You Can Change the World!

What if you could flip a switch and solve all the world’s problems? Awesome dream, right? But the truth is, you do have the power to make a positive impact on the planet and the people around you—one action at a time.

Being an engaged citizen means pitching in to try to make your community and the world better for everyone. This guide is packed with simple, meaningful ideas to get you started, from spending time with animals to cooking for others to teaching tech. (Some of the tips are even from middle schoolers like you!) As you read, make a note of the suggestions that inspire you. Then gather friends or family members to try those ideas together. Each action you take can help make a difference. After all, when everyone does something small, it can lead to big results.

You don’t need tons of time, money, or experience—or a magic switch—to help. You just need a willingness to step up and participate. Are you ready? Let’s go!

Buy “pre-loved” fashion. Instead of buying brand-new clothes, shop for used items at sites such as depop.com or at thrift stores. (Bonus: No one will be wearing what you have on.)

Challenge your lunch table to pack zero-waste meals. Bring reusable containers and utensils. No single-use plastic!

Be a water hero. Turn off the faucet while brushing your teeth. Save even more water by taking shorter showers. Put on a four-minute song and see if you can finish your shower by the time it ends.

Avoid food waste. Americans waste nearly 70 billion pounds of food a year. Much of it ends up in landfills, where it emits greenhouse gases as it rots. Help by moving older food to the front of your fridge so it doesn’t get forgotten.

Unplug devices that are not in use. Think chargers and small kitchen appliances. It saves energy—and money.

Cut back on car trips. Walk, bike, carpool, or take public transportation to help reduce air pollution.

Snap shelter pets. About 6.3 million dogs and cats are in shelters across the U.S. Help them by offering to take cell phone portraits of adoptable creatures for your local animal shelter. A sweet image can help lead to a forever home! 

Prevent birds from flying into glass. Create DIY window decals for your home or school. Find out how at audubon.org (search “decals”). 

Leave outdoor spaces the way you found them. Remind friends and family members that rocks, plants, and other natural objects are home to animals from insects to small mammals and shouldn’t be disturbed. 

Gather data on migrating birds. Help scientists by signing up to report sightings at ebird.org.

Plant a pollinator garden. These important oases provide food and shelter for butterflies, hummingbirds, and bees. Visit pollinator.org/guides to find out the best plants to use for your area.

Organize a “Save the Species” awareness campaign. Research threatened creatures. (Find a list at iucnredlist.org.) Then make a poster and share it at school or in your community. Include artwork, key facts, and ways people can help. 

Be a role model. Share your time and talents by signing up to read stories to kids at a local library or preschool. 

Offer to hold a tech workshop at a senior center. You can teach older people how to set up their phones, navigate social media, or use the internet.

Drop off gently used books at a Little Free Library. Don’t have one near you? Start one! Find out how at littlefreelibrary.org.

Volunteer to converse with multilingual students at school. It’s a way for them to practice English language skills and for you to make new friends.

Set up a “Neighbors for Neighbors” bulletin board. Let people know they can use the board to offer or request small favors (like plant watering or tutoring). Hang it at a community center or other central location. 

Celebrate local heroes. Start a project to recognize first responders, teachers, and other helpers in your town. Pen thank-you letters, pay tribute to them in the school paper, or craft small appreciation gifts.

Collect donations. Almost 700 million people worldwide live on less than $2.15 per day. Hold a “Dollar Drive” at school with the goal of collecting $1 from every student and staff member. Give the funds to an international aid program like Heifer International (heifer.org).

Go to bat for kids who need sports gear. Set up a “lending locker” of sports equipment at your school or in your community. Contact youth-led nonprofit alleyoopkids.org to get started.

Support students. More than 120 million girls globally are denied education. Help get them back in class by hosting a bake sale, softball game, or other fundraiser for the Malala Fund, founded by Pakistani activist Malala Yousafzai. Find out more at malala.org.

Pass on old glasses. Your family’s still wearable eyeglasses and sunglasses (prescription or not) can be used by people around the world. Donate old specs via your local Lions Club’s Recycle for Sight program (lionsclubs.org). 

Prepare meals at a soup kitchen with your family. Or, if you’re not old enough to volunteer there, find out what ingredients are used and collect those to donate instead.

Lend a hand to unhoused families. Work with your class to contact a local shelter and find out what people need. Then make kits with items like toiletries and gift cards. 

Give out groceries. Help pack bags of food for families facing hardship. Find a local BackPack program at feedingamerica.org.