Actions By Young People for Social Change are sophisticated and simple; powerful and meaningful.

Following are broad categories of actions young people are taking in order to change society. Each page provides a summary and features many resources, including examples, websites, and publications.

The Freechild Project has identified these categories through "guerrilla" research, meaning that we go into the communities where these activities happen and work with young people and adults to identify what is going on. The phrase "young people" is meant to include children and youth, from the time of birth through 8, 12, 14, or 16, through "adulthood," which could mean 18, 21, 25, or 30, depending on who you are and what you're doing.

All of these action categories were chosen because they create "social change"; we don't include activities that are not intended to challenge, examine, create, reflect upon, or otherwise change society.

Cultural actions

Youth-Led Activism

Action research

Arts

Discrimination Against Youth

Hip hop

Homeschooling

Intergenerational partnerships

Unschooling

Youth leadership development

Worldwide youth movement

Youth-created media

School actions

Activist learning

Classroom teaching

Education advocacy

Education planning

Education reform

Education research

Learning evaluation

Meaningful student involvement

School activism

System decision-making

Service learning

Government actions

Community planning

Government boards

International decision-making

Libraries

Local government agencies

Community actions

Nonprofit boards

Philanthropy and grantmaking

Service learning

Activism led by young women

Youth advisory/action councils

Youth engagement


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Art by Rini Templeton.