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Authored by First Book Staff on April 21, 2025
Posted in: Historias de Impacto, Nuestros Socios
We’re thrilled to introduce the17 incredible youth challenge winnersfrom this year’sTime for Change Youth Challenge, a national initiative from First Book and Ashoka that empowers K–12 students to become changemakers in their schools and communities.
Across the country, young people stepped up with big ideas—and even bigger hearts. Students from kindergarten through 12th grade submitted innovative project ideas designed to create positive change. And now, thanks to the support of this unique youth empowerment program, 217 students from Title I-eligible, tribal, and military base schools are getting the resources they need to bring those ideas to life.
Out of all the amazing submissions,17 youth-led community projectswere selected for national recognition. TwoGrand Prize winnerswill each receive$5,000 grantsto implement their ideas, and the remaining 15 winning teams will each receive$1,000to support their projects.
These students are more than participants—they’re student changemakers who are proving just how powerful young voices can be when given the opportunity to lead.
TheTime for Change Youth Challengeis part of theTime for Change: Dream, Act, Change Our Worldcampaign, first launched by First Book and Ashoka in 2022. The campaign is rooted in a powerful belief: every young person, especially those from low-income or historically excluded communities, deserves the chance to grow up with the tools and support to become a lifelong changemaker.
By encouraging students to dream big, take action, and lead change, the challenge is helping create a future where youth leadership is the norm—not the exception.
Sid's Changemakers- 5th, 6th, and 7th graders - in Brooklyn, New York, want to establish a Maker Space to create tools that support learners with Individualized Education Programs, creating items like sensory fidgets for self-regulation and adaptive writing tools for non-verbal students.
Kethan and Ethan, 11th graders from Huntington, West Virginia, established The Inkstone Project, a program designed to foster intergenerational bonds through storytelling and outreach initiatives that address feelings of loneliness and isolation.
Peyton, a kindergartener from Toledo, Ohio, aims to install a cabinet at her school that's stocked with snacks and lunch items for students experiencing food insecurity.
River, a 2nd grader from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, is hosting litter clean-ups around his school and in the community, with the goal of getting as many young people involved in cleaning up the city as possible.
A class of 2nd graders in Ms. Thomas's class in Bloomington, Minnesota, wants to raise awareness about the benefits of making healthy eating choices through engaging events and campaigns.
A group of 4th graders in Ms. Williams's class in Malvern, Arkansas, are raising awareness about the importance of spaying and neutering stray dogs and cats in their community through creative events and programming.
Alina, a 5th grader from Anchorage, Alaska, is redesigning tardy slips at her school by creating slips featuring art and welcoming, encouraging messages to decrease feelings of discomfort for young students who are late to school.
Paxxon and J-von, two 5th graders in Anchorage, Alaska, are reimagining their recess time by introducing cultural games and activities that are important to their Indigenous and Filipino heritages, respectively.
6th and 7th graders in Mr. Curtiss's classes in Casa Grande, Arizona, want to start a regenerative farm, complete with livestock, on their school campus to improve community health, increase profit for farmers, and heal the earth.
Yaretzi, a 7th grader from Los Angeles, California, is advocating for policy changes at her school, which currently does not allow students to sell items they make or to start their own small businesses; she argues that small businesses provide students with valuable skills like marketing, communication, finance, and more.
7th graders in Ms. Beckham's class in Kannapolis, North Carolina, are supporting 5th graders who will be transitioning to middle school through community building activities.
A group of 7th graders in Ms. Chavez Romo's class in Fullerton, California, are working to create a school-wide movement to raise awareness about suicide among young people, to educate on prevention, and to provide support systems so that everyone has a place to turn to and no one feels alone.
Amelia, an 8th grader from Bryant, Arkansas, founded and grew "Lisowe's Lights," an organization that has donated 30,000+ night lights to offer comfort to children entering the foster system and to raise awareness about the experience that these youth endure in being removed from their homes at night or in otherwise frightening situations.
Robert, a 9th grader from Lititz, Pennsylvania, is tackling climate misinformation and education, specifically in non-English-speaking countries, through translating important climate news into different languages.
Deliya, a 10th grader from Nolanville, Texas, is supporting girls aged 7-18 who are navigating low self-esteem, trust challenges, and feelings of isolation by building supportive, open communities that can foster important relationships.
Sarah, an 11th grader from Immokalee, Florida, is creating ReGen Designs, an upcycling program for clothes that will engage teenagers in creating upcycled accessories and clothes and spread awareness about the harms of fast fashion.
Donte, a 12th grader from Nolanville, Texas, is addressing hygiene poverty among boys aged 8-18 by distributing hygiene packs with items like toothbrushes, body wash, deodorant, and more.
Educators can joinFirst Book’s Network— the largest online community of individual educators, professionals and volunteers dedicated to supporting children in need across North America — to bring new resources and supplies to their classroom or program.