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UNISOLVE's groundbreaking approach to skills development gets young people thinking in a whole new way. They go on a self-paced journey, investigating, learning about, then solving problems in their communities. Through this process, youth develop skills related to critical thinking, creativity, problem-solving, and empathy. This approach is based on proven UPSHIFT methodologies. UPSHIFT started in 2014 and, at its core, is a highly adaptable social innovation and entrepreneurship programme focused on skills development for young people. It aims to build real-world skills, ultimately inspiring positive changes in young people and their communities. UPSHIFT has supported more than 2.2 million adolescents and young people across 42 countries through several different innovations, including UNISOLVE, which is one of the most promising ways to integrate UPSHIFT into national education systems.

UNISOLVE allows UPSHIFT to be rolled out at scale through schools-and it does this quickly and efficiently. For governments, UNISOLVE is a fast way to expand learning opportunities and showcase tangible results in a very public and relatable manner. Impacts are seen in a matter of months. UNISOLVE's digital approach keeps costs low while allowing schools to participate with minimal managerial or administrative support. It also reduces the need for teachers throughout the learning process-resources are available in local languages, 24 hours a day, on any compatible device.

Many governments are interested in working with UNICEF to incorporate UNISOLVE into their education systems. In fact, there are plans to roll out UNISOLVE in additional states in India and in new markets, like Bhutan, the Maldives, and Vietnam. The innovation is expected to reach eight million adolescents and young people in these areas, but could be expanded even further. UNICEF estimates that a global rollout could reach more than 40 million young people. Young people urgently need skills and empowerment opportunities. UNISOLVE has the power to uplift youth across the world-it's time to expand this groundbreaking approach to skills development.

UNISOLVE is part of the Learning Innovation Portfolio at UNICEF. The Global Innovation Portfolios align technical and financial resources to promising projects that can accelerate results for children in key focus areas, including Water and Sanitation, Maternal and Child Health, Climate Change, Gender Equality, Youth, Mental Health and Psychosocial Wellbeing, and Immunization. By bringing these proven solutions to more countries, UNICEF's Office of Innovation strives to strategically and efficiently address some of the biggest challenges facing children.

Continue exploring the Office of Innovation website to learn about the many innovative solutions and technologies the team is bringing to scale.

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UNISOLVE's groundbreaking approach to skills development gets young people thinking in a whole new way. They go on a self-paced journey, investigating, learning about, then solving problems in their communities. Through this process, youth develop skills related to critical thinking, creativity, problem-solving, and empathy. This approach is based on proven UPSHIFT methodologies.

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Newsela | Opinion: Why kids can be leaders and send powerful messages

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Standing up and getting things done is not just for adults - young people are calling for change, too.

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Newsela | Meet Newsela's amazing kids of 2018

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Kids took a stand on issues and lived their dreams during the past year

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InfoPacket: 7 Amazing Teen Inventors | Kids Discover Online

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Newsela | Teen's campaign to promote black female book characters goes global

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Teen has raised worldwide awareness of the need for more diversity in books

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Newsela | Fight climate change before it's too late, say youth around the world

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Youth are protesting around the world to call attention to climate change - before it's too late.

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Have you ever heard of a teen who changed the world? Or someone being targeted for their opinion? Or even a youth child killed for trying to make a difference in the world? These are what...

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Newsela | At 16, Coco Gauff's voice is already as strong as her serve

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Acclaimed tennis player is a young leader for social justice.

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What is Teen Activism?

Teen activist are people who decide to make an impact on this world. They decide to stand up to take an action for something they believe in... Basically teen activists are people who are motivated to make an impact on this world for something they believe in. They might believe in reducing E-waste. Or help animals who have no home. Or even believe every girl in the world should have an education.

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Teen activist are people who decide to make an impact on this world. They decide to stand up to take an action for something they believe in... Basically teen activists are people who are motivated to make an impact on this world for something they believe in. They might believe in reducing E-waste.

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Students may see ways they can effect change if they break down big issues like climate change into smaller, more accessible challenges.

Do students feel confident in their own power and potential to act-to make change? To find the answer, I run an activity that involves passing sticky notes around and asking every student to come up with their own definition of a changemaker. I suggest they go beyond "someone who makes change." Most will write that a changemaker is someone who makes a difference.

After they complete the definition, I ask them if they feel like a changemaker-if they embody the definition they just wrote. Most students will write, "No."

This trend goes far beyond my own experience. When facilitating a changemaker workshop with teachers from across the nation through First Book and Ashoka's Time for Change initiative, I asked educators to talk to their students about changemaking and run a similar exercise. The result: Many students didn't feel they had much power. This led us all to wonder, how do we help our students understand their own worth and importance in the world? As educators, how do we support our students to feel like changemakers?

