You don’t have to be an adult to make change.”

-Lauren Klym, Today’s Future

Let’s take a look

 

Mattie

Age 12

Margaret “Mattie” Knight was only 12 when she witnessed a horrible accident at a cotton mill involving a mechanical loom. What did she do? She invented a safety device for the machine which was adopted by many other mills.

Ages 10 & 12

Sisters Melati and Isabel Wijsen were 10 and 12 when they became aware of the extensive plastic pollution in the seas around Bali. What did they do? They formed ‘Bye Bye Plastic’ which actively promotes the collection of plastic waste and discourages its use which has become a global mission.  ‘What can we do as children living in Bali, NOW, to make a difference?’ 

Age 10

Sarah Dewitz was 10 when she read about children in a nearby neighborhood who lacked basic necessities like books. What did she do? Sarah started Just 1 Book, collecting more than half a million books and raised money for a bookmobile to take books directly to the neighborhoods in need. “Everyone should live in a world with books.”

Age 6

Ryan Hreljac was 6 when he first learned that clean water was not accessible to poor areas. What did he do? He did chores to earn money to send to organizations that were building wells in poor countries. At age 10 he started Ryan’s Well Foundation. “All I had to do was take 10 steps from my classroom and I had clean water. I figured everyone lived like me. When I found out this wasn’t the case, I decided I had to do something about it.”

The Future

There is no age minimum or maximum for making a change. Belief in yourself, determination, imagination and gumption are traits. The willingness to understand and accept this is key. And we live in a world where anything is possible.

Lauren Klym was 16 when she heard a reporter talk about a school shooting. This reporter mentioned the story of a substitute teacher being at a disadvantage. There was no centralized lock-down plan. What did Lauren do? Find out on this week’s podcast. “You don’t have to be an adult to make a change.”  Click here to listen

Find us on most popular podcast platforms including the platforms below. And of course, our websiteListen, subscribe for free and take us with you wherever you are. Reviews, ratings and shares are always welcome.
  
   
Cheers,
Sylvia