My guest today, high school senior Ariela from Los Angeles, has a huge heart for rescue animals. In response to the Girl Scouts Gold Award initiative, Ariela created a nonprofit called Reducing Animal Stress, to help provide enrichment for shelter animals, and to help people understand that boredom and stress are triggers that cause rescue animals to act out. Providing handmade pet toys and other enrichment activities can help shelter animals to thrive and become better candidates for adoption.

Learn more at https://reducinganimalstre.wixsite.com/nonprofit or follow @reducinganimalstress

Skin health is so important.

My guest today, high school senior Ellis, created DermaTeens, an international youth-led nonprofit dedicated to educating teens on skin health and promoting sun-safe habits. DermaTeens leads educational initiatives with global reach, provides access to sun protection, engages in health policy activism, and more to prevent skin cancer and promote healthy skin.

Learn more at https://dermateens.wixsite.com/dermateens and follow @dermateens

Have you ever wondered what happens to "dead" tennis balls, the ones that lose their bounce and are rejected by professional tennis players during their important matches? Well millions of them end up in landfills as non-compostible waste that releases methane into the environment. My guests today, tennis-playing sisters Lily and Maggie from New Jersey, started a nonprofit called Net Love to recycle and upcycle used tennis balls, reminding us once again that every person has the ability to take their passion and turn it into their purpose, making a real impact on the world.

Learn more at https://www.netlovenj.org and follow @netlovenj

The election is next Tuesday.

My guests today, Isaac and Ranen, created an incredibly important organization called OutVote. OutVote is committed to registering and mobilizing LGBTQIA+ voters, partnering with LGBTQIA+ organizations and professionals on voter registration and mobilization efforts, and improving data collection for the LGBTQIA+ communities.

Learn more at www.outvotehq.org and follow @outvotehq

October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month, so this episode is especially important and powerful. Childhood friends Nadia and Rhea from the Chicago area have created an organization called Safe and Aware to empower women and youth, focusing on safety and well-being, recognizing that everyone has the right to feel hopeful about the future.

Learn more at https://safeandaware.blog/ and follow @staysafe_beaware

It's not often that I am given the opportunity to share an episode to correspond with the launch of an important project! My guests today, Anna and Boston, are part of a team of people from Maine who, as part of Maine Youth Action, have created a platform called the Maine Youth Political Portal to help young people gain access to all resources they need to run for political office in Maine. The Portal website launches this Friday, October 11th! It is a powerful "youth for youth" model that can be replicated in every state across the country.

Learn more at www.maineyouthaction.org and www.maineyouthpoliticalportal.org.

Follow @maineyouthaction

My guest today is Romy, a college sophomore who created a special program called MiSendero. MiSendero is an independent high school student-led organization focused on integrating and connecting English learner students to school activities by creating a format in which they can earn volunteer hours as Spanish tutors, join school clubs, become leaders within the organization, and participate in academic writing competitions to achieve success. Since Romy began this important work in high school, it has expanded throughout her home state of California and across the United States.

Romy is the recipient of a Diller Teen Tikkun Olam Award. Every year, the Helen Diller Family Foundation awards up to 15 Jewish teens with $36,000 each for their leadership efforts to change the world. From the environment to social justice to access to education and beyond, these young people are tackling big challenges in their communities and having tremendous impact. Applications are now open at www.dillerteenawards.org

Learn More about MiSendero at https://www.misendero.org/

Follow @misenderoyouth