Helping Students to See the Changemaker in Them

We all want our students to understand that they each matter and that their actions matter. Too often, it can be a struggle to help students approach problems or understand the part they might play in developing solutions. It's essential to provide a lens for students, not only on how they view problems, but also on their ability to create positive change. Students might fail to see the opportunity that each problem creates or how they might use their agency to do good. That's where we can help to open the doors on the power they each have to act as changemakers.

Talk to your students about changemaking: This is an opportunity to gauge how students feel about themselves and starts an important dialogue as to how students see their role in the world and their capacity to solve problems. How do they define changemaking? Do they feel like a changemaker? Why or why not? They may lack confidence or a sense of self-worth about the impact they have the potential to make. Once they realize their power to take charge, that agency should stay with them.

Make problems approachable by using questions to inspire action: Many problems that impact our world are wicked problems. There's no clear problem definition and no single solution that can solve the problem. All of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), including poverty, inequality, climate change, environmental degradation, peace, and justice-have no silver bullet solutions. Too often, because of the complexity of these issues, students disengage. We need to reframe the issues so they understand that opportunities abound-and we each can do something, anything, to make the world better. We're not looking for a "right" answer but rather the collective ingenuity within us all to do something.

Challenging students to see the opportunity-the ways in which we can act-is a great way to shift a seemingly negative issue into something more constructive. For instance, the more students learn about poverty, the more they'll see the relevance of policy and business practices. These potential solutions might feel out of their control, so helping students engage by giving problems a local context can help them feel more tangible, something that students can realistically act on (for instance, starting a local food pantry). This lets students shift their thinking and see the benefit of solving the problem and the value of local solutions contributing toward the greater whole.

In the classroom, you can try flipping a challenge into an opportunity using the following activity.

Step 1: Writing a Challenge Question
How to write a challenge question:
Instead of telling students about a problem, have them investigate it for themselves using a challenge question. This is a version of Mad Libs from The Startup Teacher Playbook. You can use this to help students think about what they're trying to do by focusing on impact, action, and users. Use the ideas below to create your own, or have students create one for themselves.

Fill in the following blanks-it's OK to be general:

Action = A verb (or verb phrase) describing how you will work on the problem.

User = Who are you designing for; who's the primary beneficiary of your work? For example, it could be: students, peers, parents/guardians, community, animals, the environment.

Impact = The goal of your action. Having a measurable outcome will help you assess whether or not your approach had the desired impact.

How might I/we ___ (action) + ___ (user) + ___ (impact)?

Example: How might we take climate action (action) as a school community (user) so that we contribute toward a better world (impact)?

Step 2: Investigating the Question

After posing a challenge question or after students have created their own, have them further investigate the question by exploring each of the following pieces. This brainstorming activity helps them structure their ideas.

Impact. This is a chance for students to think about their end goals or the outcomes they want to achieve. For instance, how does mitigating climate change contribute toward a better world? What are the benefits? (This isn't an easy assignment for students, as they're not used to focusing on the positive in finding solutions.)

User. Have students dig deeper into the audience or beneficiary (for example, some students might want to help animals or the planet). What are their needs? How will students work with them?

Mindset: How might you change how people think?

Behavior: How might you change how people act?

Innovation: What could you create to solve the problem?

Systems: How could we do things differently as a society?

Action. Have students make their ideas more tangible. What does it look like to take action? What could they do? To help students brainstorm, have them think about the following:

Step 3: Synthesizing

When finished, have students synthesize their ideas. Which ideas did they develop from the action piece that will best help them achieve their impact and take into account the needs of their user? Have them put the pieces together to create a solution statement-an idea they might try.

When students are presented with societal problems, they seem to internalize the negative. Take an example from sustainability: Students usually know what climate change is, they know it's bad, and they often hear that everything they do (their footprint) causes further harm. When it's presented this way, it may cause students to disengage or feel disempowered, and it may fuel anxiety or stress that spurs hopelessness or inaction. Help students recognize what's in their control.

You can ask them to focus on what they can do when approaching a problem, rather than what they can't. For instance, what if instead of asking students to always focus on their footprint (what they shouldn't do), we asked them to focus on their handprint (what they could do to make the situation better)? Having them craft a list of small actions is a great way to engage them in the problem and help them to understand their power as changemakers.

This ability to solve problems and adapt to change is empowering and lays the foundation for students to take bigger and bolder steps. It also supports their well-being (research from Ashoka has found that changemaking increases joy and purpose), as students feel a sense of purpose and accomplishment through the actions they take.

