Thousands of local kids joining effort to change the world
Oct 2, 2012, 3:22 PM | Updated: Oct 3, 2012, 8:32 am
Free The Children founder Craig Kielburger announces a major new youth empowerment initiative Tuesday at Federal Way High School (Free The Children/Michael Rajzman photo)
(Free The Children/Michael Rajzman photo)
Craig Kielburger was just 12 years old when he read a story about child slavery and decided he wanted to do something about it.
“I got my classmates in seventh grade involved but we couldn’t get anyone to mentor us,” Keilburger said.
Since no one would help, they did it themselves, founding their own non-profit Free the Children. Seventeen years later, it has grown into the world’s largest network of young people helping others, with nearly two million kids involved in a variety of global and local causes.
“We want to help make the next 12-year-old, the next kid who wants to change the world possible, even cool,” he says.
It’s certainly cool in Canada, where Free the Children stages We Days – stadium sized festivals where thousands of kids gather for presentations and performances from global leaders and celebrities ranging from the Dalai Lama to Justin Beiber.
Now, the effort is moving south of the border, making its U.S. debut next March in Seattle. Keilburger says it happened at the urging of Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll, who learned of the program several years ago and convinced Kielburger to stage the event here.
“We’ve been able to connect the dots here and bring something that’s never been done in the United States before,” Carroll says. “It’s absolutely on point with helping kids become empowered with their ability to do change and do good work.”
The inaugural We Day will take place at Key Arena on March 27, 2013. Keilburger says about 15,000 students from around the Northwest will hear from former Soviet President Mikhael Gorbachev and other as yet to be named notables.
The event is free, but there’s a catch. Kids can only earn a ticket by taking one local and one global action to better the world.
“They’re about lighting that fire, that spark of activism,” Keilburger said. “And then we sustain it throughout the year with school based programs, curriculum, leadership camps, mentorship. Everything a kid needs to find their own passion to make this world a better place.”
Carroll says while the program is launching in Seattle, the goal is to expand it to all 32 NFL cities along with others in the coming years.
>>>Learn more about We Day Seattle
