Shira Alcouloumre

Laguna Beach, CA | 16

Shira provides food, clothing, gifts, medical care, and English lessons to the day laborers in her community—inspired, in part, by a childhood lesson involving a peach.

Zachary Azrael

Baltimore, MD | 18

Zachary helps at-risk kids realize their dreams while also offering classmates service opportunities that matter.

Sophie Bernstein

St. Louis, MO | 15

What began as a backyard garden and Bat Mitzvah project has blossomed into over 5,000 pounds of fresh produce for St. Louis families and a program to combat childhood hunger and obesity.

Liesl Eibschutz

San Luis Obispo, CA | 17

Homeless and disadvantaged teens are often an invisible minority on high school campuses. Liesl created a club to provide these peers with financial assistance, basic necessities, and college scholarships.

Emmi Eisner

Encino, CA | 16

Emmi knew well the benefits that go along with playing sports and wanted to make sure other kids had a chance to enjoy the activities she previously took for granted.

Hart Fogel

Mill Valley, CA | 16

Hart found a way to combine his community garden work and passion for restorative justice to bring together a diverse community over fresh, healthy food.

Jake Galant

Dallas, TX | 17

For low-income youth in his community, Jake is transforming a career in computer programming from a dream to reality.

Riley Gantt

Sherman Oaks, CA | 14

At only 10 years old, Riley founded a nonprofit to help provide low-income elementary schoolers with the supplies they need to be successful learners.

Marissa Hacker

Voorhees, NJ | 18

Marissa struggled with the social isolation she saw her autistic brother facing every day. So, she created a fun, welcoming, inclusive organization for him and other kids with special needs.

Matthew Kaplan

Phoenix, AZ | 18

When he learned that some of his brother’s classmates had been bullying him, Matthew decided to address the pernicious bullying pervasive among his peers.

Jessica Markowitz

Seattle, WA | 19

A childhood meeting with a human rights advocate inspired Jessica to embark on a journey of empowering girls her age in Rwanda to succeed in school and grow into community leaders.

Lauren Maunus

Palm City, FL | 17

Lauren has become a tireless advocate for giving students the tools to manage their allergies and make healthy choices in the cafeteria.

Ben Moelis

Hewlett, NY | 18

Ben led a team of 25 in a community-wide project: creating a game to help kids with Fragile-X Syndrome (on the autism spectrum) manage stressful moments without anxiety.

Ruthie Perlman

Greenville, SC | 17

By bringing together Jewish teens, Ruthie has strengthened the small Jewish community in her hometown, helping previously isolated local teens connect and develop pride in their Jewish identity.

Andrew Plotch

Fair Lawn, NJ | 19

A simple yet powerful tool that Andrew developed—a fill in the blank sticker that reads, "I believe in..."—has catalyzed conversations about important issues in high schools across the country.