2021: Changemaker Challenge

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Shining a light on those making the world brighter

Students today are facing a number of issues: a global pandemic, socially distant learning, racial injustice, the environment, and many more. That’s why this year, we’re inviting students to make awards for changemakers in their own backyard. These awards will also help support changemakers around the world! Ready to help? Register to participate, then read more below.

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. Hands Illustration

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.

Stars Illustration

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. Trophy Illustration

How it Works

From understanding to action in a few simple steps.

From learning to creativity to changemaking. This year, we’re inviting students to create awards for a changemaker in their life. Just follow these 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!

Find changemakers in your own backyard and around the globe. Students from all over the world are taking the Changemaker Challenge, and new ones are joining every day. Register to be added to the map, then check back to discover the location of new teams as they join. Click the trophy/award icons to learn how the programs you’re funding are making a difference.

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Learning Materials

Free teaching resources for any K-12 setting.

Minimize prep time and maximize student engagement with our curricula, lesson plans, and other resources. Many are informed by national standards, all are flexible enough for any setting, and free of charge. Below are the essential overview materials, and there’s many more to explore on our resources page.

View more resources

About the Changemaker Challenge

Team Leader Overview Guide

Making Art Guide

Updates

Changemaker Challenge Updates

Meet our partners, read inspiring stories, and see changemaker awards created by students from around the world.

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.

We are thrilled to partner with the Youth Design Center from Brooklyn, NY, to film and produce this year's Changemaker Challenge launch video!