Super Awesome Kids™

Most parents would agree that it’s a scary and difficult time to raise kids. There are valid concerns about the pandemic will affect children long-term—physically, emotionally, and psychologically. And that’s on top of the usual stressors for kids these days—inequitable treatment, bullying, failing schools, mental health concerns, and the looming specter of climate change.

It’s tough to be a parent right now, and it’s even tougher to be a kid. But most kids are incredibly resilient. And some kids—even in these unprecedented, difficult, scary times—are downright incredible.

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Super Awesome Kids™ (and Young Adults) Already Featured:

•  Six-year-old Callaghan McLaughlin set up a Drive-By Walk-By Joke Stand in his yard to entertain his neighbors. Read more about how corny jokes are bringing communities together.
• Ashley Lawrence is the college student who designed a modified fabric mask with a transparent pane to facilitate ASL and lip reading communication. Read more about Ashley Lawrence and other volunteers who are sewing the curve flat.
• During the 1918 pandemic, girl scouts helped feed the sick and poor in Washington, DC. Read more about the efforts of girl scouts, then and now.

Even More Super Awesome Kids™!

• With her family’s help, 10-year-old Chelsea Phaire started Chelsea’s Charity in August 2019 when she asked guests at her 10th birthday to bring art supplies instead of gifts. Chelsea donated the supplies to a homeless shelter in New York, and with the help of an Amazon Wish List, she was able to donate nearly 900 additional kits over the next seven months. Since March 2020, Chelsea has sent another 1,500 art kits to schools, shelters, and foster homes in 12 different states. You can donate to Chelsea’s Amazon Wish List here and follow her efforts on Facebook and Instagram.
• Thirteen-year-old Quinn Callander discovered that he could help healthcare workers avoid painful bruising by 3D printing ear guards to relieve some of the pressure of wearing N95 masks for extended periods. His mother posted about it on Facebook and the post went viral and was shared more than 450,000 times. After the surge in interest, the Scout Canada youth printed more than 1,000 ear guards, covering expenses with more than $61,000 donated to his efforts. The free 3D design Quinn used has been downloaded tens of thousands of times, giving people all over the world an opportunity to help the healthcare workers in their communities.
• Twelve-year-old Jahkil Jackson and 7-year-old Cavanaugh Bell are helping seniors in need in Chicago and Gaithersburg, Maryland, respectively. Both boys have nonprofits they helped found, Jahkil’s Project I Am and Cavanaugh’s Cool & Dope (an anti-bullying effort), and they wanted to help vulnerable seniors stay home during the pandemic by delivering food and necessities to their doorsteps. Although they live hundreds of miles apart, they connected over their shared efforts and sent each other “blessing bags” and care packages to distribute to seniors and homeless people in their communities. You can donate to Jahkil’s nonprofit here and Cavanaugh’s GoFundMe page here.
• A group of Tennessee High Schoolers started a CV-19 Helpline to provide services such as grocery delivery, babysitting, and tutoring to the Unicoi County community during the COVID-19 pandemic. These students are eager to help local families. You can find out more and donate to their efforts by visiting their Facebook page.

How Can You/Your Kids Help During the Pandemic?

• One popular way for kids to help their community during the pandemic is by writing letters to seniors who are isolated in nursing homes. Kids around the world are already doing this, from Salt Lake City to Paris, Texas, to London, U.K. Reach out to senior homes in your community or visit Love For the Elderly, a nonprofit started by a 19-year-old college student to combat social isolation with letters of love.
• Youth Service of America has created toolkits and guides to help kids (age 5-12) and youth (age 13-25) help their communities during the COVID-19 crisis by stopping hunger, supporting healthcare workers, helping isolated seniors, fostering shelter animals, and more.
• Parents Together has more ideas for ways kids can help, including sending positive messages, helping to sew masks, and starting a kindness jar.
• The always-helpful Girl Scouts of San Jacinto have shared a guide for helping during the pandemic, including donating to food banks and homeless shelters, acting as tech support, and sharing resources and information with communities in need.