Challenges, Curricula, and More

Do Something has many other resources to help young people lead community change and impact the world.

Image courtesy Do Something Rocco DiSpirito visits Columbus High School in Iowa which won the Thanks/Giving Challenge, by collecting 280,000 cans. More than 1.5 million cans were collected nationally.

Do Something Challenges
Sometimes, people need a push. Do Something is always there to give that push and turn it into action. It has introduced a series of Do Something Challenges to young people across the country -- specific issues with specific goals to get young people motivated. Past challenges include the Second Hand This! Challenge, which educates kids about the dangers of smoking and challenges them to convince one person they love to quit the habit; the Thanks/Giving Challenge, where kids are challenged to "work for food," which they then distribute to those in need; the Fitness Challenge, where young people learn about health and fitness and are challenged to walk, run, hike, or bike a mile a day for two weeks; and the Green Challenge, where young people are challenged to turn something brown into something green by planting a garden, cleaning a park, or scrubbing a public memorial clean.

While most of the Do Something Challenges are announced to coincide with a specific time or event, the challenges themselves are timeless and serve as constant motivators for those who dare to try.

Do Something Curricula
Do Something knows that there is no better influence on a child than a motivated and involved teacher. To that end, it offers a wide range of free curricula with easy-to-follow lesson plans that teachers can download from the Web site. It also offers tips and ideas specifically designed for teachers to help them get their students inspired to take action.

Image courtesy Do Something Do Something's Build Magazine

Build Magazine
Do Something publishes the only magazine for teens who are changing the world. Build magazine is teen content with a social-responsibility twist. It features celebrities who are changing the world, articles on how to take action and get involved, profiles of teens from around the world who are making an impact, and more.

The magazine sends out 400,000 copies of each issue to middle schools and high schools across the country. It has proven to be so popular, it's often requested by the schools themselves. The idea is to be cool, fun, and hip, without seeming to preach or bore the children. The response has been overwhelmingly positive, and the magazine is growing.

The BRICK Awards
Each year, Do Something sponsors the BRICK Awards, honoring some of the most incredible young people in North America. Over a thousand young people applied for the 2007 awards, and 12 truly amazing winners were selected. Each will receive at least $10,000 in grant money or a scholarship, and will be celebrated at a star-studded awards gala in New York. The show will then be broadcast on the CW on April 12, 2007.

To learn all about the BRICK Awards, check out How the BRICK Awards Work?