Be a Changemaker: How to Start Something That Matters by Laurie Ann Thompson (Blog Tour)

“And that is how change happens. One gesture. One person. One moment at a time.” – author Libba Bray, quoted on page 161 (always quote Libba Bray, always.)

Teenagers often get a bad rap. They’re loud, they’re obnoxious, their selfish, they’re lazy – that’s what you’ll hear a lot in the press. And from adults: When I was a kid, if we didn’t show respect my parents would have kicked my butt, when I was a kid . . . Well, the truth is, kids today are a lot like kids have always been. And in some ways, they’re better: they have more information about the world they live in and are doing things to make it better. They don’t just sit back and say, “I wish someone would find a way to do something about pollution” – they find a way to make it happen. Sometimes they are local things, sometimes they are global things. But teens today are signing up to be real Changemakers.

What is a changemaker? They are the people around us who take the initiative to create positive social change. They are the teens who start a school garden. They are the teens that start a local recylcing project. They are the teens that see a need and work to find a way to solve it. They want to make their world a better place by starting a movement, creating a new tool, or putting new practices into place.

But being a changemaker isn’t always easy. First comes the idea, but then what do you do with it? Be a Changemaker: How to Start Something That Matters by Laurie Ann Thompson is the perfect tool for the changemakers among us. From brainstorming to team building to marketing, Be a Changemaker is a step by step resource guide that can help changemakers go from having an idea to being a force to be reckoned with. An idea in and of itself isn’t enough, changemakers need a variety of tools to take that idea and make it a reality. Some of the chapters cover topics such as running a meeting, developing a business plan, dealing with money matters, working with the media, writing speeches that spark and planning an event. Having read through the book, I have to say this is a really good tool and I like that it highlights and motivates while giving teens the tools they need to be successful changemakers. I definitely recommend it.

Check out these 5 teen changemakers who are doing things like helping sick kids, joining the fight against bullying, and recycling to help others while saving the planet: 

Everyday Hero: Teen creates backup emergency communications system for local fire station 

This Kid Rocks: Chapel Hill teen creates nonprofit to encourage sick kids 

Arizona teen creates middle school program to combat bullying 

Chicago Teen Creates Change Through Living Gift Markets 

DC teen creates organization to collect discarded crayons from restaurants 

And if you have an aspiring changemaker in your life, here are some organizations you can help them get in touch with to address the things they are passionate about. And if they don’t see something here, they can always pick up a copy of Be a Changemaker and start their own movement. 

To Write Love on Her Arms 
Their mission statement: To Write Love on Her Arms is a non-profit movement dedicated to presenting hope and finding help for people struggling with depression, addiction, self-injury and suicide. TWLOHA exists to encourage, inform, inspire and also to invest directly into treatment and recovery. 

It Gets Better Project 
The message of the It Gets Better Project is simple: everyone deserves to be loved for who they are and it does get better.  They ask everyone to take this pledge: Everyone deserves to be respected for who they are. I pledge to spread this message to my friends, family and neighbors. I’ll speak up against hate and intolerance whenever I see it, at school and at work. I’ll provide hope for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and other bullied teens by letting them know that it gets better. 

Empower yourself in today’s highly connected, socially conscious world as you learn how to wield your passions, digital tools, and the principles of social entrepreneurship to affect real change in your schools, communities, and beyond.

At age eleven, Jessica Markowitz learned that girls in Rwanda are often not allowed to attend school, and Richards Rwanda took shape.

During his sophomore year of high school, Zach Steinfeld put his love of baking to good use and started the Baking for Breast Cancer Club.

Do you wish you could make a difference in your community or even the world? Are you one of the millions of high school teens with a service-learning requirement? Either way, Be a Changemaker will empower you with the confidence and knowledge you need to affect real change. You’ll find all the tools you need right here—through engaging youth profiles, step-by-step exercises, and practical tips, you can start making a difference today.

This inspiring guide will teach you how to research ideas, build a team, recruit supportive adults, fundraise, host events, work the media, and, most importantly, create lasting positive change. Apply lessons from the business world to problems that need solving and become a savvy activist with valuable skills that will benefit you for a lifetime! (Simon Pulse/Beyond Words, September 2014. ISBN: 9781582704647)

9781582704647

9781582704647

9781582704647

Laurie Ann Thompson comes from a family of entrepreneurs and small business owners. She has worked at IBM, Intel, and Microsoft, and she co-founded a successful internet startup. In addition, she has led a regional nonprofit professional organization and volunteered with Ashoka’s Youth Venture, which supports teens with big ideas. This is her first book. She lives with her family in the Pacific Northwest. Visit her at LaurieThompson.com. You can learn more about author Laurie Ann Thompson at her webpage. You can also find answers to Be a Changemaker questions at the Be a Changemaker Q & A page.

And Please visit the rest of the stops on Be a Changemaker blog tour

Tues, Sept 9 ~ at Girl Scout Leader 101 

Wed, Sept 10 ~ at Unleashing Readers 

Thurs, Sept 11 ~ at Teen Librarian Toolbox

Fri, Sept 12 ~ at The Nonfiction Detectives

   and Kirby’s Lane   

Sat, Sept 13 ~ at The Styling Librarian  

Mon, Sept 15 ~ at NC Teacher Stuff   

Tues, Sept 16 ~ at The Hiding Spot 

Wed, Sept 17 ~ at Kid Lit Frenzy   

Thurs, Sept 18 ~ at GreenBeanTeenQueen   

Fri, Sept 19 ~ at A Foodie Bibliophile in Wanderlust

A free copy of this title was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Filed under: Activism, Be a Changemaker, Social Justice, Teen Issues, Teens, Volunteering