Simple Acts, Big Impact

Welcome to the kickoff of Season Four! Sophie K. is a high school student from California whose recently launched organization, Chains of Hope, benefits charities supporting the people of Ukraine. As a first generation Ukrainian American, whose parents emigrated to the US after WWII, I was deeply touched by Sophie's heart for the Ukrainian people who continue to suffer after more than three years...

Our Season Three Finale! I have interviewed more than 50 amazing young people this season, and we've covered a wide range of topics. I've learned so much, and continue to be inspired, every day, by the work of these changemakers. I'm ending the season on a super high note - Dylan Z. created Computers4People when he was only 15 years old, turning a hobby with friends into a social impact endeavor....

California teen Gwenevere P. started the Persaud Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to protecting the ocean through education, public involvement and conservation. Through online courses, an electronic newsletter and a podcast, she and her team raise awareness and share their love for marine biology. It is always so inspiring to speak to a young person who is on fire about an issue, and who has mad...

As we move through Mental Health Awareness month, my guests today, brothers Vick and William from Minnesota, approach the issue from an entirely new perspective - one that we've never covered on the podcast before. Their nonprofit Fish Hut empowers youth to get outdoors and into nature, and provides the tools that young people need to learn how to fish - a pastime that has been shown to reduce str...

As we acknowledge Period Poverty Awareness week, I'm honored to share this conversation with Ananya D. a high school senior who cares deeply about women living in refugee camps, and is especially concerned about their ability to have what they need to care for themselves and to maintain their dignity during their menstrual cycles. Ananya's drive and tenacity are an inspiration. Learn more about he...

This conversation is the perfect way to honor Older Americans Awareness month, which is celebrated in May. Intergenerational volunteering is so incredibly powerful. My guests today, high school students Areen, Emily and Rachel, started Generation Union with the mission of bridging the gap between generations. They empower youth to engage with institutionalized seniors and other patients living wit...

As we kick off Mental Health Awareness month, I'm delighted to share this conversation with three big-hearted young men who care deeply about the mental health of their class mates and other youth around the world. Arjun, Tanuj and Shreyas started their nonprfoit Mind4Matter last Fall after observing a need for a safe space for teens to talk about stress and mental health struggles. Mind4Matter is...

We wrap up Earth Month with this conversation with Madhvi C., and incredibly impressive young changemaker from Colorado. Since she was a very young child, Madhvi has been passionate about sustainability and advocacy around climate justice. She worked to remove styrofoam from her school, and has been instrumental in the passing of legislation around environmental issues in Colorado. She has address...

As we continue to celebrate Earth Month, I'm delighted to share this conversation with Ivy, a highschool student who started the Teen Coalition 4 Climate, an international youth-led organization with the goal of uplifting youth climate voices. Now in over 30 countries around the world, Teen Coalition 4 Climate publishes a YouZine - one of the first ever entirely youth-led climate justice magazines...

We continue our celebration of Earth Month with this delightful conversation with Makayla C. whose love of the beaches near her home in Southern California, especially Venice beach, inspired her to create Clean Up the Beach, a youth-led beach clean-up organization. Learn more at www.cleanupthebeachca.org or follow at @celan_up_the_beach_ca

April is Earth Month and it is my absolute pleasure to kick it off with this delightful conversation with 14-year-old Cash from Chattanooga, Tennessee. Cash is an award-winning river and ocean conservationist and was named a top 5 Time Magazine Kid of the Year, and his platform is called, appropriately, The Conservation Kid. He cofounded an organization called The CleanUp Kids that engages young p...

My guest today, Emma J. from New York City, took a painful experience - the loss of her father when she was only 13 years old - and turned it into a joyful and impactful nonprofit called Club Care. Now with chapters all over the country and one in Paris, Club Care volunteers fundraise and create care packages for pediatric cancer patients. Learn more at www.clubcare.org

There is a phrase - "home of the free BECAUSE of the brave." My guest today, Ben B from New York, is an impressive young man with a passion for supporting our active duty military, their families and our honored veterans. We're living through a chaotic and divided moment right now and I hope that this conversation will remind us that our service men and women, and our veterans and wounded warriors...