Students should leave school knowing that they can use their power to do something to make the world better. Helping them to be comfortable approaching problems, learn how to flip problems into possibilities, and use their agency to do good-no matter how small the step-contributes to their ability to act as changemakers.

Solving problems isn't just about doing good. Yes, we want a better world, but through this ingenuity students will learn how to craft the kind of world they want to live in. Their ideas will spark new jobs, new innovations, new policies, and new ways of doing things. It's through changemaking, through uncovering the opportunities that lie within each challenge, that students will be able to embrace the world. We may not know what the future holds, but helping them to understand their power and take on challenges will certainly enable them to be ready for it.

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Guiding Students to See Themselves as Changemakers

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Students may see ways they can effect change if they break down big issues like climate change into smaller, more accessible challenges.

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Our country has a long history of youth-led movements that brought about significant social change. Young people have advocated for child labor laws, voting rights, civil rights, school desegregation, immigration reform and LGBTQ rights. Through their actions, the world has changed. Because young people often have the desire, energy and idealism to do something about the injustice they see in the world, they are powerful agents for change.

Our work in education helps students examine implicit and overt forms of bias and discrimination and as a result, educators often feel a responsibility to provide students with the structure, opportunity and tools to do something about the injustice they see in the world. Transforming students' feelings of anger, sadness and hopelessness into concrete actions that can make the world more equitable is a vital teaching opportunity. Voting is one way to get your voice heard but there are a myriad of ways young people can make difference.

Below are ideas for bringing social activism into the classroom and outside of the school walls. These are lifelong skills and attitudes that teach students about citizenship and that there is something you can do when faced with injustice. The strategies can be acted upon individually, organized together as a group and young people can join with a larger effort that is taking place locally or nationally. The tactics also bring opportunities for students to read, write, research, think critically and talk with each other.

1. Educate others

As students learn about an issue they care about, their natural instinct is to share their new knowledge and insight with others. Encourage this by providing live and online opportunities for them to teach others, including their classmates, younger students and adults in their lives. This can include school assemblies, community forums, teach-ins, peer-to-peer programs and social media forums. Include opportunities to share the information in interesting ways (written, art, theatre, etc.) and they should also give other students the chance to explore their own thoughts and feelings about the topics. Youth who want to know more may be more likely to learn from another young person.

2. Advocate for legislation

Change comes about in a variety of ways and one of these is through legislative change. For example, the primary advocates for the DREAM Act have been young people known as the DREAMers, who have a personal investment in the issue. With your students, provide opportunities for them to learn about the history and impact of legislative change like the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Help them analyze proposed legislation in relation to their goals and assess the extent to which it will have an impact. They can study research that examines the extent to which legislation impacted injustice. Have students push for legislation by working with other groups with similar goals, building coalitions and writing letters to their legislators to advocate for specific local, state and federal laws.

3. Run for office

Student government provides a chance for students to have a positive impact in their school and learn about how government works on a small scale. It gives youth the experience to reflect on and consolidate their own positions on important school issues, learn how to communicate those positions, build relationships with others and become a good listener in understanding constituent (i.e. other students) needs. It is also good practice for the future in getting involved in politics. Elected positions are not the only way to get involved; students can also become involved in groups like the Gay-Straight Alliance (GSA), peer training or other task forces that are working to improve their school.

4. Protest

Marching in the streets enables students to express themselves and publicly convey what's happening while meeting and connecting with other people who feel passionate about the same issues. Demonstrations and protests can be uplifting and empowering and can help students feel like they are part of a larger movement. In preparing to attend a protest, have students consider what their goals are in attending the event and think through what message they want to convey. They can create posters, prepare songs or chants and practice symbolism that conveys their thoughts and feelings. They should consider whether they want to do individually or organize a group of students from their school to go together, make transportation arrangements and ensure that safety concerns are addressed.

5. Create a public awareness campaign that includes social media

There are many ways to develop or participate in a public awareness campaign Educating people about an issue in order to inspire change can take place in school, in the community and online. Creating signs and posters using art and photography can be very effective as can videos and live speeches; these are all useful skills that young people can learn. In recent years, the use of social media to raise public awareness has been largely driven by young people and is a useful vehicle for raising issues and effecting change. The use of blogs, social media sites like Instagram, Twitter and Snapchat, videos, memes and online petitions are just a few examples of how words travel fast online and can incite quick and effective action.

6. Do a survey about the issue and share the results

Understanding what people think and why is helpful in bringing about social change. Students can learn more about public opinions on issues by participating in surveys themselves and also reading about them. They can also create their own surveys. Using paper surveys or online surveys, students can gain insight into how other students in their school or the larger community feel about an issue. This is useful in organizing others and addressing their concerns and needs; at the same time it builds math, critical thinking and interpersonal skills.

