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Iqbal Masih became a debt slave in a carpet factory in Pakitan when he was a child. Five yeras later he was set free. He gave other children the courage to leave their owners.

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The story of Iqbal Masih in The Globe Magazine from The World's Children's Prize

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Alex Lin started an electronic waste recycling drive to recycle technology and reduce toxic waste in his town.  This progressed to refurbishing the technology and using it to help his community and others around the world.

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Alex Lin Helps Reduce E-Waste⎢TakePart TV

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Malala shares her inspiration and passion for helping girls have the opportunity for an equal education.

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Faye Carey: Teenage Girl is Dog's Best Friend

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Faye Carey: Teenage Girl is Dog's Best Friend

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This 16-year-old Waikato teen volunteers with her local branch of Animal Control, giving abandoned animals a second chance at life.

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You can learn more about the Marvel Hero Project. You can wach some short video clips about some inspiring teens and read some comics created about them as well.

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Marvel's Hero Project Season 1 (2019) | Synopsis, Cast & Characters | Marvel

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Explore Marvel's Hero Project Season 1 on the official site of Marvel Entertainment! Learn about the plot, cast, characters, & more!

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Gitanjali Rao has been selected from a field of more than 5,000 nominees as TIME’s first ever Kid of the Year.

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Gitanjali Rao has been selected from a field of more than 5,000 nominees as TIME’s first ever Kid of the Year.

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Watch and read how She spoke about her astonishing work using technology to tackle issues ranging from contaminated drinking water to cyberbullying, and about her mission to create a global community of young innovators to solve problems the world over.

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The world belongs to those who shape it. And however uncertain that world may feel at a given moment, the reassuring reality seems to be that each new generation produces more of what these kids-five Kid of the Year finalists selected from a field of more than 5,000 Americans, ages 8 to 16-have already achieved: positive impact, in all sizes.

Read about how we picked the Kid of the Year here. And watch TIME's Kid of the Year broadcast special on Dec. 4 at 7:30 p.m. ET on Nickelodeon.

Kid of the Year: Gitanjali Rao, 15
Lone Tree, Colo.
"Observe, brainstorm, research, build and communicate." That is what the brilliant young scientist and inventor Gitanjali Rao told actor and activist Angelina Jolie about her process, over Zoom, from her home in Colorado, during a break in her virtual schooling. Just 15 years old, Rao has been selected from a field of more than 5,000 nominees as TIME's first ever Kid of the Year. She spoke about her astonishing work using technology to tackle issues ranging from contaminated drinking water to opioid addiction and cyberbullying, and about her mission to create a global community of young innovators to solve problems the world over. Even over video chat, her brilliant mind and generous spirit shone through, along with her inspiring message to other young people: don't try to fix every problem, just focus on one that excites you. "If I can do it," she said, "anybody can do it."
Jolie, a TIME contributing editor, is an Academy Award-winning actor and special envoy of the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees
ANGELINA JOLIE: When did you know that science was a passion of yours?

GITANJALI RAO: I feel like there wasn't really one specific aha moment. I was always someone who wanted to put a smile on someone's face. That was my everyday goal, just to make someone happy. And it soon turned into, How can we bring positivity and community to the place we live? And then when I was in second or third grade, I started thinking about how can we use science and technology to create social change. I was like 10 when I told my parents that I wanted to research carbon nanotube sensor technology at the Denver Water quality research lab, and my mom was like, "A what?" [Editor's note: they are cylindrical molecules made of carbon atoms that are very sensitive to chemical changes, and thus are good for detecting chemicals in water, among other uses.] It was just that changing factor of, you know this work is going to be in our generation's hands pretty soon. So if no one else is gonna do it, I'm gonna do it.

AJ: I love that. So much of what my generation should be doing is just making sure we do as little damage as possible to ensure that the next generation can take the lead.

I know one of your latest innovations helps prevent cyberbullying. Could you tell me about that?

GR: It's a service called Kindly -there's an app and a Chrome extension-which is able to detect cyberbullying at an early stage, based on artificial-intelligence technology. I started to hard-code in some words that could be considered bullying, and then my engine took those words and identified words that are similar. You type in a word or phrase, and it's able to pick it up if it's bullying, and it gives you the option to edit it or send it the way it is. The goal is not to punish. As a teenager, I know teenagers tend to lash out sometimes. Instead, it gives you the chance to rethink what you're saying so that you know what to do next time around.

AJ: So you just put it on your kids' phones?

GR: Yeah. I put out a survey to parents, teachers and students, and I honestly expected that students don't want to be micromanaged.

AJ: Right. My kids would be like, "Don't touch my phone, I'll do it myself."

GR: No, exactly, that's what I would be like. But a lot of the teenagers were telling me that, you know, it doesn't seem like I'm being micromanaged; it seems like I'm being given an opportunity to learn from my mistakes. So that's what I was superexcited about, that they understood what the goal of it was.

AJ: The way you're talking about technology as a tool to remind people and help them to grow seems like a very new and different thing. It's so exciting to have such a forward-thinking young, and female, inventor.

Does that affect you in any way? It's surprising because I think of women as being brilliant, but there are so few women in the science and tech fields.

GR: I don't look like your typical scientist. Everything I see on TV is that it's an older, usually white man as a scientist. It's weird to me that it was almost like people had assigned roles, regarding like their gender, their age, the color of their skin. My goal has really shifted not only from creating my own devices to solve the world's problems, but inspiring others to do the same as well. Because, from personal experience, it's not easy when you don't see anyone else like you. So I really want to put out that message: If I can do it, you can do it, and anyone can do it.

AJ: I know you have these "innovation sessions." Tell me about those.

GR: I just looked at what worked for me and decided to share it with everyone else. So I made this process that I use for everything now: it's observe, brainstorm, research, build, communicate. It started with a simple presentation and lesson plans, and then I started adding labs and contests that students could do. Now I've partnered with rural schools, girls in STEM organizations, museums all across the world, and bigger organizations like Shanghai International Youth Science and Technology group and the Royal Academy of Engineering in London to run innovation workshops.

