These Teens are Changing the World By Serving Their Communities

Mounds of colorful dancewear and sequined costumes tumbled to the floor in a growing pile as my mom sighed, “Why doesn’t any of this fit you anymore, and what are we going to do with all of it?” That day in 2018, I looked over at my collection of treasures; tossing them into the trash seemed unimaginable. 

It’s been said that necessity is the mother of invention and Donate2Dance, the charity my sister Ava and I started five years ago, was truly born from necessity — most notably, the need to get our mother to stop nagging us about cleaning our closets. 

My sister and I started Donate2Dance with the mission of helping dancers: We donate gently worn and new dance shoes, dance wear, and costumes to dance schools in need around the world. What started as a donation drive at our dance studio, Shuffles NYC, has now evolved into a 501(c)(3) non-profit that has impacted the lives of more than 60,000 dancers globally. With more than 150 “ambassadors,” Donate2Dance has reached dancers across 6 continents and provided them with a sense of community. 

There’s a common misconception that kids can’t make change and measurably contribute to society, but Ava and I started Donate2Dance at just 11 and 13 years old. Any individual can change the world: All a charitable organization needs is an idea, a community that would benefit from it, and — in our case — a whole lot of packing tape and brown paper boxes. 

According to Natalie Silverstein, author of Simple Acts: The Busy Teen’s Guide to Making a Difference, “Children, ‘tweens, and teenagers feel pride in serving and reap the many mental and physical benefits of flexing their empathy ‘muscles.’ Every person has gifts, skills, strengths, and talents to share. Kids and teens just need a little help in finding the spark that will ignite their passion for service so that they can become the purpose-driven leaders of tomorrow.” 

Ava and I cherish the pictures and heartfelt emails we receive, which reinforce how profoundly a costume and a pair of tap shoes can change the trajectory of an aspiring dancer’s life. As lifelong tap dancers, my sister and I have experienced firsthand the positive impacts of dance, like increased confidence and moments of joy that break up our busy school schedules. Every dancer deserves the same. 

And of course, we love connecting with other teens around the country who have charitable initiatives that are making a difference. Here are other youth-driven organizations igniting their passion for service and changing the world:

Blankies 4 My Buddies

This organization was founded in 2013 by then-5-year-old Chris “CJ” Matthews after his family endured a pregnancy loss; he told his mom he never wanted other kids to feel as sad as he did. So he started to collect blankets, socks, and books for other kids facing traumatic situations — now 15, Matthews has joined forces with his 7-year-old brother Kollin to develop a line of blankets; for each one purchased, one is donated. Their latest goal is to provide comfort to kids and families who might be struggling with food insecurity and homelessness, in addition to grief. Says Matthews, “We initiate projects we believe will make their load lighter.” 

ProjectIAm

Jahkil Jackson (pictured at top of article) wants all kids to know they don’t have to “wait to be great.” An author, social entrepreneur, motivational speaker, and influencer, Jackson founded Project I Am when he was 8 years old to bring awareness to homelessness. Now at 15, he’s already raised over $400,000 for the unhoused, which has helped 100,000 men, women, and children get back on their feet. He has also distributed toiletry-filled “blessing bags” to those in need around the country. During the pandemic, Jackson enlisted more than 1,000 kids across 80 cities to make and distribute 25,000 of the bags. 

Helping Hands

Jonathan Tamen started his 501(c)(3) nonprofit Helping Hands MB in 2020 to support immigrant and underprivileged students in Miami Beach, Florida via community-oriented, experiential STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math) programming. Tamen has recruited Miami Beach students to volunteer their time to teach classes and mentor local low-income elementary students. Most recently, Helping Hands MB has been running a summer STEAM program for 4th and 5th graders, predominantly those on free and reduced lunch programs. 

Kid Caregivers

Hailey Richman started Kid Caregivers when she was 10 years old and a part-time caregiver to her grandmother who had Alzheimer’s disease. She wanted to support the 1.8 million kids helping care for family members with Alzheimer’s disease. Knowing that solving puzzles stimulates the brain and potentially could slow the progression of Alzheimer’s, Richman had an idea. Now at 16, she organized a team of kid “Puzzle Ambassadors” and Girl Scouts throughout the 50 states; they collect jigsaw puzzles and spend time in assisted-living facilities, solving puzzles with people living with the degenerative disease. To date, Richman has distributed over 136,000 puzzles to help people living with Alzheimer’s. 

Inspired Melanin

In 2019 at the age of 11, Avery Kelley noticed the lack of media representation of people that looked like her. That led her to found Inspired Melanin, a production company that produces content featuring positive stories about underrepresented communities. Now a 15-year-old screenwriter, director, and filmmaker, Kelley has developed several short films via Inspired Melanin that highlight Black voices. (She hopes to one day have her work on a major network or streaming platform.) In Kelley’s words, “Although young in age, I know I can have big dreams — and with commitment and dedication, those dreams can turn into a reality.” 

AAPI Youth Rising

Mina Fedor founded AAPI Youth Rising in 2021 at 11 years old after she organized a stop-AAPI hate rally in Berkeley, California. She hopes that by speaking out and supporting the voices of Asian people, AAPI Youth Rising can minimize that hate. She and her team believe that education is the prime way to combat racial hate and stereotypes, so, for AANHPI (Asian American, Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander) Heritage Month 2022, they launched their One Day of AAPI History lesson, a one-hour lesson about a few moments in AAPI history (which is featured on the org’s website).