We really can all make a difference, some big, some small, some truly amazing. Check out these truly inspirational kids and then get your kids to check them out, too….
Ryan Hickmam
Ryan Hickman started Ryan’s Recycling Company in California at three years old and now, at seven years old, has recycled around 200,000 bottles and cans and has enough saved for his college fund. [Find out more].
Melati & Isabel Wijsen
Bye Bye Plastic Bags is a social initiative driven by the youth to get the people of Bali to say no to plastic bags. Founders and sisters, Melati (15) and Isabel (13) Wijsen started Bye Bye Plastic Bags 3 years ago when they were inspired by a lesson in class about significant people. Born in 2013, it received the confirmation of the government and Governor that Bali will become plastic bag and plastic garbage free by 2018! [Find out more]
Ryan Hreljac
The Ryan’s Well Foundation is a Canadian charitable organization providing effective and sustainable solutions to the water crisis in the poorest regions of the worlds’ developing countries. It grew from the passion and courage of one 6 year old boy. Ryan was inspired to take action as a grade one student when he learned of the consequences for people without access to safe drinking water. He was remarkably determined as he succeeded in rallying his community to help him raise the funds needed to build one well in Uganda, Africa. One well that has changed everything. [Find out more]
Severn Cullis-Suzuki
Severn presented at the first international Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in 1992 at the age of 12. After single-handedly raising the money to travel to Brazil, Severn represented the Environmental Children’s Organization (ECO), the environmental nonprofit she founded with some friends at the age of 10, and spoke on behalf of concerned youth to an international audience. She brought delegates to a standing ovation, and some to tears, after calling out world leaders for failing to protect younger generations from environmental issues. [Find out more]
Maya Penn
Maya launched her own eco-friendly accessories business at the ridiculously young age of eight, has a non-profit and has given inspirational TED talks about environmental issues. Watch her TED talk.[Find out more]
Katie Stagliano
9-year-old Katie brought a tiny cabbage seedling home from school, it grew to 40 pounds and she donated it to a soup kitchen where it helped to feed more than 275 people. Moved by the experience, Katie decided to start vegetable gardens and donate the harvest to help feed people in need. Today, Katie’s Krops donates thousands of pounds of fresh organic produce from numerous gardens to organisations that help people in need. [Find out more]
Elif Bilgin
This clever kid found a way to make bio-plastic from an item commonly found in our waste bins: banana peels. Knowingthat Thailand alone discards 200 tons of banana peels per day motivated Elif to work on extracting the starch and cellulose needed for bio-plastic production out of banana peels. It took time, and her trials initially failed: the plastics created weren’t strong enough and decayed too quickly. But her persistence paid off, since she obtained the result she was pursuing. [Find out more]
Jake + Maya [Kids] Journal 