The students that I work with, they just don't know where to start. I think that if you give them that spark that they can then build off of, then that changes everything. That means one more person in this world wants to come up with ideas to solve problems.

At the end of every workshop, everyone has something that they can start working on. If you can do this in 45 minutes to an hour, imagine what you can do if you spend months and months working on it. I'm so excited when I get an email like, "Hey, I attended your workshop four months ago and here's my finished product, I really love it, it's a shoe that calls 911."

AJ: That is insanely impressive. For so many young people, it takes a lot to find the confidence to be able to put an idea forward. You have a brilliant mind, clearly, but you are very, very generous with that mind, and that's just really wonderful. What are you working on now?

GR: I'm currently working on an easy way to help detect bio-contaminants in water -things like parasites. I'm hoping for this to be something that's inexpensive and accurate so that people in third-world countries can identify what's in their water.

And I recently hit my goal of 30,000 students who I have mentored, which is superexciting. It's like creating a community of innovators. I really hope the work that all of these kids are doing identifies innovation as a necessity and not something that's a choice anymore. I hope I can be a small part of that.

AJ: I think you are. Your generation is unique. You don't just accept what's being put forward, but really question it, and that's so important. I know there are many, many issues we're facing today. With your work on water contamination, is the environment something that's very much on your radar?

GR: Yeah. Our generation is facing so many problems that we've never seen before. But then at the same time we're facing old problems that still exist. Like, we're sitting here in the middle of a new global pandemic, and we're also like still facing human-rights issues. There are problems that we did not create but that we now have to solve, like climate change and cyberbullying with the introduction of technology.

I think more than anything right now, we just need to find that one thing we're passionate about and solve it. Even if it's something as small as, I want to find an easy way to pick up litter. Everything makes a difference. Don't feel pressured to come up with something big.

Most of my work with the bio-contaminants is based on a gene-based therapy solution which I'm still trying to figure out. I'm also working on a product that helps to diagnose prescription-opioid addiction at an early stage based on protein production of the mu opioid receptor gene. I've been really, really interested in genetics. That's what I like, so that's what I'm deciding to work on.

AJ: You know, one of the things you pointed out which is so important is that there is so much, you can get overwhelmed. When I started working in refugee camps, there are so many different issues to deal with within a displaced situation. You get overwhelmed, and you don't really move. I love what you're saying: find what you're passionate about, and don't try to solve everything. Every solution is a part of the bigger picture of what we have to do. I really hear that and appreciate you saying that.

Where do you get your news or do your research?

GR: My pop-culture news is actually MIT Tech Review. I read it constantly. I think that's really where inspiration strikes: hearing about all these amazing people at schools like MIT and Harvard who are doing such amazing work with technology. And I try to connect it back to what I see out there and put it together in a way that no one's seen before.

AJ: When you're not doing all of these amazing things-because I feel like I'm speaking to a 60-year-old scientist in Geneva-what do you do that's just a 15-year-old thing?

GR: Actually I spend more time doing 15-year-old things during quarantine. I bake an ungodly amount. It's not good, but it's baking. And, like, it's science too.

AJ: So the science of the kitchen is not your specialty?

GR: I guess not, no. To be fair, most of the time we don't have eggs at home, or like flour, so I have to like go online and search eggless, flourless, sugarless cookies, and then I try to make that. I made bread recently and it was good, so I'm proud of myself.

AJ: Well, I'm just so happy to get to know you a little bit. I'm sure I'll be using your inventions in years to come and just being in awe of you as I watch you do more and more in your life, and I can say, "I met her once."

Tyler Gordon, 14
San Jose, Calif.
High school freshman Tyler Gordon has faced more challenges than some people experience in a lifetime. He used a wheelchair for nearly two years after breaking bones in his legs and hips because of a vitamin D deficiency. He was born deaf and underwent a surgery at age 5 that gave him some hearing, but he still speaks with a stutter. In elementary school, he got bullied so much that he barely spoke.

"His escape was to not speak at all; he'd nod his head or point, he was so afraid," says Gordon's mother Nicole Kindle.

But at 10, Gordon found his artistic voice. After watching his mom paint, he decided to try it himself and won first place in a school art contest with a portrait he'd made of the principal. In the four years since, he's painted more than 500 portraits of Black icons who inspire him, most recently Vice President-elect Kamala Harris, who called him right before Thanksgiving to tell him he's "amazing" and has a "gift."

"Sometimes I can't talk and get words out, so I speak through my art," Gordon says. Painting helps him move past the bullying, which he still experiences; he lost a front tooth in one incident earlier this year. "It helps me take my mind somewhere else. I don't want to keep thinking about that same moment for the rest of my life."

His big break came in 2018, when his portrait of NBA star Kevin Durant went viral and caught the eye of the player's mother, who bought it for $300. Celebrities started calling for commissions. Among the stars he's painted and met are Janet Jackson, Kevin Hart, Jennifer Lopez and Alex Rodriguez. In 2019, a portrait of the Central Park Five fetched more than $100,000 at auction, and he won a 2020 Global Child Prodigy Award. This past summer, in the wake of George Floyd's death, Gordon used his canvas to raise awareness about victims of police brutality, feeling a particular affinity to 23-year-old Elijah McClain, who also had special needs and an artistic side.

Media interviews and speaking engagements have helped Gordon combat his fear of public speaking, and he hosts virtual painting classes every Wednesday on Instagram, where he boasts nearly 50,000 followers.

