2021: Changemaker Challenge
Honoring everyday heroes

Shining a light on those making the world brighter
Why changemaker?

Better Together
A changemaker is someone who takes creative action to solve a social problem.* Anyone can be a changemaker: Maybe a changemaker is a parent or grandparent, aunt, or uncle. They could be a neighbor or classmate that has made a difference. Their changemaker may be a teacher, community organizer, doctor, librarian, or friend that rises up to help. A changemaker could be someone you admire but haven’t met. It might even be you!
*Definition from Ashoka.org.
A Different Kind of Award
A blue ribbon for being kind. A gold medal for good neighbors. A silver star for speaking up. A badge of honor for brave leadership and activism. Instead of honoring a famous musician or athlete, we’re inviting students to make awards for changemakers in their local communities and to support other changemakers all around the world.

Scale Change
First, learn about changemakers. Next, create an award using whatever materials you have and share it with us. For every award we receive between now and June 4, 2021, the Bezos Family Foundation will donate $5 (up to $1,000,000) to programs supporting changemakers in the U.S. and around the world.
How it Works
From understanding to action in a few simple steps.
1. Register, set, go!

First, register—it’s both easy and required. Then, identify someone who shines. Jump into our resources and join teachers and students worldwide.
2. Brighten their day.

Students make an artistic award for their changemaker—for example, a homemade trophy, blue ribbon, a certificate, pennant, or a gold star. Create an award and share it with us! Include the changemaker’s name and why they’re receiving the award.
3. Light the way.

For each award shared with Students Rebuild, the Bezos Family Foundation will make a $5 donation—up to $1,000,000—to young people and educators leading change in their local communities, throughout the United States and across the world.
Interactive Map
Check out Changemaker Challenge teams and projects!
Teams
Art
Projects
Learning Materials
Free teaching resources for any K-12 setting.
Updates
Changemaker Challenge Updates
We’re highlighting Changemaker Challenge partners in a special way this year! Each month we’ll spend a week showcasing one of our Challenge partners, highlight their work, and share how you can take action to support them through the Changemaker Challenge. For January’s Partner Week, we’re highlighting Changemaker Challenge partner DonorsChoose.
Congratulations to our team of the month for December: Don Bosco School from Bandlaguda Hyderabad India led by Christine Fernandes! We are thrilled to see what else students will create in 2021!
The first Changemaker Challenge webcast is happening on Wednesday, December 16, at 10 am PT/1pm ET. This free, 40-minute live stream event is open to all (best suited upper elementary through high school students) and offers an engaging opportunity for remote learning. The conversation will feature youth changemakers from around the world in conversation about taking meaningful action and making a difference.
Congratulations to our team of the month Ms. Diallo’s classes for November led by Molly Diallo at Alonzo and Tracy Mourning Senior High! We will be searching for another amazing team in December, more to come!
Donors Choose is one of our SR projects that you're helping to support educators! In the last year you've helped fund $75,000 in projects.
We are excited to announce our two teams of the month, team DECO and team UNICEF as our October teams of the month! Team DECO is led by Marina Reilly at Millburn Middle School in Millburn, New Jersey and team UNICEF is led by Kacie Chong in Mountain House, California. Keep on the lookout for your team as we will be searching for another great team in the upcoming month!
We’re highlighting Changemaker Challenge partners in a special way this year! Each month we’ll spend a week showcasing one of our Challenge partners, highlight their work, and share how you can take action to support them through the Changemaker Challenge. For November’s Partner Week, we’re highlighting Changemaker Challenge partner BUILD.
We are thrilled to see what else students create for this year! You can make a creative award out of materials found around the house. This one includes a prized lego figure!
In the weeks leading up to the Changemaker Challenge launch, several young people volunteered to make some pretty neat examples of changemaker awards!
This year we have 5 incredible new partners joining the Changemaker Challenge! All support youth and educators making a difference around the world. And we're pleased to welcome Global Nomads Group back to support learning and storytelling throughout the Challenge.