Ted Komada, the music teacher who started a chess club nine years ago at Killip Elementary School, hoped to help the mostly low-income students build confidence. Now, his chess team heads to the national finals, after having won five consecutive state championships in Arizona.
With the sluggish British economy, it's never been more difficult for young people to get a job. In fact for many graduates and teens, finding their way into employment can often feel like an impossible challenge rather than a right of passage. Despite research that suggests a 21% unemployment rate for this age group, there are still many ambitious young people who are creatively making their way in the world. Their persistence, initiative and success in times of such economic difficultly are doubly inspiring. Here are some of the top young entrepreneurs to look out for this year and the dynamic, forward thinking companies that have seen them make their fortune.
A British-Nigerian 10-year-old looks like a typical little girl when she dresses up as Elsa from "Frozen," but then you find out Esther is also a university student.
A baby in Kenya needed life-saving heart surgery, but it would cost $23,000 and the family couldn't afford it. Enter a 5-year old Canadian boy from Waterloo who heard the story and marched to his bedroom to empty his piggy bank. After seeing their boy Cameron's heartfelt gesture, the parents decided that maybe they could help him inspire friends, family and strangers to kick in the extra funds needed to reach the goal.
Three Tennessee homecoming king nominees made a unanimous and touching decision that no matter who won, they would give the crown to a beloved student who has Williams Syndrome, a neurological disorder that inhibits learning and speech. At the Unionville Community High School's basketball homecoming ceremony, the teens turned over the honor to junior Scotty Maloney.
Nine-month-old Flipper the kitten was born with a twisted spine that makes it impossible for him to stand up -- or walk about without dragging himself laboriously. But little Flipper's life was changed forever by cat-lovers from a high school robotics club in Colorado.
A young Carolina Panthers fan with cerebral palsy found the opportunity to fulfill his dream of playing the sport he loves so much, thanks to a special NFL program for kids with disabilities.
2015 has been an amazing year for kids who have taught us a lot about generosity, kindness, and selflessness... These five show us how it's done...
Teenager Austin Hay completed construction on a tiny house with wheels that he had begun during his sophomore year of high school. The home includes a full kitchen, loft, shower and composting toilet, and plans for solar panels.
In the last 15 months Isabelle and Katherine Adams have made life immeasurably better for villagers they've never met, in lands far away from their own home in Dallas. The young sisters, ages 6 and 9, have raised $120,000 for clean-water projects in Ethiopia and India, all through selling origami ornaments they create themselves.
When a 7-year-old learned his friend had cancer, he decded he could help raise money by racing go-karts. One of the boy's heroes, Nascar racer Jeff Gordon, heard about his campaign and decided to help.
When a 7-year-old learned his friend had cancer, he decded he could help raise money by racing go-karts. One of the boy's heroes, Nascar racer Jeff Gordon, heard about his campaign and decided to help.
It was a star-studded night. After recording her new song at Rotation Records, Amy Hosmer left the studio. She was greeted by about 75 enthusiastic fans. She smiled shyly and thanked everyone for coming. Not what we'd expect from a rock star. But Amy isn't a typical star.
Bullied every day for years because of his lisp, Josh moved to London, Ontario, in 2011. Determined not to be put in a box by his new classmates, the remarkable young man dramatically changed the trajectory of his life with one small idea: he would hold open the door at school each day. He held the door open for hundreds of teenagers that first morning - and every morning since. At first they didn't know what to make of the stranger, but then, something happened.
To combat bullying and to simply cheer up students at his high school, Jeremiah Anthony set up a Twitter Account a year and a half ago that posts compliments about kids and teachers.
After witnessing a close friend suffering through cyber bullying, 14 year old Azariah Brown decided to do something about it. She founded a website for teenage girls called, Love Share Care. She wanted a social online hangout where adolescent girls 13-17 can share photos, post status updates, and send love shouts.
For 6 years, 18-year-old Alex Deans has been working on a device known as the iAid, a navigation system that uses GPS to help the blind give up their canes.
Scott Shaver and Katie Buell were crowned prom king and queen last week at Westview High School. Katie is an all-American girl, class president, champion in girls basketball, and an absolute sweetheart, according to her teachers. Yet, it seems every student, no matter their ability, is accepted here and treasured. Scotty, as the kids call him, is a HUGE personality at the school, brought out of his shell over four years by the nurturing attention given, not only by specialized staff who have tutored him as a special needs student with autism, but by the accepting student body.
Buzzfeed threw together some tiny video clips of people doing amazing things, like turning one's morning toast-making experience into sublime artistic expression, and waterskiing on one's hands.
To the Nebraska college football team and fans, this play was truly one of your finest moments the school has ever seen. Little Jack Hoffman, who has cancer, led a very special Husker play into the end zone with the ball.
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