"Since he started painting, I can't get the kid to be quiet," says Kindle. "He's not afraid of the stutter anymore." Now, by starting his own online platform for video tutorials called Tongue Tye'd, he hopes he can show other kids how to overcome their challenges with art as well. - Olivia B. Waxman

Jordan Reeves, 14
Columbia, Mo.
For Jordan Reeves, having a limb difference has helped her envision a more accessible world. The 14-year-old designer and activist was born with a left arm that stopped growing beneath her elbow, a physical difference that helped ignite her passion for design. In the past four years, Reeves has created a 3-D-printable prosthesis for kids that shoots out biodegradable sparkles, consulted for companies like Mattel to create toys that affirm limb difference and even co-written a memoir about what she's learned from growing up with a disability.

Reeves sees good design as an avenue to empower those with disabilities, which is why she and her mother co-founded Born Just Right, a nonprofit that celebrates kids with physical differences and gives them design and STEM resources so they can come up with their own solutions.

"A lot of kids with disabilities have a different point of view on the world, because the world isn't made for us really," she says. "We have this great design mindset because we grow up problem-solving. It's a pretty cool thing." But one of the biggest barriers she sees kids facing is finding the confidence to innovate. "It's so important to believe in yourself," she says. She found her confidence with the help of her mother, and by seeing the positive results of some of her early work. "[When I started,] I was just 10 and I was able to make an impact, which is so cool," she says. "Go for it, don't doubt yourself, don't think about what other people think-you can make change no matter how big or how small."

Although 2020 has brought new challenges, it hasn't slowed Reeves down. She's been hosting digital-design workshops for Born Just Right, appeared at the United State of Women conference to advocate for gender equity, and was the youngest of 30 global leaders recognized this summer at a 30th-anniversary commemoration of the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act. She also co-founded the Steam Squad, an online organization that gets kids involved in science, technology, engineering, math and the arts. Up next: working with Microsoft to design a guitar that anyone with mobility challenges can play.

She's inspired, she says, by the tenacity of her generation. "It's so sick knowing that I'm a part of a group of people who are working toward the future," Reeves says. "The world needs a lot of work at times, and it's important to be there to do as much as you can." - Cady Lang

Bellen Woodard, 10
Leesburg, Va.
Bellen Woodard is only 10 years old, but she's on a mission for inclusion. She has created her own line of crayons in tones that reflect the wide spectrum of skin colors she sees in the world, claiming the title of world's first crayon activist.

The idea came when one of Woodard's classmates asked her for a "skin color" crayon. Woodard, who was the only Black student in her grade, says she knew the classmate meant the peach-color crayon. When she told her mother Tosha Woodard about what had happened, Tosha suggested that she pass her classmate a brown crayon instead next time. "But I didn't want to do that," Woodard says. "I told her next time I was actually going to ask what color they want because it could be lots of different colors." Then she got to work making a set of 12 "skin color" crayons.

Although research shows that children can begin to understand and believe racial stereotypes by age 4, an August study by researchers at Skidmore College and Boston University found that parents often delay conversations about race with children because they under-estimate children's ability to understand the concept. Tosha says her daughter's crayons have proved a great age-appropriate tool to spread a message of inclusion.

In spring 2019, Woodard launched More Than Peach, a nonprofit that has donated more than $40,000 worth of multicultural crayons and sketchbooks to schoolchildren across the country. Her packet of crayons has been added to the permanent collection at the Virginia Museum of History & Culture.

Woodard says she was surprised by how quickly her message spread. She started by simply talking to her teacher about the crayons, then they were picked up by the rest of her school, and now she gets calls to speak-and distribute her crayons-at schools across the country. In March, she received a special recognition from the Virginia state legislature for her work.

Woodard's crayons are named for things found in nature-there's "Sahara" and "Reef," "Koko" and "Serengeti"-but each is also clearly labeled "skin color."

"I wanted to have crayons for a purpose," she says. "The peach crayon is a skin color ... but is it the only one? No, it isn't. My different shades of peaches and browns can hopefully match everyone including me and my friends and my classmates. Just everyone." - Jasmine Aguilera

Ian McKenna, 16
Austin, Texas
Ian McKenna was in third grade when he learned that nearly a quarter of the kids at his Austin school weren't getting enough to eat at home. He wanted to help, but local volunteer organizations turned him away, saying he was too young. So he decided to find his own solution. For years, he had been gardening with his mother, and they often distributed their extra vegetables to the neighbors. Why not give the produce to a soup kitchen? "Then I thought, I'm good at gardening," says McKenna, now 16. "Maybe I could try to start a garden that's meant solely to help feed these people who are in need." Better yet, he thought, why not plant a garden at school, so that kids in need could take food home?

McKenna persuaded his school to set aside space for a garden, then he asked the community for donations of seeds and equipment. Other students donated their time. Within months, McKenna's garden was producing lettuces, spinach, tomatoes, cucumbers and squash for students and their families. Now, seven years later, McKenna's Giving Garden project has expanded to five area schools in addition to his own backyard garden, and he has provided more than 20,000 lb. of organic produce (enough for 25,000 meals) to Austin families and food pantries.

For most of his gardening activities, McKenna wears the same T-shirt in different colors, emblazoned with what has become a personal motto: BE A GOOD HUMAN. To him, that means helping in any way you can, no matter your age. Even a smile can make a difference in someone's life, he says. "It lets them know that they are important. It can change their day."

When COVID-19 hit the U.S., McKenna redoubled his efforts, cooking up to 100 meals out of his home to distribute to the hungry on the weekends, so that he could give them one less thing to worry about. When social distancing meant that volunteers couldn't work on community garden plots, he started offering online tutorials and a gardening hotline so families could grow at home. Once he realized that some people didn't know how to prepare the more unusual vegetables in his gardens, like the 100-lb. bullet head wax melons he distributes by the slice, he started offering virtual cooking classes (the melons cook, and taste, like zucchini). While gardening is his core focus, McKenna says he is always looking for new ways to help the hungry. "Hunger doesn't stop," he says. "So I won't stop until it does." - Aryn Baker
Buy a print of TIME's Kid of the Year cover
Contact us at letters@time.com.

