In a world often dominated by adult achievements, it’s easy to overlook the profound impact that children and teenagers can have. Yet history is filled with young individuals whose bravery, creativity, and determination have sparked global change. These incredible kids prove that age is no barrier to making a difference. Below, we highlight 10 remarkable stories of young changemakers, drawing from real-life examples that continue to inspire millions.
1. Malala Yousafzai: Champion of Education
At just 11 years old, Malala Yousafzai began blogging anonymously for the BBC about life under Taliban rule in Pakistan, where girls’ education was banned. Despite threats, she continued advocating for girls’ rights to learn. In 2012, at age 15, she survived an assassination attempt by the Taliban. Her resilience led to her becoming the youngest Nobel Peace Prize winner in 2014 at age 17. Today, through the Malala Fund, she fights for education access worldwide.
2. Greta Thunberg: Climate Activist Extraordinaire
Swedish teenager Greta Thunberg started her climate strike at age 15 in 2018, skipping school to protest outside parliament for stronger action against climate change. Her solo demonstration sparked the global Fridays for Future movement, inspiring millions of young people to join strikes. Named TIME’s Person of the Year in 2019, Greta has addressed world leaders at the UN, famously declaring, “How dare you?” Her efforts have amplified youth voices in the fight against environmental crisis.
3. Anne Frank: Voice from the Holocaust
Anne Frank was only 13 when she and her family went into hiding from the Nazis in Amsterdam during World War II. For two years, she documented her thoughts, fears, and hopes in a diary that became “The Diary of a Young Girl.” Published posthumously, it has sold over 30 million copies and educated generations about the horrors of the Holocaust. Anne’s words remind us of humanity’s resilience: “In spite of everything, I still believe that people are really good at heart.”
4. Claudette Colvin: Pioneer of Civil Rights
Nine months before Rosa Parks, 15-year-old Claudette Colvin refused to give up her bus seat to a white passenger in Montgomery, Alabama, in 1955. Arrested for her defiance, she became a key plaintiff in the lawsuit that ended bus segregation. Though often overshadowed, Claudette’s act of courage helped ignite the Montgomery Bus Boycott and advanced the Civil Rights Movement.
5. Louis Braille: Inventor of a Reading System
Blinded at age three in an accident, Louis Braille developed the Braille system at just 15 years old in 1824 while attending a school for the blind in Paris. Inspired by military codes, his tactile reading and writing method revolutionized access to information for visually impaired people worldwide. Today, Braille is used in books, signs, and technology, empowering millions.
6. Ruby Bridges: Integrator of Schools
In 1960, six-year-old Ruby Bridges became the first African American child to attend an all-white elementary school in New Orleans amid the U.S. Civil Rights era. Escorted by federal marshals through hostile crowds, her bravery symbolized the fight against segregation. Ruby’s story, immortalized in Norman Rockwell’s painting “The Problem We All Live With,” highlights the power of one child’s quiet determination.
7. Melati and Isabel Wijsen: Fighters Against Plastic Pollution
Sisters Melati (10) and Isabel (12) Wijsen from Bali launched Bye Bye Plastic Bags in 2013 after learning about plastic’s environmental harm. Their campaign led to a ban on single-use plastics in Bali by 2019, inspiring similar initiatives globally. Through youth-led strikes and education, they’ve shown how kids can drive policy change for a cleaner planet.
8. Kelvin Doe: Self-Taught Engineer
At 11, Kelvin Doe from Sierra Leone began scavenging parts to build batteries, generators, and a radio station from scrap. Known as DJ Focus, he broadcasted news and music to his community. In 2012, at 15, he became the youngest person to participate in MIT’s Visiting Practitioner’s Program, showcasing how innovation can emerge from resource-scarce environments.
9. Joan of Arc: Teenage Warrior
In 1428, 16-year-old Joan of Arc claimed divine visions urging her to lead France against England in the Hundred Years’ War. Dressed as a soldier, she inspired troops to victory at Orléans. Captured and executed at 19, her legacy as a national heroine endures, proving young voices can rally nations.
10. Ryan Hickman: Recycling Advocate
Starting at age three, Ryan Hickman from California began recycling bottles and cans. By age seven, he founded Ryan’s Recycling Company, collecting over a million items and donating proceeds to animal charities. His story encourages kids to take small actions for big environmental wins.
These stories of incredible kids who changed the world remind us that passion and action can overcome any obstacle. Whether through advocacy, invention, or sheer willpower, young people continue to shape our future. Share these tales with the children in your life to ignite their own spark of change—what will the next generation achieve?