Simple Acts, Big Impact

For the last episode of season four, I'm honored to share a special conversation with Sarah Jakle, the founder of a nonpartisan nonprofit organization called DemocraShe, which offers online training to high school girls. Democrashe creates a vibrant community that uses a peer-led model to teach resiliency skills, leadership, and civic engagement. I hope this episode inspires all of the future lead...

A walkathon is a fun and relatively easy way to raise awareness and funds for a cause you care about. My guests today, Makenna and Stella, launched the Mayo Miles Walk to raise awareness around visual impairment, a condition that has affected both of their families. Their walk, happening in North Carolina next weekend, provides a unique and meaningful twist: walk-a-thon team members are blindfolde...

Young people, especially young girls of color, continue to struggle with mental health issues even six years after the pandemic. Access to services and support is spotty, and many tweens and teens feel isolated and unseen. My guest today, 14-year-old Mila, understood this struggle and wanted to help girls in her community access resources. She started MH Boxes, delivers care packages, made by Blac...

I think we can all agree that sometimes, a simple phone call from a friend can brighten your whole day. And for a lonely or isolated older adult, that phone call might be one of the only points of human connection they will have. My guest today, Nolan Z. from Massachusetts, was inspired to launch Golden Voice Outreach when he realized how meaningful phone calls with his grandmother became after sh...

We all know that books hold the key to language and literacy. My guest today, Sahana, a high school senior from Ohio, has always had a passion for words and reading and was a finalist in the Scripps National Spelling Bee. She launched the Young Learners Foundation, an organization with the goal of advancing youth literacy with free books and programs, which has already donated over 18,000 books to...

My guest today, HS sophomore Evan Z., cares deeply about making the streets of his community safer for everyone - drivers, walkers and bicycle riders. He started NextGen Community Builders, an organization dedicated to empowering youth through traffic and transportation safety programs. Evan is involved in the highest levels of his town's government and has been recognized with a Community Achieve...

Origami is a traditional Japanese art of folding paper, typically without cutting or gluing, to create intricate, beautiful and colorful shapes. It can be a meditative practice, and is an art form often passed down from one generation to the next. My guest today, Juan R.F. shares the story of Origami for Good, an organization with the mission to spread joy, one fold at a time. Volunteers in chapte...

Over the four years of doing this podcast, I have had the privilege of learning about some incredible social impact projects that take a unique approach to solving a difficult problem, but my guest today has one of the most interesting stories I've heard.  Keshav, a high school junior from Houston Texas, started playing the bagpipes in 2nd grade. After making a connection between lung capacity and...

After the loss of her beloved grandmother, Jiya J. from Texas realized that she missed the warm connection she had with her grandmother, and reached out to local senior centers and nursing homes to find a way to volunteer to paint with the residents. Her nonprofit, Young and Old United, grew out of this personal passion project and has spread across the state of Texas, engaging over 100 student vo...

Reading opens doors and provides opportunities, and for young people who find themselves in the hospital, research shows that books can boost positive emotions and oxytocin levels, while lowering stress hormones. My guests today, Sanvi and Sumedha from the Chicago area, understood the many benefits of reading and launched The Bookmark Project, a book collection and distribution effort, to empower...

Today, as we kick off Earth Month, I am honored to share this conversation with Crystal and Ellie, two college students who became friends while doing Model UN in high school. They bonded over their shared concern for the environment, and launched LEAP, or Live Environmentally Active in the Present, a youth-led organization spreading awareness through education and a powerful publication called Th...

My guest today, Edie Y., is a college student, a future educator and a champion of the arts - for EVERYONE. Edie started We Are Artistic to support artists and art lovers, and to create a safe and inclusive space for people of all abilities to engage in creativity. Learn more at  www.weareartistic.net  and follow @weareartisticgroup

Period poverty continues to be a major issue for so many women and girls in the United States. My guests today, sisters Mia and Maya F. from Florida, started Enough for Everyone, to ensure that women living marginally in their community have access to the personal hygiene products they need to maintain their health and dignity. Learn more at  www.enoughforeveryone.org  or follow @enoughfor_everyon...