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The world belongs to those who shape it. And however uncertain that world may feel at a given moment, the reassuring reality seems to be that each new generation produces more of what these kids-five Kid of the Year finalists selected from a field of more than 5,000 Americans, ages 8 to 16-have already achieved: positive impact, in all sizes.

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Community Service Has a Number of Important Benefits

Engaging in community service provides students with the opportunity to become active members of their community which has a lasting, positive impact on society at large. Community service or volunteerism enables students to acquire life skills, as well as provide a service to those who need it most. These are some of the common benefits of participating in a community service program:

1. Psychological benefits: Volunteering increases overall life satisfaction and helps you feel good about yourself because you are helping others.

2. Social benefits: Volunteering engages students with the community, creates special bonds with the population being served, and increases social awareness and responsibility.

3. Cognitive benefits: Volunteering helps students enhance their personal knowledge, grow from new experiences, and develop important interpersonal communication skills.

Participating in community service not only makes a difference to the organization and people being served, but also makes a difference to every student's career prospects. Participating in community service activities helps to enhance student resumes by allowing students to obtain work-related skills prior to graduation, builds good references for employers in regards to community involvement, and provides a forum to network with future potential employers. It also helps students develop civic and social responsibility skills and become more aware of what their community needs.

You can also make a positive contribution to your community by earning an online degree in criminal justice or psychology. Contact us today for more information about our programs where you can learn how to help real people and leave a positive impact on the world.

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Why is Community Service Important? - Florida National University

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Community Service Has a Number of Important Benefits Engaging in community service provides students with the opportunity to become active members of their community which has a lasting, positive impact on society at large. Community service or volunteerism enables students to acquire life skills, as well as provide a service to those who need it...

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Good Morning America Video- "Little Miss Flint" 

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Good Morning America Video- "Little Miss Flint" 

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Read about Mari Copeny, an eleven year old evnironmental actvist.

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5 years into water crisis, Little Miss Flint hasn't given up l GMA

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Disney's Marvel Hero Project videoclip- Rebekah Bruesehoff 

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Disney's Marvel Hero Project videoclip- Rebekah Bruesehoff 

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Rebekah Bruesehoff (she/her) is a twelve year old activist who is on a mission to spread a message of hope and improve support for transgender and LGBTQ youth.

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Rebekah is honored to join the elite group of heroes that make up the Marvel Hero Project.

Rebekah is on a mission to shield others from hate, and make the world a safer, more loving place for everyone. Raising awareness for LGBTQ youth and putting herself out there as a role model for other kids has made her a hero.

Rebekah's episode released on December 6 on Disney Plus. "Mighty Rebekah" is the 5th episode in the series of extraordinary kids making a real difference in their communities.

Learn more at www.marvel.com/heroproject

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Mighty Rebekah on Marvel Hero Project - Rebekah Bruesehoff

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Rebekah is honored to join the elite group of heroes that make up the Marvel Hero Project. Rebekah is on a mission to shield others from hate, and make the world a safer, more loving place for everyone. Raising awareness for LGBTQ youth and putting herself out there as a role model for other kids has made her a hero.

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Click and scroll down to read about how Marley Dias, a sixth grader, made headlines when she initiated the #1000BlackGirlBooks project to collect and donate 1,000 titles that featured black girls as the central character.

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Marley Dias made headlines as a sixth grader when she initiated the #1000BlackGirlBooks project to collect and donate 1,000 titles that featured black girls as the central character. Marley's drive has since yielded more than 11,000. Her first book, Marley Dias Gets It Done: And So Can You!, was published by Scholastic the same month she turned 13.
Why was it so important to you to bring awareness to a lack of diversity in children's literature?
"Bringing awareness to the lack of diversity in children's literature is important to me because there were so many students who have never and will never see themselves reflected in literature assigned in schools. I want to stop the intentional exclusion of some people's stories, and I want every child to have a place in literature where they can see themselves and learn about the experiences of others."
Do you consider yourself a changemaker, and if so, why?
"I consider myself a changemaker because I am working toward changing the systems in schools so that students are able to see diverse main characters. I have been able to achieve this on a global scale and I will continue until every student can see themselves and diverse people as the main characters."
How does your book encourage tweens and teens to become changemakers?
"My book tells my story and shows my path. I started when I was 10 years old. I am now 13 years old. If I can do it then anyone can. Marley Dias Gets It Done: And So Can You! encourages tweens and teens to become changemakers by giving real specific tips for them to make a change in their communities. Instead of just saying work hard or believe in yourself, this book puts all of that information into clear and achievable steps."
What can their adult teachers learn from reading it?
"Teachers, like parents, can learn that they must listen to kids voices and support kids' actions so that they can succeed. Teachers can learn that by offering diverse books they are reducing ignorance as well as helping children become more confident. Being informed and being more confident will help children succeed in and out of the classroom."
You are often referred to as an advocate for literacy. What's next for you in that area?
"I believe that literacy is important because it gives you the tools to express yourself and share your ideas. I want parents and kids to know that reading is fun; it is not just about doing well in school. It's about being a thoughtful person who positively contributes to the world. To make sure that this idea grows, I am starting the Black Girl Book Club. The book clubs can happen in schools as well as in community spaces. I want kids-and adults-to get together and talk about books and share ideas."
How does literacy play into your social justice campaign for racial harmony?
"I don't usually define my work in terms of racial harmony. To me, my work is really about understanding. I want to make sure that people are taking the time to learn about others. I also want people to imagine black girls as leaders and accept that we can be and are the main characters of our lives. I know that if this understanding happens, racial harmony may be the outcome, but racial harmony is not the first thing I think about when I think about my work. Achieving equity and opening spaces for black girls and others to learn are the core reasons for my campaign.

