Lesson 1 Make Your World a Better Place
Young Change-Makers Shaping the Future
There are a lot of things that fill us with hope for the future: technology, science, accountable leaders, and nonprofit organizations committed to doing good.
However, few things give us more hope for the future than young people.
Some young people are already working toward solutions for the problems their communities and the world are facing.
Let’s look at three inspirational examples of these young people.
Combating Online Hate with ReThink
Trisha Prabhu, a young computer scientist from the U.S., is fighting cyberbullying with her innovative application ReThink.
ReThink is a virtual keyboard that uses artificial intelligence to detect potentially hurtful text messages before they are sent and prompts young people to pause and reconsider their words.
When a user types a message that contains potentially offensive language, such as “I hate you,” ReThink prompts:
“Hold on! Are you sure you want to say that?” or “Remember. You are what you type!”
In 2014, when Trisha was just thirteen years old, she read the tragic news of a twelve-year-old girl who had been cyberbullied for over a year and a half.
Shocked at the story, she decided to prevent cyberbullying by using technology and created ReThink.
ReThink has been used by schools and organizations worldwide and has successfully raised awareness on cyberbullying.
It has helped young people make better decisions in digital space where people could easily be unkind toward each other.
In fact, it has been found that when using ReThink, adolescents change their minds 93% of the time and decide not to post offensive messages.
Inventing with Discarded Electronic Parts
Kelvin Doe, a self-taught inventor and engineer from Sierra Leone, has been fascinated with electronics since childhood.
He would often do experiments with discarded electronics he found in trash cans to create his own inventions.
In 2009, at the young age of thirteen, Kelvin built his own FM radio station by using a transmitter he made from discarded electronic parts.
In 2014, during the time when an Ebola outbreak affected Africa, Kelvin’s radio station proved to be invaluable.
With schools closed, his radio station provided educational programs to students over the radio.
This was especially important in his country, where the radio was the main source of media.
Kelvin also improved the lives of people around him by providing affordable resources.
He invented a battery capable of powering homes and small businesses, designed a generator that runs on salt water, and constructed a windmill to supply electricity to his community.
Helping Homeless People Rebuild Their Lives
John Michael Stagliano is a young social activist from the U.S. who founded Home Again in 2016.
It is a nonprofit organization that offers furniture and household essentials to families and individuals transitioning from homelessness to stable housing.
He says, “For people who have lived in their cars, in and out of shelters, and in the woods, to be home again is a triumph, a sense of peace, and something to be celebrated.”
John’s journey began in 2015.
At the age of twelve, he volunteered at a local shelter where people in need were staying.
He learned that many of the shelter residents worked hard to rent houses and trailers but faced difficulties in furnishing their new homes upon moving in.
This prompted John to decide to do something for those transitioning out of homelessness.
Needing donations to gather essential items to help them, John reached out to his family, friends, and neighbors.
As word of his efforts spread, donations began to rush in.
So John was able to help more people get settled.
He said, “I never knew the impact that a simple couch or a kitchen table could have.
Furniture can restore the dignity of a family.”
Trisha Prabhu, Kelvin Doe, and John Michael Stagliano are all examples of young social activists who have made significant contributions to society.
Their innovative efforts to solve social problems demonstrate the power of technology, commitment, and individual initiative.
Their stories serve as an inspiration for young people around the world to pursue their passions and make a difference in their communities.
As young innovators and social activists keep appearing, they will undoubtedly make the world a better place.
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