Sometimes the simplest efforts are the most impactful. Big-hearted high school senior Ryan T. launched Read Aloud Buddies along with his sister during the early days of the pandemic. The organization aims to match every child with an experienced high school or college student. The student volunteers read to their "buddy" improving language skills and literacy. Ryan also runs Little Acts of Kindnes...

My guest, Aaron H. from California, created the Indigenous Justice Coalition to support the many indigenous tribes in our country who have been denied their rights and benefits. Aaron felt a call to action, particularly on behalf of the Waccamaw tribe, which is indigenous to the Bay Area. He learned how to respond to grants, has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars in support of this work  and...

When a child is diagnosed with a rare and difficult disease, there is so much chaos and stress. The care that they are given in the hospital and the attitude and optimism of their family and support network are crucial. My guest today, Nell C., was diagnosed with a rare condition at the age of 9. She emerged from that very scary experience and is well and thriving now, with her disease in remissio...

In honor of Eating Disorders Awareness Week, I am honored to share this conversation with Diya- a high school senior who, through her own experience with an eating disorder as a young teen, decided to launch an organization, Eating Disorders Support and Awareness, or EDSA. Partnering with a national ED nonprofit, EDSA is a youth-led organization that raises awareness and provides peer-to-peer supp...

Through his own curiosity, research and interest in giving back to his community in a meaningful way, Brock M from the Boston area figured out that socks are some of the most needed items among people experiencing homelessness. He launched Project Socks in the Fall of 2025 and has already made such a huge impact. This conversation covers so many topics that are foundational to my work and the them...

Showing kindness to our elderly neighbors and those who are confined to facilities is some of the most gratifying and impactful service work we can do. My guest today, Nora P. from the Chicagoland area, created a beautiful organization called Roots and Grounds,a youth-led nonprofit serving seniors in retirement homes, offering complimentary planting and craft workshops.  Learn more at www.roots-an...

My guest today, Brandon, tells us the story of the challenges he has faced in terms of his eyesight and the way that his mother helped him to face this challenge and overcome it, with hard work and optimism. Brandon created the See the World Foundation to help other children who struggle with issues around their sight. See the World empowers young leaders to take leadership roles and it ensures th...

This Friday Jan 23 is National Reading Day, and to celebrate, I have a special episode to share today, featuring Rebecca Y, a high school student from California who created an incredible organization, Read to Respond. Rebecca has always been a voracious reader, and what began as a book club combined with community service has evolved into an international community of readers who are connecting a...

My guest today, 16-year-old Nyla, cares deeply about the mental health struggles of young people in her community. During the pandemic, she realized that she was not the only person who was feeling lonely, isolated, and worried. She created Stillmakers with a grant from the Riley's Way Foundation to help tweens in grades 6 - 8, to use creative expression to share their feelings. She hopes to norma...

Creativity in all its forms can be healing, and can provide a welcome distraction for children going through treatment for pediatric cancer. My guest today, Olivia W, combined her passion for photography and her interest in becoming a pediatric oncologist to create Healing Lens, an organization that helps pediatric patients share their stories through photography. Learn more at @healinglensproject

Happy New Year! At the midway point of Season 4, I continue to be overwhelmed by the kindness, drive, purpose and optimism exhibited by my guests each week. During dark and troubling days in our world, these teen changemakers give me hope for a brighter future. Instead of my usual interview, today, I'd like to share a short essay with you. The Riley's Way Foundation, which I've mentioned on the po...

Happy Holidays to you all, and welcome to this very special Holiday episode! Today I have the pleasure of sharing this conversation with sisters Alexis and Taylor, who started their organization, Bored No More with a simple goal - providing bags of games, toys, and crafts to hospitalized children who are away from their homes over the holidays. It is a perfect reminder that there are so many ways...