Also, sometimes I think when we say harmony it can make people feel like they are being forced to get along. My work is about education and acceptance. I want people to develop the patience and tolerance to know that there are other ways of being. They may not agree with those ways but they still need to make and hold space for other thoughts, ideas, and possibilities."
What are three books you're super excited about right now (and why)?
"The books I'm super excited about are Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi because it shows the world that in fantasy books, black people don't have to die first, or be the slapstick character, but can be leaders. Next, I'm excited about An Absolutely Remarkable Thing by Hank Green. It hasn't come out yet, but Hank Green is my favorite YouTuber and now he has books, just like his brother, John Green. Last, I'm excited about Rebound by Kwame Alexander because he is one of my favorite authors telling stories about black boys."
Marley Dias will deliver the opening keynote at Children's Literature Day at the ILA 2018 Conference, July 20-23, in Austin, TX. Learn more and register here.

Lara Deloza is the senior communications manager at ILA.

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Marley Dias made headlines as a sixth grader when she initiated the #1000BlackGirlBooks project to collect and donate 1,000 titles that featured black girls as the central character. Marley's drive has since yielded more than 11,000. Her first book, Marley Dias Gets It Done: And So Can You!, was published by Scholastic the same month she turned 13.

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TIME's 25 Most Influential Teens of 2018

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TIME's 25 Most Influential Teens of 2018

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Read about some of these inspirng teens and their causes.

