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It’s every parent’s worst nightmare: losing a child. No matter how it happens, it will haunt any parent that experiences this loss for the rest of their lives. But this Suicide Prevention Awareness Month, we need to look directly in the face one of the most haunting ways to lose a child, and recognize that…

What 12-year-old wouldn’t want to throw a giant party? That’s exactly what Molly Pinta, co-founder of the Pinta Pride Project, pulled off, with the help of her parents and an encouragingly supportive community. That’s pretty special, but what’s even more special is the reason she wanted to plan this event, since this wasn’t just any…

April is National Sexual Assault Awareness Month. While we shouldn’t limit talking about this incredibly pressing problem to just one month out of the year, it’s at least a start. This time should be dedicated to shedding light on what is happening all too often to our friends, neighbors, loved ones, and ourselves.  You might…

May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and we hope this month, as always, you’re doing great! But we also get it if you’re struggling - many of us are after the last couple of years. But there’s also good news: according to a poll conducted by the American Psychiatric Association, almost 70 million adults resolved…

What are some of the things you consider essential in your life? Lots of people would rank their morning cup of coffee pretty high on the list, right? But dig a little deeper for a moment and think about some of the essential things that you might sometimes take for granted - not just food,…

There are some things that are all around us, yet we don’t necessarily see them. For example, if we are lucky enough to live a comfortable life, without ever having had to experience the horrors of war, the heartbreak of having to flee our home, or the struggles of being an outsider in a new…

There’s an old proverb that says: “It’s better to light a single candle than to curse the darkness.” And what could be truer than that? Instead of despairing over a problem you see, take whatever small action you can to make things better - or, in the case of Becca Stevens, founder of Thistle Farms,…

How does that old piece of advice go? Never judge someone until you’ve walked a mile in their shoes? How comfortable would you feel if that “mile” was spending 15 years in prison for a crime you didn’t commit? That’s exactly what happened to Richard Miles, founder of the nonprofit Miles of Freedom, which helps…

Take a look at the FAQs on Downtown Boxing Gym’s website and, under the question “What does Downtown Boxing Gym offer students?” the first thing you’ll see is one simple, two word sentence: “Endless possibilities.” Khali Sweeney, the founder of the Detroit youth tutoring, mentoring, and athletic organization, grew up being told there were no…

When is a fashion brand about more than being fashionable? And what do scarves and leather bags, beautiful as they might be, have to do with empowering women and lifting them out of poverty? These questions aren’t riddles; in fact, they can be easily answered by checking out one brand: Barrett Ward’s ABLE, an ethical…

It can be hard to tell an eager young person that they’re too young for something. There are some things that just have to wait, though, until adulthood: driving, staying out as late as you like, getting your own credit card. But how about giving back to your community? Can you be too young to…

I think many of us have suspected all along that English teachers change the world. You often meet people in that profession who have a certain passion for making a difference in the lives of their students. Sometimes, though, you meet one who really goes above and beyond the call of duty. Ellen Stackable, co-founder…

Some kids get to live their dreams. Some, well, they fall through the cracks. Some have access to programs that challenge them and bring out the best in them, while some look around and see nothing but low expectations and indifference, or worse. Dr. Chad Bernstein, founder of Guitars Over Guns, may have been one…

Jin-Ya Huang might have the secret to building both a successful business and a nonprofit organization that has lasting, tangible effects on people’s lives. Her unique catering company, Break Bread, Break Borders is building bridges between diverse communities and giving a leg up to the most vulnerable among us. Her business model? She employs women…

Trends in music come and go, but some things never change. Kids will always find ways to be cruel to each other, it will always be tough to be a teenager, and music will always have the power to heal and bring us together. Jessica Villa Sikora, founder of the nonprofit and online community Superbands,…

It’s easy to take what you have for granted, it’s easy to opt out of putting in the work to take care of ourselves, it’s easy to look at other people and not see them for everything that they are. Tim Boyle, founder of I Run 4, has been pushing against all of these instincts…

When tragedy strikes, we are often faced with two choices. We can give up, or we can emerge stronger. In some cases, like that of Dr. Dorothy Johnson-Speight, founder of the Philadelphia-based organization Mothers in Charge, having something terrible happen to us can lead us to do great things. For Dr. Johnson-Speight, an unthinkable personal…

Those of us who are suckers for a crazy, sweaty workout know the meaning of motivation. So do those of us who have ever been moved to support a worthy cause or work in some way for social justice. It’s that sense of taking one small step (or burpee!) towards being better than the day…