Kids can change the world | Matt and Jack Webb | TEDxLakeTravisHigh

Summary

Matt and Jack share inspiring stories of children across America who are making a significant impact in their communities. They discuss the importance of personal triggers, supportive adults, and a bit of troublemaker spirit in fostering changemakers. The talk encourages both kids and adults to connect their passions and skills to make a difference.

Takeaways

• 🌟 Kids have the potential to change the world, and this belief is supported by the experiences of Matt and Jack who met children making a difference across America.
• 🚍 They traveled to all 50 states and interviewed over 75 kids who are actively contributing to positive change in various ways.
• 👟 Nicholas Lounger from Rhode Island has donated over 40,000 pairs of new shoes to homeless children, demonstrating individual efforts can have a significant impact.
• 💧 The Adams sisters in Dallas have raised over a million dollars to fund clean water wells globally, showing creativity in fundraising through origami can lead to large-scale change.
• 🥛 Joshua in Miami has helped distribute over a million pounds of food to hungry families, illustrating how localized efforts can address community needs effectively.
• 🧸 Olivia Borden from Colorado started by making dolls for girls in Nicaragua and expanded to training women there, highlighting the power of sustainable initiatives.
• 🔍 Matt and Jack are collaborating with psychologists to study what makes these kids changemakers, aiming to understand the factors that shape their motivations and actions.
• 💡 A key observation from their travels is that all these kids had a 'trigger experience' that connected with their passions or skills, leading them to start their initiatives.
• 🌱 The support from adults was crucial, with parents stepping back to allow kids to lead and face challenges, fostering independence and resilience.
• 🛤️ Understanding and meeting children where they are, rather than imposing adult expectations, is essential for nurturing their potential as changemakers.
• 💥 Changemaker kids often have a bit of 'troublemaker' in them, challenging the status quo and pushing against injustices they see, showing that questioning can drive change.
• 🤝 The presentation encourages both kids and adults to connect personal interests with community needs, understand each other better, and use these connections to make a positive impact.

Q & A

What is the main message of Matt and Jack in their presentation?

The main message is that kids have the potential to change the world, and they share examples of children who have made significant impacts through various projects.

How did Matt and Jack gather their information about kids changing the world?

They traveled across all 50 states in the U.S., interviewing over 75 kids who were making a difference in their communities.

What is an example of a child's project that Matt and Jack mentioned in their presentation?

Nicholas Lounger from Rhode Island helped donate over forty thousand pairs of new shoes to homeless children across America.

What is the significance of the Adams sisters' project in Dallas?

The Adams sisters raised over a million dollars and funded over a hundred clean water wells globally by folding origami.

What is the connection between Elijah Evans' personal experience and his project 'No Use for Abuse'?

Elijah was abused as a child and was put into the foster care system. His project aims to prevent child abuse through education and advocacy.

What role do parents and adults play in the success of these changemaker kids, according to Matt and Jack?

Parents and adults should step out of the way and make space for kids to run, allowing them to face challenges and learn from their experiences.

What is the importance of understanding a child's story in fostering changemakers?

Understanding a child's story, what they love, what they're good at, and what they know, is crucial in helping them become changemakers as it allows them to connect their passions with their actions.

What is the role of a 'trigger experience' in motivating kids to become changemakers?

A trigger experience, such as a personal event or a global disaster, can inspire kids to take action and use their skills and passions to make a difference.

How do the kids mentioned in the presentation use their personal interests to create positive change?

They connect their personal interests, such as gardening, parties, or gaming, with social issues they care about, turning their hobbies into impactful projects.

What advice do Matt and Jack give to adults on how to support kids in becoming changemakers?

Adults should help kids experience life on their own, understand their interests and passions, and connect their stories with community needs to foster changemaking.

What is the significance of the 'troublemaker' aspect in the kids who are changemakers?

The 'troublemaker' aspect refers to the kids' unwillingness to accept the status quo and their drive to challenge injustices, which is a key factor in their ability to effect change.