Let Them Lead the Way

You heard it here first, people. Since I've started contributing to Tonic, I've written about several awesome kids — Zach Bonner, Pheobe Russell, Gene Fletcher, Casey Sokolovic, and Zac Sunderland — who are doing great and generous things. Now the Washington Post has confirmed that I have picked up on an actual trend: kids are getting into philanthropy in a big way.

Maybe some of them are motivated by a force other than the giving spirit, as these activities look very good on college applications. Scholarships for students with such experience on their resumes abound, and impressive philanthropic involvement is sure to help an applicant's chances at elite institutions.

But most of the kids I've written about are (or were, when they started their endeavors) far too young to be motivated by such considerations, and the level of enthusiasm, dedication and intensity these children display are too heart-felt and consuming to be the doing of even the most pushy parents.

The trend has less to do with posturing for colleges and more to do with the increasing visibility of young people's efforts to make a difference. Kids can succeed at fundraising and directing attention to social issues in part because of their trustworthiness, earnestness and cuteness, not to mention the worthiness of the causes they choose. "Young philanthropists devote hundreds of hours to their causes," reports the Post, "making appeals many donors find irresistible even in tough economic times."

Other kids see reports of these young activists doing amazing things — with amazing results. Now that kids can have their own Websites, YouTube channels, Facebook pages and Twitter feeds, it is easier than ever for them to communicate directly to other young people who might be interested in what they're doing.

Exhibit A: Zach Bonner, who I correctly identified a couple months ago as the Awesomest. Kid. Ever. He has just reached the White House after walking from his home in Tampa to raise money and awareness to combat youth homelessness, all the while Twittering away about his sore feet and broadcasting his whereabouts on a "ZachTracker" Website. He pulled in around $50,000 on the journey, which he will use to build a playground at one of Tampa's emergency foster-care shelters and to provide supplies such as sheets and computers to Sasha Bruce Youthwork, a D.C.-based organization that assists runaways and homeless youth.

Harvard be darned, who wouldn't want to make that kind of a difference? Our kids can see the opportunity, and they're seizing it.

Photo courtesy of stock.xchang