Connecting technology with acts of kindness
The Internet can be a cache of resources for activism-minded kids — if you know where to look. The sites below provide kids with the knowledge and opportunities to make a difference without breaking the bank.
learning
There’s a seemingly infinite amount of websites geared toward teaching kids about current issues. Here’s just a few:
Ecokids.com offers games and activities centered on climate change, waste, energy, and other environmental issues, as well as contests, forums, and an environment blog. You can also check out kids’ pages from groups like Environmental Protection Agency, Energy Star and the U.S. Department of Energy.
At aspca.org/aspcakids kids can learn about animal rights and how to prevent animal abuse through games, cartoons, and educational sections.
A UK charity called Christian Aid has a site where kids can learn about hunger and poverty and how kids around the world are making a difference; it’s at globalgang.org. You can also check out kids’ activities on sites like feedingminds.org and bread.org.
Stopbullyingnow.hrsa.gov/kids brings together webisodes and games to teach kids about bullying and give them the tools the prevent it. There are tons of places to go for this kind of information — pbs.org, kidshealth.org, and bullying.org, to name a few.
donating
These sites offer great ways for kids to donate to their favorite causes — both with and without a credit card:
On click-to-give sites kids can make a difference with the simple click of a mouse — no money or registration required. These sites donate all of their advertising revenues to specific charities, so one click can fund 1.1 cups of food donated to undernourished children, 11.4 square feet of rainforest preservation, a free mammogram and more. Head to thehungersite.com, where you can click to give free food and find links to give to five other causes.
Perhaps your child is aware of another struggling with a life-threatening or critical illness. At the Make-A-Wish Foundation website (minnesota.wish.org) your child can read real stories of brave and inspiring kids and also learn more about being a volunteer — mature high school students are accepted.
At freerice.com, kids can play trivia games for a good cause. Every right answer equals ten grains of rice donated to underprivileged countries. Also check out freeflour.com, freepoverty.com, and triviaforcharity.com.
Accompany your kids online to charitable sites and help them make a donation, buy a gift that gives such as American Lung Association’s Christmas Cookie Care Package or Hickory Farm’s No Kid Hungry Campaign, or learn about fundraising events in your area.
getting involved
These sites give kids ideas and resources for getting involved in their own communities:
Dosomething.org helps teens choose a cause, find ways to raise money, and jumpstart their own projects — both short and long term. Only have a minute? Check out links to register as a bone marrow donor or make a cause button.
Idealist.org has a “Kids & Teens” section that offers examples of youth activism, advice on getting involved, and a search engine to find charitable orgs.
UNICEF has a website geared toward kids and teens, tagd.org.uk, which empowers kids to learn about and advocate for children’s issues.
Sites like thevolunteerfamily.org and familycares.org give ideas and resources for getting the entire family involved.
Try some of these sites
The Conservation Fund
conservationfund.org
National Alliance to End Homelessness
endhomelessness.org
The Y
ymca.net
CARE
care.org
American Lung Association
lungusa.org &
christmasseals.org
Partners in Health
standwithhaiti.org
No Kid Hungry Campaign
nokidhungry.org
