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 groups of girls in a friendly and supportive environment.

To learn more visit www.girlsruleai.org or follow at @girlsruleai

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 @ClimbingforCommunity

The gym where Climbing for Community holds classes is https://gravityvault.com/locations/hoboken-nj

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 Friends and a partnership with the Broward Children's Center.

Follow Ava's work at @avaclaus and learn more at www.avaclaus.com and www.bcckids.org.

A little LIGHT for your holiday season! Amelia from Arkansas started Lisowe's Lights when she was only eight years old, providing nightlights for children who are navigating the foster care system. Lisowe's Lights makes sure that children who need to leave their homes and to be placed in foster care will have a nightlight to help them feel safe in their new home.

Learn more at www.lisoweslights.com and follow at @lisoweslights

My guests today, Akanksha and Claire from Atlanta, bonded over a shared love of art and a huge heart for the elderly. During the pandemic, they decided to create a free online art program called Sketching with Seniors to bridge the generational gap between young people who want to share their creativity and the isolated and lonely older adults who could benefit from the stimulation and connection.

Learn more at www.sketchingwithseniors.com and follow at @sketchingwithseniors

Twelve-year-old Peyton starting fundraising and hosting collection drives for people experiencing homelessness in her Wisconsin community when she was only seven. As we kick of the "season of giving" this week, I hope this conversation will inspire everyone to find the time to help those less fortunate to have a bright and joyful holiday season.

Learn more at https://www.eyeofachild.org/ or follow @_eyeofachild

My guest today, high school senior Ariela from Los Angeles, has a huge heart for rescue animals. In response to the Girl Scouts Gold Award initiative, Ariela created a nonprofit called Reducing Animal Stress, to help provide enrichment for shelter animals, and to help people understand that boredom and stress are triggers that cause rescue animals to act out. Providing handmade pet toys and other enrichment activities can help shelter animals to thrive and become better candidates for adoption.

Learn more at https://reducinganimalstre.wixsite.com/nonprofit or follow @reducinganimalstress