7. Raise money

Raising money is a concrete way for students to contribute to community or national efforts to address injustice. From organizing a bake sale around a local issue to fundraising on a larger scale for a national concern like racial disparities in the criminal justice system, raising money helps students feel like they are part of something bigger and backs the cause. Fundraisers can include selling items, auctions, entertainment, sponsoring events and more.

8. Write a letter to a company

Students can reach out to companies or organizations that they feel have done something unfair or biased. This is something do-able that can make a difference. For example, if students want to change the ways toy companies use gender role stereotypes to package and sell their toys or games, have them write letters to toy or video game companies and explain why they think their practices are biased. In crafting a well-written letter with evidence and a clear statement of what needs to change, students learn useful skills in persuasion and at the same time, it has a made a difference.

9. Engage in community service

In addition to organizing and advocating on a large scale, students should be encouraged to engage in community service on issues they care about. For example, if they are concerned about the stereotypes and violence directed at homeless people, in addition to advocating for legislation or attending a demonstration, students can also donate their time to help out in a homeless shelter or soup kitchen. Serving the people who are directly impacted gives young people firsthand knowledge of the situation, deepens their understanding and builds empathy.

10. Get the press involved

Help students understand that bringing publicity to their issue amplifies the message, gets more people concerned and potentially has a greater impact. They can write a press release, do an interview, write an op-ed in their local paper or invite a reporter to see what they are doing and write something about it. This sharpens their own message and serves to bring that message to a larger group of people.

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Our country has a long history of youth-led movements that brought about significant social change. Young people have advocated for child labor laws, voting rights, civil rights, school desegregation, immigration reform and LGBTQ rights. Through their actions, the world has changed.

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Stories about people who are changing the world - here at home in the U.S. and around the world.

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Young people all over the world are taking action for the Global Goals and we want to celebrate them!

Thanks to support from Hasbro, we've given a platform to young changemakers from around the world to tell their stories.

Each of these videos is one minute long and you can watch them on Flipgrid or Youtube below.

They are a great way to start conversations about big topics and inspire children to take action in their own ways.

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Sharing stories from changemakers | The World's Largest Lesson

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A series of short videos from around the world

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Changemakers are everywhere. Everyday citizens become trailblazers and history makers, shaping America and making life better. Come discover their stories with us, and be inspired to create your own.

Top Features

Featured Collection Rosa Parks

Changemakers in Library Collections

These digital collections document the work of changemakers throughout history. Get to know them by exploring their personal papers, letters, photos & more.

Changemakers in Online Exhibitions

These exhibitions tell the stories of people who have shaped history through art, activism, discovery and invention.

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Changemakers | Topics | Library of Congress

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Changemakers are everywhere. Everyday citizens become trailblazers and history makers, shaping America and making life better. Come discover their stories with us, and be inspired to create your own. Top Features Featured Collection Rosa Parks These digital collections document the work of changemakers throughout history.

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CLOSE

From quotes on forgiveness to the struggle for racial justice, Martin Luther King Jr.'s words have continued to resonate with audiences, decades later.

King is remembered Monday as a civil rights leader that left a lasting legacy. The holiday that fal birthday became first federal holiday honoring an African American when it was approved in 1983.

As the country observes King, here's a look back at some of the most popular MLK quotes.

This list of ten quotes was originally published in 2016 after Twitter said these phrases were the most tweeted phrases by King.
"The time is always right to do what is right." "Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that." "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere." "Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter." "I have decided to stick with love. Hate is too great a burden to bear." "Faith is taking the first step even when you don't see the whole staircase." "Forgiveness is not an occasional act; it is a constant attitude." "Life's most persistent and urgent question is, 'What are you doing for others?'' "Nothing in the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity." "We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope."
Read or Share this story: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2019/01/21/martin-luther-king-jr-quotes-10-most-popular/2636024002/

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Martin Luther King Jr. quotes: 10 most popular from the civil rights leader

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CLOSE From quotes on forgiveness to the struggle for racial justice, Martin Luther King Jr.'s words have continued to resonate with audiences, decades later. King is remembered Monday as a civil rights leader that left a lasting legacy. The holiday that fal birthday became first federal holiday honoring an African American when it was approved in 1983.

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Description Founded in 1994, Changemakers connects anyone, anywhere with ideas, tools, and opportunities to make social and environmental impact. We learn from-and bring together- diverse communities to build the global changemaker movement through online challenges, courses, and more.

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Support the Global Co Lab's Teen Changemakers