Running is a sport that instills confidence, strength, resilience and a sense of purpose. My guest today, Maya M, from Minnesota, is a first year at Georgetown and a member of the track and field team. During a gap year before starting college, she traveled to Tanzania and launched a special organization called Girls Run Global, which empowers girls and equips them with the skills to succeed throu...

This Friday, the first Friday in March, is National Speech and Debate Day! To amplify the many benefits of this extracurricular activity, I'm excited to share this conversation with Saeed who, along with his cofounder Ammar, launched The Speaking Solution which shares the skills and joys of speech and debate with under-resourced young people in their community. Learn more at https://thespeakingsol...

Tourette Syndrome is a neurological condition that may cause sudden repeated movements or vocal sounds called tics. My guest today, Savannah, was diagnosed with Tourettes when she was 7 years old, and now serves as a youth advocate for the New Jersey Center for Tourette Syndrome. In this role, Savannah speaks to school children about Tourette Syndrome, she helps to raise awareness and organizes fu...

My guest today realized that typical clothing donation drives serve the convenience of the donor instead of the recipient, and decided to do something about that. High school junior JoJo from Los Angeles, along with her sister Brooke, created SheStyles, an organization that elevates the clothing donation process to boost the self-confidence of the young women who need it the most. Learn more @SheS...

Fifteen-year old Legacy from St. Louis has been volunteering with her family since she was born. She started Little Legacies, a kids-for-kids community service organization with a simple three-fold mission - kids service and fun. Legacy has figured out what I tell parents and nonprofit founders all the time - that if you make volunteering fun and encourage young people to engage in service with th...

As we honor Black History Month in February, I'm honored to share this inspiring conversation with a young leader from Georgia named Jayshun, a student at Morehouse College. While he was still in highschool, Jayshun started the Black Youth Empowerment Network, an organization that is dedicated to fostering a sense of community amongst Black youth while providing the opportunities, resources, and t...

Creativity and artistic endeavors (like photography) can be a way of processing grief and isolation. My guest today, Charlotte from the Bay Area in California, knows this very well. She experienced the loss of her father only days before the pandemic lockdown started in the spring of 2020 and turned to photography as a way to get outside and channel her emotions into something positive. Her new ho...

My guest today, Ishani from New Jersey, has always loved math and is fascinated by AI. When she noticed that she was the only girl in a national computer science competition, she created a program called Girls Rule AI which empowers girls from around the world with the foundatonal knowledge and programming skills they need to build solutions using AI. Girls Rule AI offers free courses to small gro...

Sanja J. started Global Visioneers to inspire and empower youth to become global citizens and create a more interconnected future. Global Visioneers is a student-led nonprofit organization empowering global understanding and connectivity through language and cultural exchange initiatives. Learn more at www.globalvisioneers.com or follow at @globalvisioneers

Mila H. is a high school junior from Hoboken New Jersey who has had a passion for rock climbing since she was 7 years old. She turned that passion into a wonderful program called Climbing for Community which partners with the boys and girls club to make the lif-changing benefits of rock climbing accessible and inclusive to underserved young people in her community. Learn more and follow at @Climbi...

Meazi Light-Orr was born in a very remote village in Ethiopia called Kololo and adopted by an American family when she was a young child. After her mother established an elementary school in Kololo, Meazi was inspired to start Kids for Kololo and led an incredible fundraising campaign to improve education access by adding a middle school. Learn more and follow at @kids_for_kololo

Merry Christmas to all who celebrate! I'm delighted to re-share this episode which originally aired in December, 2022. It is a perfect way to remember the true spirit of the Christmas holiday. Ava S. was only 6 years old when a classmate who was fighting leukemia inspired her to launch a project called Ava Claus, providing toys for children in the hospital. The effort turned into Ava Claus and Fri...