And now for Volume IV of our Super Awesome Kids™ series which celebrates incredible young people who are making a positive difference in their communities!
Read about more Super Awesome Kids™ here:
Katheryn Williams, Isabella Pizarro, and Charu Balamurugan
(Music for Milestones)
Josh Gleason and the M.S. Liberty
(Julie Sherwood/Messenger Post)
Johara Benrahou Reads to Younger Children (Tammy Alvarado)
Denver 8-Year-Old Starts Reading Program: Twice per week, third grader Johara Benrahou has hosted a small group of kids in her front yard for an in-person reading program. Johara missed going to school, and when she realized younger kids were missing out on in-person school too, she started to invite 3- to 6-year-old children to her yard to read to them. In a flier, Johara expressed her motivation to start the program: My inspiration for this program is to help kids have something to look forward to. I really want to go back to school but as we all know, we can’t. I hope this can help all of us feel more connected.
New York 9th Grader Builds Boat: When his school shut down in March, 14-year-old Josh Gleason knew how he wanted to spend his free time: building a boat! Josh learned woodworking skills from his dad and built the four-seat wooden boat and outfitted it with a vintage motor, brass bell, and airhorn. Modern touches include a solar panel on the roof that charges the lights, trolling motor, and bilge pump. The M.S. Liberty officially launched Memorial Day and makes regular trips on the north end of Honeoye Lake in Ontario County, New York.
Los Angeles Teens Start Virtual Music Program: Shortly before the pandemic hit Los Angeles, 17-year-olds Charu Balamurugan and Katheryn Williams received a $5,000 fellowship to launch their music program for kids, Music for Milestones. The program pairs music lessons with emotional wellness for underprivileged kids, and the teens were just starting in-person classes when they had to make the switch to online lessons via Zoom. But the virtual lessons have come with surprising benefits, allowing Charu and Katheryn to expand the program to reach more children, and providing structure and socialization for the young students whose lives have been upended by the pandemic.
Virginia 6th Grader Raises Money for Single Moms: Over the summer, Cartier Carey started a lemonade stand in Hampton, Virginia, to buy supplies for single mothers who are struggling to make ends meet. With the help of his mom, the enterprising young philanthropist started his own nonprofit, Kids 4 Change 757, and a prior family initiative was making care packages for the homeless. Since July, Cartier (with the help of his family and neighbors) has raised more than $34,000 and collected more than 22,000 donated diapers through a self-run diaper drive. Cartier is back in school now, but the 6th grader says he’s going to continue his mission to help others.
North Carolina 9-Year-Old Tie-Dyes for Charity: When his aunt sent him a pack of plain white masks to decorate, 9-year-old Eli Wilson wasn’t expecting to start his own business. But the North Carolina-native is so skilled at tie-dying masks and t-shirts that he launched Tie-Dye By Eli and began receiving 50-100 orders each week. Eli took an active role in all of the business decisions and started donating proceeds to charities. As of mid-August, Eli had raised more than $1,000 for the United Way, the North Carolina Zoo, and Literacy Connections of Wayne County.
Wisconsin Teens Petition for a Mandatory Mask Policy in School: Rising seniors Ava Rheeve and Julia Going were concerned when their high school announced that students would not be required to wear masks when the school reopened in the fall. The teens started a petition, collected testimonials in favor of masks, and presented their case at a public school board meeting. One of their key arguments was that, if the school could enforce a dress code against girls wearing spaghetti straps and short shorts, they should enforce a mask policy to protect the health of students and staff. The school board ultimately voted in favor of a mask policy shortly before Wisconsin’s governor instituted a statewide mask mandate.
Kansas 10-Year-Old Receives Humanitarian Award: In 2016, Paxton Burns’s mom, Maggie Ballard, spent $38 to fill a crimson donation box in front of their house with prepackaged food products for neighbors in need. The community took the box’s message to heart—Take a blessing when you need one. Leave a blessing when you can.” —and the initiative became so popular in Wichita that Paxton’s Blessing Box spread to 80 locations across Kansas—and even more in other states! In August, 10-year-old Paxton received a humanitarian award from HumanKind Ministries for his efforts to help people experiencing homelessness and poverty through the box that bears his name.
Julia Going and Ava Rheeve 
Paxton Burns
(Paxton’s Blessing Box)
Eli Wilson
(Tie-Dye By Eli)
Cartier Carey
(Kids 4 Change 757)