A while back I interviewed a young man and a young woman who had, in their teens, decided to get involved in helping other kids.
 
Craig Kielburger and his brother Marc were encouraged to read the newspaper at a young age by their parents. Craig became aware that other kids his age (12 at the time) who were from Islamabad, Pakistan, were being sold into slavery as young as age 4. Craig became very disturbed about the article but what could he do about the problem ... especially since he was still so young? He began to do his own research at the library and asked himself what his brother, Marc, would do. HIs older brother had been a role model for him, taking on environmental issues at a young age and receiving the Ontario Citizenship Award. No long after, together, the two founded Free The Children while Craig was still barely a teen. The result has been a worldwide cause that has brought kids together in small groups across the nation and around the world to help fund the education of kids in 45 countries. Craig has seen more of the world before he was 20 than most of us will see in a lifetime. He's won the World Children's Prize (known also as the Children's Novel Peace Prize) and partners with Oprah's Angel Network. Forty thousand kids have been educated to date and over 450 schools have been built. He and Marc have written the book, Me to We: Finding Meaning in a Material World.  A great read that became a New York Times bestseller and an inspiration to any kid or adult who's cause-minded.

Then there's Freddi Zeiler who also began watching the news at age 12  and started comparing what she was blessed with to what kids in other lands don't have.  She decided to donate from her piggy bank to a charity but realized there are good and not-so-effective charities out there. To help kids know where to give, she wrote "A Kid's Guide to Giving". It's a great book and offers a good overview of charities dedicated to kids that kids should know about. It's a wonderful guide and resource for anyone interested in youth issues.

As we raise our children or mentor youth we can offer these two books as suggested reads. It never hurts to plant seeds in a kid's head but especially with a message coming from their peers about giving back. Clearly, the world needs more Freddie's and Craigs right now. They're not waiting on the world to change ... they are the change. How refreshing! And if you're a mentor, what a great way to broaden their scopeand help them see their value beyond their circumstances.

Grab their books at an online bookstore and enjoy the interview from a 2007 radio show I did with these great role models.

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