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o determine TIME's annual list, we consider accolades across numerous fields, global impact through social media and overall ability to drive news. In the past, we've recognized everyone from singer Lorde to Olympic champion Simone Biles to political activist Joshua Wong. Here's who made this year's cut (ordered from youngest to oldest):
Marley Dias, 13
When Marley Dias was in the sixth grade, she encountered a problem: "At home I always got to see black girls and diverse experiences being reflected in the books I read," Dias tells TIME. "But at school, I did not have access to those experiences." So Dias, an avid reader, embarked on a mission to collect one thousand books featuring black female protagonists (mostly from donations), and distribute them to communities in need. Since its launch in 2015, #1000BlackGirlBooks has helped distribute more than 11,000 books to libraries, schools and community organizations around the world. And Dias, now a high school freshman, recently published her own book, Marley Dias Gets It Done: And So Can You. Her goal, she says, is to ensure that "kids know that changing the world should not be something that feels imaginary, but something that you have the power to do today and always." -Rachel E. Greenspan
Rishab Jain, 14
Treating cancer requires immense precision: Doctors try to kill all the diseased cells, while sparing as many healthy ones as possible. This can be especially difficult for pancreatic cancer, since the pancreas moves around, and sometimes gets obscured by other organs. In an effort to help solve this problem, Rishab Jain, an eighth grader from Oregon, developed a software tool that, during simulations, was shown to help doctors zero in on the pancreas more accurately, ideally improving treatments. The algorithm won Jain the $25,000 top prize at the Discovery Education 3M Young Scientist Challenge in October, and he's now trying to find hospital and physician partners who could help him run a clinical trial to continue testing. "I've gotten to see how doctors can make an immediate difference in people's lives," Jain says, "so I want to continue pursuing that." - Jamie Ducharme
Marsai Martin, 14
At just 14, Marsai Martin has a career that most adults would envy-she's already won two NAACP Image Awards and a Young Artist Award for her role as Diane Johnson on ABC's Emmy-nominated . But her next project, executive producing and starring in Little alongside Issa Rae, a film based on an idea she pitched herself, may well take her to the next level. Martin tells TIME that her passion for performing began as a two-year-old, when her parents were amazed to find her acting out scenes from Dreamgirls. "I think it's been in my blood for a long time," says Martin. Despite not being old enough to vote, Martin campaigned for Stacey Abrams in Georgia and used her platform to encourage her 460,000 Instagram followers to go to the polls. "When you really believe in something," Martin says, "you will stand up for it. You will push for it to become a reality." - Rachel E. Greenspan
Millie Bobby Brown, 14
After rocketing to near-overnight global fame as the Eggo-loving, telekinetic Eleven in Stranger Things, Millie Bobby Brown has emerged as one of Hollywood's hottest young stars, with a host of A-list superfans, including Drake, Karlie Kloss and Aaron Paul, and an online following of more than 18 million people. In 2018, a year in which a season of Stranger Things will not air, she became the youngest person to ever be named one of TIME's 100 most influential people as well as a UNICEF goodwill ambassador. And her star is only just beginning to rise. Brown is already set to make her feature film debut in the 2019 Godzilla sequel, Godzilla: King of the Monsters, reprise that role in 2020's Godzilla vs. Kong, and both produce and star in a film series based on Nancy Springer's Enola Holmes Mysteries novels.-Megan McCluskey
Storm Reid, 15
In Ava DuVernay's diverse re-imagining of A Wrinkle in Time, which premiered earlier this year, Reid appeared alongside Oprah Winfrey, Reese Witherspoon and Mindy Kaling as the main character, Meg Murry-a role that Reid told the Washington Post allowed her to "represent girls who look like me and let them know they can do anything." Now the self-described "future filmmaker"-who made her feature film debut in 12 Years a Slave at age 10-is not only set to star in another of DuVernay's hotly anticipated projects, the Netflix miniseries Central Park Five, but also the 2019 Blumhouse Productions thriller Relive. - Megan McCluskey
Thandiwe Abdullah, 15
As a co-founder of the Black Lives Matter LA Youth Vanguard, Abdullah has become one of her generation's most powerful voices on issues relating to social justice. This year alone, she has advocated for black youth in front of half a million people during the Women's March in Los Angeles and written a widely shared op-ed for Bustle that addressed the need for intersectionality within the Never Again MSD movement. Through the Youth Vanguard, Abdullah also helped create "Black Lives Matter in Schools," a program that aims to end the policing and profiling that black and brown students experience; its agenda was recently adopted this summer by the National Education Association. Now Abdullah is looking to the future, with plans of practicing law and continuing her work as an activist. "I want to change the world's perception of black youth and to empower black youth to claim their own space and demand to have our needs met," Abdullah tells TIME. "I want to transform the systems that we live under from ones that oppress us to ones that empower us." -Cady Lang
Bhad Bhabie, 15
It's hard to imagine a more fitting title for Bhad Bhabie's debut mixtape than 15. The name refers not only to her age, but to the number of minutes her fame might have lasted had she not leveraged viral meme-hood into a legitimate music career. Her public life began in late 2016, when Bhabie (real name: Danielle Bregoli) appeared on an episode of Dr. Phil titled, "I Want To Give Up My Car-Stealing, Knife-Wielding, Twerking 13-Year-Old Daughter Who Tried To Frame Me For A Crime." At one point, the audience booed her, and Bregoli turned to them and shouted, with outsize confidence, "Cash me outside, how 'bout dah?" A meme was born, and eventually, so was a rap career. "When I became famous and realized that I could literally do whatever I wanted," Bregoli says, "music was the first thing I wanted to do." In September 2017, she signed a multi-million dollar deal with Atlantic Records, and with her recent single, " These Heaux," Bregoli became the youngest female rapper ever to chart on the Billboard Hot 100. Next up: a Snapchat reality show. And while Bregoli is floored that she's gone from spending some nights sleeping on the floor of a trailer to being one of this year's popular Halloween costumes, she recognizes that she's not exactly a role model. "Y'all can dress like me," she says. "Just don't act like me." - Eliza Berman
Greta Thunberg, 15
Before Sweden's general elections in September, Thunberg went on a three-week strike from school in an effort to urge her government to act on climate change. "I thought that nothing is happening and no one is doing anything - it is my moral duty to do what I can," she tells TIME of her mission. "I cannot vote, so this is a way that I can make my voice heard." Since then, Thunberg has inspired hundreds of similar school strikes around the world, including a mass school walkout in Australia. She has also been nominated for an international prize for her activism and recently met with the U.N. Secretary General at the COP24 climate summit in Poland. She plans to strike every Friday until Sweden is aligned with the Paris Agreement on climate change; while the Scandinavian country is one of only a handful in Europe actively pursuing policies to meet the climate goals, Thunberg says it is not enough. In October, she took her message to a crowd of more than 10,000 at a climate change demonstration in Helsinki. "Instead of worrying about the future, you should try to change it while you still can." - Suyin Haynes
NCT Dream, 16-19
With their synchronized choreography, bold aesthetic and dynamic performances bridging rap and song, seven-member K-pop group NCT Dream may appear similar to other rising boy bands from South Korea. But the group boasts a special feature: It consists only of members below the age of 20, as it's fashioned as the youth subunit of umbrella group NCT. Together, Mark, Renjun, Jeno, Haechan, Jaemin, Chenle and Jisung made headlines this year when their mini-album, "We Go Up," peaked at #5 on Billboard's World Albums chart and topped iTunes Albums charts in 15 countries. A big part of the group's appeal is that they connect with teenagers, as teenagers. "More than just putting on a performance with great visuals and choreography, we really want our music to be a reflection of the thoughts and struggles that teens our age go through," Mark tells TIME. The group's title tracks have followed a narrative of the stages of adolescence, transitioning from innocence to rebellion-and growth. "For the older fans, I hope that NCT Dream could be a group that helps them reminisce and look back on their younger selves," Haechan says. - Kat Moon
