Teens can help change the world, and some have started to do so right in their own community.
Nineteen-year-old Michael Devon O’Connor saw the horrible condition of a sign welcoming people to his town, and took matters into his own hands.
“I have always felt that the ‘Welcome to Whitestone’ sign was a great way of introducing people to the community,” says O’Connor of the sign at the junction of Francis Lewis Boulevard, the Cross Island Parkway Service Road and Locke Avenue.
“Unfortunately, due to time and neglect, the sign is damaged beyond repair, and I decided to do something about it.”
That meant finding the owner of the property, which turned out to the Parks Department. Officials at the city agency told O’Connor that if he could find the funds, he could replace the sign himself.
“At that point, I reached out to the local businesses for their financial support, which in turn led to the creation of a nonprofit group, “Welcome to Whitestone,” O’Connor explains.
His group now hosts a website that promotes teen volunteerism and is seeking the funds to replace the sign.
For more on the group, visit www.WelcomeToWhitestone.com.
When 16-year-old Khaair Morrison, a senior at Francis Lewis High School in Flushing, heard that the MTA was considering canceling the free student MetroCard program, he decided to take action.
“I … fought to save student MetroCards in New York City, which over 600,000 students use to get to school every day,” said Morrison. “Without the MetroCards, it would have cost a family an estimated $1,000 a year.”
Morrison organized protests in front of the MTA headquarters, met with the chairman, participated in press conferences and even went to Albany to lobby politicians.
“In the end [I] organized a citywide school walk-out, where 1,000 kids walked out in protest to City Hall,” recalls Morrison. “Our efforts paid off, and now 600,000 students are still using free MetroCards today.”
How did he do all this? Working with the Urban Youth Collaborative, a citywide group that seeks to get young people active in their communities, he formed a student union.
“We all came together in big meetings to see what the youth thought we should do,” he said.
After being turned down by the MTA when they sought a personal meeting with the chairman, they showed up a at the agency’s public hearings.
“Politicians gave up their spot for us to speak,” he said.
“After hearing our outrage, they gave us a meeting with the chairman. In that meeting, about seven of us did a press conference with him and got the vote to cut the cards pushed back.”
• • •
Both O’Connor and Morrison have one message for teens: Get involved in the betterment of your community and the world. Any individual can take a stand and make a difference, and it’s rewarding and benefits everyone. You can connect with O’Connor and Morrison for more information on their work via Facebook.
Entrepreneurial education is vital for our youth.
Take the time to think about what you can do to make our rapidly changing world a better place.
Vera Borukhov is the founder of Veracity Learning Inc., devoted to providing English and Entrepreneurial education to uncover your child’s genius. Contact Veracity to better your child’s school experience and give you peace of mind. (718) 790-8911. For more info, visit www.veracitylearning.com.
