One Week

1. Figure out your cause. What are you passionate about that you want to bring attention to?
2. Create your pledge. Be specific and concrete. Are you pledging to do something or to abstain from something? Here are some ideas:
• Pledge to recycle.
• Pledge to lower your carbon footprint.
• Pledge to lower your energy consumption.

A great way to help people combat illness is to lift their spirits. Staying in a hospital means sitting in the same room for long periods of time. If you’re visiting a child in the hospital, you can save them from boredom and loneliness with these ideas.

Human Rights Day is the world’s opportunity to “advocate for the full enjoyment of all human rights by everyone everywhere.” In other words, today perfect day for YOU to take action on something YOU care about. Bullying? Homelessness? The environment? Whatever it is, use this guide for small steps that lead to a big impact.

According to The Department of Education, children who live below the poverty line or come from a non-English speaking home are much more likely to fall behind their peers in reading skills. What's worse, the inequality starts between kindergarten and 3rd grade.

Engage children with storytelling to teach them spelling and other literary skills.

You don’t have to be an animal expert to help out at your community’s shelter. You just need to have the time and desire to lend a helping hand. (And it doesn’t have to be a lot of time, either.) Here are a few ideas on how you can help!

Teach a class

Teaching shelter dogs to sit, stay, walk calmly on a leash or shake paws will make them infinitely more adoptable. The Humane Society and SPCA of Austin, TX, for example, have a team of volunteers who spend their time playing with puppies and taking adolescent dogs to obedience classes.

Creating a neighborhood watch sounds easy enough, right? That's because it is. But here are a few tips on what's exactly involved in getting your watch up and running.

Meetings

The last thing anyone wants is more meetings to attend! With a neighborhood watch there are really only two major meetings that need to happen.

The First Meeting

Do something (pun intended) about bullying in your school. Team up with friends and talk to a teacher, dean, or principal about it.

Distribute the nutritional information of food served in the school cafeteria and encourage your classmates to make healthier choices. Try one of these approaches to get the word out.

Is your school behind the green times? Help get things moving! Brainstorm some ideas on how your school can save energy every day, and present your case to the principal. 

Here's a list to get you started:

Everyone can make a difference. Whether it is recycling or cutting showers short, everyone has the power to help put an end to global warming. So what are you waiting for? Here are some ways you can help our planet.

Use Compact Fluorescent Bulbs

Replace light bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs. By using three CFBs, you will save 300 pounds of carbon dioxide and $60 a year.

Fill the Dishwasher

You don’t have to run your dishwasher every time you eat. By filling it completely, you can save $40 and 100 lbs. of CO2 emission a year.