Billie Eilish, 16
Billie Eilish was just trying to send some music to her dance teacher when she uploaded "Ocean Eyes," a song she recorded with her brother, to Soundcloud in 2016. Now, two years after that track went viral, Eilish is a rising star in the music industry. Her songs have been streamed more than 2.5 billion times and her first North American tour sold out within minutes. The Los Angeles teen, who comes from a family of creatives, projects an intimidating image-she cries black tears in a music video, sings from the perspective of a serial killer and the first song she ever wrote was about the zombie apocalypse. But behind the brooding expression, she says, she's "a little flower," never more humbled than when a fan is moved by her music. She hopes someday to direct music videos and design everything from shoes to cars. "I can't imagine a life that doesn't involve creativity," she says, "or at least inspiring other people." - Eliza Berman
Isabel and Melati Wijsen, 16, 17
Melati and Isabel Wijsen were swimming in the waters of Bali when they noticed something that didn't belong: floating plastic bags. And so in 2013, at ages 12 and 10, the sisters from Indonesia launched Bye Bye Plastic Bags to raise awareness about the issue. Their profile has risen considerably since then. This year, they organized Bali's Biggest Clean-up, with 20,000 people collecting 65 tons of waste; they also helped get 350 local businesses to commit to eliminating the use of everyday plastic products like cups and straws within the next two years. Beyond their home island, Bye Bye Plastic Bags has also met with policy makers, like South Korea's Minister of Environment, and spoken at environmental conferences, like the UN-sponsored International Marine Debris Conference in San Diego. But what the sisters value most is being able to give talks in classrooms. "Our golden moment and cherry on-top is definitely seeing when we can mobilize and activate young people," Melati says. - Kat Moon
Ahed Tamimi, 17
Even when it's not in the headlines, the Israeli-Arab conflict grinds on along a thousand points of friction, including the weekly protest at the West Bank village of Nabi Saleh. Each Friday, Palestinians gather to march toward a nearby spring taken over by Jewish settlers. Israeli soldiers confront the march, answering stones with tear gas and rubber bullets. On Dec. 15, 2017, Ahed Tamimi slapped a soldier's face-an action that earned her both jail time (she turned 17 in an Israeli prison) and, once a video went viral, international recognition. Now Tamimi is being hailed as a leader in a new generation of Palestinian nationalism and urges a new approach to ending the 51-year Israeli occupation. "I didn't do anything wrong that I should regret," Ahed told the New York Times, who plans to study law and confront Israel in international courts. "At the end of the day, the soldier came to my house. I didn't go to his house." - Karl Vick
Tania Speaks, 17
Tania Speaks never thought that an emergency room visit she made as a child would be the genesis of her future as an entrepreneur. But a decision she made from a place of pain-cutting off her eyebrows after years of being bullied for their full, bushy shape-led to the idea that changed everything for her. When she returned to school only to find that the bullies were now harassing her for the scars where her eyebrows once were, she decided to grow them back. She tried several different products she picked up at the drug store. But, dissatisfied with the results, she decided to experiment with her own concoctions. She researched organic ingredients like aloe vera and vitamin E and set up a workstation in her living room for mixing different solutions, which she tested on herself. When rave reviews came in from family members, she began selling the product out of her high school bathroom, launching Brow Boost in 2016 and later adding a product for facial hair. After taking a small loan from her mother, she grew the business by 60% in less than half a year. Now in college studying entrepreneurship, she hopes to launch new companies in the future. But even as she looks forward, she never forgets where her story began. She shares her journey with children, speaking at elementary and middle schools, where she encourages victims of bullying to channel their energy into hobbies they love. Recently, one child burst into tears telling Speaks how much her words meant during a lonely time. "I treasure these moments," she says. "Every kid I can inspire is enough to keep me going." - Eliza Berman
The Parkland students, 18-19
In the immediate aftermath of the mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., which claimed the lives of 17 students and teachers on Valentine's Day, a group of young survivors emerged as some of the nation's most prominent voices for gun reform. Furious over the deaths of their peers, the student activists-who include Emma González, Jaclyn Corin and David Hogg-launched the March For Our Lives movement and organized a historic rally against gun violence in March in Washington, D.C., which drew tens of thousands of people and earned them a tribute from President Obama in this year's TIME 100. In June, the Parkland students embarked on a national bus tour, signing young people up to vote during multiple stops they made in at least 27 states in two months. The teens directly registered more than 50,000 people for November's midterm elections, many of whom were first-time voters. "It's not about empowering people," says Corin, 18, of the students' efforts. "It's about making them realize they already have that power in them." - Melissa Chan
Kavya Kopparapu, 18
In 2017, Kopparapu, now a freshman at Harvard University, was reading a story about the late Sen. John McCain, who was battling the aggressive brain cancer known as glioblastoma. What stuck with Kopparapu was the part of the story that mentioned that in the past 30 years, the survival rate for the disease has barely budged. "I thought, Why is that?" she says. "We have so much innovation that it didn't make sense that we hadn't gotten better." So she set out to change things, developing a deep-learning computer system that can scan slides of tissue from brain cancer patients looking for differences in density, color, texture and cellular alignment that are unique to that particular person's case. The goal: to develop targeted therapies that are also unique to the person. Her system has been awarded a provisional patent, and this year, she hopes to begin clinical tests in collaboration with a neuropathologist at Georgetown University. In addition, she is the founder of the non-profit Girls Computing League, which works this year to bring computing opportunities to girls in the northern Virginia and Washington, DC area. - Jeffrey Kluger
Adut Akech, 18
Since making her high-fashion debut just two years ago, Adut Akech has become one of the fashion industry's most sought-after young models. It's a future she hardly predicted for herself: Born in South Sudan, Akech spent her childhood in Kenya's Kakuma refugee camp before moving to Adelaide, Australia, where she was scouted by local agencies, eventually signing with Sydney-based Chadwick Models. Akech, who was recently nominated for the 2018 Model of the Year by the British Fashion Awards, credits supporters like supermodel Naomi Campbell and British Vogue editor Edward Enninful-who put her on the cover of the magazine's December issue-for helping to pave the way for her success. She's also vocal about paying it forward, whether that means speaking out about the need for diversity in fashion, combating issues like poverty or amplifying the stories of fellow refugees. "I hope that with every 'achievement,' I can also give back in some way, whether it is giving a voice and hope to refugees around the world or simply inspiring other youth like myself to continue doing our best," she tells TIME. - Cady Lang
Jace Norman, 18
To most of his fans, Jace Norman is known as superhero sidekick Kid Danger on the hit Nickelodeon television series Henry Danger. But in the past two years, he's been branching out offscreen, as well-a decision he says was spurred by hanging out on the Henry Danger set. "I would stay after work and watch the writers produce the show," he tells TIME. Last year, Norman started his own social-media marketing company, Creator Edge, which recently partnered with Viacom to create a series of original content; he also has two shows in the works, one he is producing and one he will star in. His advice to other aspiring young entrepreneurs: stay humble. "Being a kind person and not expecting anything to come to you has a way of making people more willing to help you," he says. - Wilder Davies
