What are the expectations for kids nowadays, besides attending school and getting good grades? Kids have more voices now than before when I was a child. Today children have essential roles in society. They become activists and can impact the world in different ways.
Some children became social justice and Literacy activist like:
Marley Diaz, who organized the #1000BlackGirlBooks drive in November of 2015, using the power of social media to reach the goal of collecting 1,000 books featuring Black female protagonists by February 2016. Marley is not only a literacy and social justice activist but also an author and the 2021 Ambassador of the National Educational Association (NEA) Read Across America. Host and Executive Producer of Netflix’s Bookmarks: Celebrating Black Voices.
Bellen from Bellen’s More than Peach® Project & 1st Multicultural Art Brand [Est. 2.2019] is the world’s 1st Crayon Activist. Bellen used her voice to raise awareness about the importance of representation in the arts by making multicultural crayons available to all kids, making kids feel included and comfortable in their skin when coloring a drawing.
Havana Chapman-Edwards is a 10-year-old U.S. diplomat currently living in Frankfurt, Germany. She is a passionate community organizer, philanthropist, and public speaker. She loves to read and travel and hopes to be an astronaut and artist when she grows up.
It’s also never to late to get kids to be thinking positively! Download our free affirmation cards here.
These top three young activists have not only inspired their generation to take action and use their voice but to believe that kids can do big things to change the world. Motivating girls to use their voices and become a catalyst for change is an empowering way to open doors for more activism to take place, either in careers, literacy, or social justice; it is crucial to nurture and motivate young readers to start a journey of advocacy that brings positive change.
How can we motivate them?
The first step is encouraging children to read diverse literature, ask questions and feel comfortable discussing any topic. We open doors for them to think critically while engaging them with open-ended questions to become problem solvers. In addition, it provides opportunities for them to be involved in the community to serve. Serving not only brings gratification but allows kids to have compassion towards others besides themselves.
Don’t forget to Download our free affirmation cards here.
Silvana Spence is originally from Brazil. She is an author, mom, and educator who resides in Jacksonville Florida with her husband and two daughters. Victoria is portrayed as a character and Isabella is co-author of Bella the Scientist Goes to Outer Space. Silvana holds a bachelor’s degree in early childhood education and master’s degree in Curriculum and Instructions. You can learn more about Sil at https://silsteps4success.com/.