Changemakers in Children’s House: Learning How to Lead
“Hope is often misunderstood. People tend to think that it is simply passive wishful thinking: I hope something will happen but I’m not going to do anything about it. This is indeed the opposite of real hope, which requires action and engagement.”
It is one thing to want to make a change, but to actually take the passionate steps to making it happen is what makes someone a true changemaker. The one thing that all great changemakers have in common is heart. A changemaker is someone who cares enough to make a difference.
In Children’s House Writers’ Workshop, elder students (our Kindergarteners), continue to study Jane Goodall through the Roots and Shoots Program. Jane was pivotal in the study and protection of chimpanzees in Gombe, Tanzania. When she saw firsthand that the rainforest was disappearing and her beloved chimpanzees were suffering, she left Gombe and traveled the world speaking to humanity about what she has seen, sharing all of her true stories, some of tragedy but mostly true stories of hope.
I was very excited to share this autobiography, The Chimpanzees I Love : Saving Their World and Ours, with our Children’s House writers. The children have read many biographies written by various authors and throughout the year they have worked on their own biography of Jane.
Throughout the year, the children have been learning about other changemakers throughout the world, and how they acted to make a difference in their communities.
Another changemaker idol we are excited to write about is Tim Wong, an aquatic biologist from San Francisco who saved a threatened butterfly species, the California Pipevine Swallowtail, by replanting rare flora in his own backyard while also transporting caterpillars to his butterfly garden sanctuary. His efforts, although seemingly small, allowed the butterflies to make a comeback! What a heartwarming hero!
“Improving habitat for native fauna is something anyone can do, conservation and stewardship can start in your very own backyard.”
While learning about the incredible contributions of some amazing heart-minded adults, we definitely cannot forget the children, full of wonder and curiosity, they once were (and really still are at heart!). Tim Wong became fascinated with the life cycle of a butterfly in elementary school and Jane Goodall had a stuffed chimpanzee, Jubilee, that was gifted to her as a child. Now at 90 years old, she still carries Jubilee with her!
Old Enough to Save the Planet is a magical and hopeful collection of real children making real changes all around the world. I’m planning on sharing a child changemakers story at the beginning of our writing sessions until the end of the school year. Below are the first four changemakers we will learn about, true hopeful stories are powerful! I’m hoping my writers will soon feel inspired to make a change of their own, perhaps in their own school community or backyard!
- Felix Finkbeiner, Germany Changemaker: Global Reforestation. His Plant-For-the-Planet program was so successful that more than one million trees have been planted in nearly 100 countries.
- Himangi Halder, India Changemaker: She reduced the effects of traffic pollution around her school by encouraging people to ride a bicycle instead of driving to school.
- Amy and Ella Meek, United Kingdom Changemaker: Sisters Amy and Ella started a charity educating people about the harmful effects of plastic on the environment. They encourage people to use reusable alternatives.
- Adeline Tiffanie Suwana, Indonesia Changemaker: She formed a community group called Friends of Nature, organizing people to replant native mangrove trees that have been cut down.
