take related activites. Kindergarten children CAN evoke significant support for book drives, for well-building fundraisers, and others. Julia and Emma are available for “live” webcasts, and so are many others of our awesome young hero/ines.
(3) INSPIRED elementary school kids CAN join our global network and ACT on their newly sparked priorities. Form a Student Club Clan. Join the Tribe!
It’s best to view their videos, too for an optimal vivid and memorable impression.
Julia and Emma Mogus
Two Sisters on a Mission: Enormous Book Drives for Indigenous Children Schools in Fly-in Communities
Emma and Julia have 1000’s of volunteering hours between them and they love to read. When they learned that First Nation kids in remote fly-in communities of Northern Ontario have no access to any books at all, they remembered the famous quote ‘My ticket out of a life in poverty was reading’. They started Books With No Bounds to collect and buy 1,000’s of new and ‘like new’ books, meet officials, arrange airline transportation, fundraise and pack around the clock. Schools contribute with great enthusiasm. One year later, 27,000 books have been sent to all 49 communities, thank you letters are streaming, the sisters receive gifts in return and are invited to visit the communities. ‘We have only started! We are Teen Sisters on a Mission, and everyone can help: by donating books, funds for postage, and starting enormous book drives for Tribal Nation children in Your country!”
Mayerly Sanchez Clavijo
Creating Peace Zones in Colombia’s civil war, gang wars and drug wars.
Mayerly grew up amidst challenges shared by millions of Colombian children. Poverty, crime, drug and gang violence, random killings, civil war and domestic abuse. Reaching out to protect local children, Mayerly and friends started a children’s peace club. At age 12, her best friend Milton was stabbed to death in the middle of the street. Soon after, she co-founded the Children’s Movement for Peace, asking children nationwide what kind of country they wanted to live in. Even death threats did not stop her. ‘They can kill some of us, but they cannot kill us all.’ 2.7 million children cast their vote! Adults reacted, rebels laid down weapons, the army ended military service for those under 18 years of age. ‘As we children speak of our suffering, adults are reminded of their own. Then change happens.’ By the age of 17, Mayerly had been nominated 4 times for the Nobel Peace Prize. Today, the group has 100,000 members.
Ryan’s Well
Raising money for building wells in Africa, so children can drink clean water, without fear of gettick sick and dying
Ryan was 6 years old when he learned at school that children were dying from dirty drinking water, and that $70 could make a difference. When he asked his mum for $70, to build a well, she responded he could do little chores to earn the money. So Ryan set out to do little chores, collecting the money in a candy box. A few months later, he presented the money to his teacher, saying “This is the money for the well, for the children in Africa.” When they presented the money to Susan, Watercan’s project coordinator, she explained that $70 was enough for a handpump. But drilling a well would cost $2,000. “I’ll just do more chores then”, Ryan said, undeterred. When a journalist published the story, money came flooding in! When asked about where the well should be built, Ryan put his finger somewhere on the big African map. It would be Angolo, Africa. When people donated airmiles, Ryan was even able to go visit his well! After landing on a dirt strip, he travelled a road lined by 8,000 children, cheering “Ryan! Ryan!” “They know my name”, Ryan said in astounishment. His guide, Shibru, replied: “Ryan, everybody for 100 miles knows your name.” After the celebrations, Ryan sat pondering what to do next. “I’ll just continue raising money until everybody in the world has clean water to drink.” Whenever Ryan tells his story at a school, children love to help! By age 12, he had raised $2 million for 120 water and sanitation projects in eight countries.