Simple Acts, Big Impact

Do you remember sitting alone in a playground and wishing someone would invite you to play? Well my guest today has had that experience and, after learning about "buddy benches" at camp, decided to do something about it. Sammie V. collects plastic bottle caps and recycles them to create "buddy benches" in her community (and around the world). The Sammie's Buddy Bench project helps the environment while providing a place for children to learn to be kind and inclusive.

Learn more about putting a buddy bench in your community at

https://sammiesbuddybenchproject.com/ and follow @sammiesbuddybenchproject

Happy Valentines Day. It's a perfect day to spread some love, friendship and joy, like my guest, Anbini G. - a high school senior from Seattle who started an organization called Love and Sweet Bakery which is "changing the world, one dessert at a time." With chapters all over the country, this effort allows youth to bake treats and donate them or sell them to raise money to help others in their communities.

Learn more and order treats at https://www.loveandsweetbakery.com/ or follow @loveandsweetbakery.

My guest today, Ethan H., has been featured on many national media platforms for his organization called Ethan's Heart: Bags4Blessings which he started when he was only 7 years old.

Learn more at https://www.ethansheartbham.org/ and follow @ethansheartbham. This episode will inspire you because as Ethan says, "every day is a good day to help someone."

February is Random Acts of Kindness month so this episode featuring Mia P and her organization The Kind Mouse is a perfect way to kick it off. Kind Mouse helps children dealing with hunger and food insecurity in Mia's community of St. Petersburg Florida while encouraging the next generation of kind leaders with its "Mouse in Training" program.

Follow and learn more at http://thekindmouse.org/ or on social media @kindmouse and @beyoutifulbefly

As we honor the International Day of Learning today, I'm delighted to share this episode with 7th grader Ned K. whose frustration with online learning during the pandemic sparked the creation of a blog dedicated to education. Learn more and subscribe to receive Ned's Blog at https://ned-kelly-blog.webflow.io/

Learn more about Curious Cardinals at https://www.curiouscardinals.com/

Today is International Mentorship Day (who knew, right?). You have to see it to be it. That phrase may be a little overused but it is also very true. This episode is all about the transformational power of mentorship, and two teen changemakers who saw a need for increased accessibility to female mentors, particularly for students from gender-marginalized communities. They created MyNetworkHer to fill this need.

Learn more and sign up for a mentor (or suggest a female leader in the STEM field to become a mentor) at www.mynetworkher.org and follow @mynetworkher.

In honor of the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Day of Service next Monday, I'm delighted to share this inspiring conversation with Angie, a teen from South Florida, who works with an organization called Justice is Us. The Justice is Us Project focuses on teaching civic education to Black youth in the United States and the Caribbean to encourage partnership in policy advocacy and community engagement.

Learn more @justiceisus.project.

Sydney and her brother Brayden care about empowering youth to express their feelings through music and other forms of creative expression. They are committed to mental health advocacy, suicide prevention, and creating stronger communities. They believe youth should be seen, heard, and loved. Learn more and follow Be the Change @bethechangeyi and at www.bethechangeyi.com.

TW: this episode discusses suicide.

Happy New Year! This week, I'll share my key take-aways from the first 16 episodes of Season 2.

- Teens changemakers are positive, kind, and enthusiastic. They give me hope.

- A few good things came out of the pandemic.

- Take a chance. Show up. Make the effort. It's always worth it.

- Be grateful. Keep working. Stay curious.

Thanks for listening. See you in 2024!

When Emily Meyer was 4 years old, she was hospitalized on Christmas and woke to find a pile of toys at her bedside. So began her journey of collecting and distributing toys to hospitalized children every holiday season for the last 14 years!

Learn more at www.theemilymeyerfoundation.org or follow on social media @theemilymeyerfoundation