Chloe Kim, 18
Snowboarding superstar Chloe Kim had already clinched an Olympic gold medal when she entered the halfpipe for her final run in Pyeongchang. She could have waltzed her way down the pipe and enjoyed a coronation for becoming the youngest woman to ever win the event's gold medal. Instead, she risked life and limb to land back-to-back 1080s-three full revolutions in the air per trick. "I really wanted to do my best run possible and knew I would have regretted if I didn't," Kim, 19, e-mails TIME from her training base in Switzerland. "So yah I am happy." She remains in top form: In July, ESPN named Kim Best Female Athlete at its ESPYs award show, and in October, she nailed her first "frontside double cork 1080"-two diagonal flips while spinning 1080 degrees-while training in Switzerland. - Sean Gregory
Jack Cable, 18
Jack Cable is a rising star in the world of white hat hackers-programmers who use their technical expertise to find and report bugs and vulnerabilities instead of exploiting them. Three years ago, the 18 year old got his first taste of bug bounty hunting after finding a vulnerability in a cryptocurrency site, one that allowed him to withdraw money from people's accounts simply by entering a negative number. "I knew that definitely shouldn't happen," says Cable, who reported the bug. He's since taken first place in various competitions, including the U.S. Department of Defense's Hack the Air Force program. Last October, Cable flew to Kyiv, Ukraine, and won the HackIT Cup where Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak presented him with his award. Now a student at Stanford University, Cable has started his own firm, Lightning Security, and works with cryptocurrency companies to shore up their protection against malicious behavior. "Ten years ago, people would go to jail for stuff like this...there's no way I would've gotten the same response," he says. - Patrick Lucas Austin
Amika George, 19
Last December, nearly 2,000 people showed up for a protest outside U.K. Prime Minister Theresa May's home, led by 18-year-old Amika George. Her goal: convince policymakers to end "period poverty," as she calls it, by funding the distribution of menstrual products to girls and women who can't afford them. "It really upset me," she tells TIME of learning that many girls in the U.K. were routinely missing school during their periods because they couldn't afford to buy menstrual products. "The government knew this was happening on their watch, but they were refusing to find a solution." She launched the #FreePeriods campaign as a response, gathering nearly 200,000 signatures on her petition to help eradicate period poverty; the movement eventually garnered the support of over a dozen U.K. policymakers, galvanizing the government to allocate funds to the issue for the first time. But George, who was honored with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation's Goalkeepers Campaign Award this fall, says she is just getting started. "We can't trust our policymakers to take action on issues that seem so obvious to us," she says. "If we want to see change, it falls on us to create that change." - Raisa Bruner
Margielyn Didal, 19
This summer, the 19 year old from Cebu City, Philippines, won the gold medal in women's street skateboarding competition at the Asian Games-and became a national hero in the process. "We didn't even have a street skating park where I grew up," says Margielyn. Speaking to TIME from Bangkok where she was holding a skate demo, Didal credits her family and her girlfriend with keeping her motivated to skate. One of five siblings, she started competing-and placing-in competitive events without even owning her own skateboard, to the initial dismay of her mother, a street food vendor, and her father, a carpenter. "At first, my parents didn't support me as much because skating wasn't seen as a 'girly thing,' but they 100% support me now," she says. Since Didal's triumph, Cebu's mayor pledged to build a new dedicated skatepark in her honor, with her input. Now, Didal is looking ahead to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, where skateboarding will be included as an athletic event for the first time. "It's going to be the big goal in my life to get that gold medal," she tells TIME. That medal would be the Philippines' first Olympic gold and would help cement skateboarding's status as a serious sport in the country. "I want to build a new generation of skaters for the future." - Suyin Haynes
Kylian Mbappé, 19
The future of the world's most popular sport rests on the fleet foot of a French teenager. Kylian Mbappé, 19, enthralled soccer fans at the 2018 World Cup in Russia, as he danced through defenses on the way to leading Les Bleus to their first title in two decades. Mbappé became the first teen since the legendary Pelé, 60 years ago, to score a goal in the World Cup final. But his actions resonated far beyond the soccer pitch. As the son of African immigrants and product of one of the low-income banlieus, or suburbs that surround Paris, the young phenom-who plays professionally for the club Paris Saint-Germain-also represents hope for a more inclusive Europe. - Sean Gregory
Kiernan Shipka, 19
Many child actors make their names in kiddie fare, but it seems appropriate that an old soul like Kiernan Shipka got her big break, at six, on Mad Men-perhaps the most grown-up hit in TV history. Even in early seasons, Shipka's Sally Draper fused her mom's petulance with her dad's inscrutability to uncanny effect. This fall, on the heels of juicy roles in FX's Feud and indie chiller The Blackcoat's Daughter, she stepped into the pointy shoes of Archie Comics' teen witch Sabrina Spellman, in Netflix's dark teen drama Chilling Adventures of Sabrina. And the character has already resonated with Shipka's politically aware peers: "She's a woke witch," Shipka told Variety. "She's a strong independent woman and she stands up for herself and she does what she thinks is right." - Judy Berman
Sheku Kanneh-Mason, 19
Millions first encountered Sheku Kanneh-Mason during the Royal Wedding, at which the cello prodigy was personally chosen by Prince Harry and Meghan Markle to play while they stepped out to sign their registry. (Social media affectionately dubbed him #cellobae.) But even before then, the teenage Brit was making waves in classical music: In 2016, Kanneh-Mason became the first black musician to win the BBC's prestigious Young Musician of the Year award. Since then, he has released a record-setting classical album, announced an international tour, and continued to bring new fans to classical music. "The music itself can appeal to anyone," he says. "It's just a case of people having the chance to hear it or see it." - Casey Quackenbush
Joey King, 19
Joey King's Instagram followers shot up from 600,000 to 6 million after the massively popular teen rom-com, The Kissing Booth, premiered on Netflix in May. Most of her newfound fans are teen girls, but not all. "I was on an airplane from Istanbul," she says, "and a 73-year-old Turkish man recognized me from the movie." As the star of the film, King has had to answer critics who say that The Kissing Booth promotes sexist tropes. (At one point, her character gets slut-shamed by the school principal after being groped, while her love interest is lionized for fist-fighting the groper.) "I agree that our movie shows bad behavior towards women," she says. "But I think the lesson is that you shouldn't be the guy who grabs girl's butts." On social media, King uses platform to shine a light on issues like sex trafficking and gun control: "Now that I am of voting age and have educated myself politically, I feel inclined to share what I've learned with people who may look up to me." - Eliana Dockterman

Correction, Dec. 10: The original version of this story misstated Kylian Mbappé's last name. It is Mbappé, not Mpabbé.

Correction, Dec. 11: The original version of this story misstated a nickname for France's national football team. It is Les Bleus, not Les Bluès.

Contact us at letters@time.com.

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TIME's 25 Most Influential Teens of 2018

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o determine TIME's annual list, we consider accolades across numerous fields, global impact through social media and overall ability to drive news. In the past, we've recognized everyone from singer Lorde to Olympic champion Simone Biles to political activist Joshua Wong.