The community I am helping is teenagers. Right now, my focus is in the United States, starting with my hometown of Ridgefield, CT. The problem I am trying to solve is that teens see celebrities as their role models and these celebrities are often bad examples to follow. Following the bad examples of celebrities can lead to trouble for teens, including drug abuse, violence, drunk driving, animal cruelty, teenage pregnancy, and other problems. Following the examples of good celebrity role models can only help teenagers, their communities, and country. The youth of America are struggling to find good celebrity role models. My solution is to identify good celebrity role models for kids and teens--celebrities who teenagers can relate to, to introduce new celebrity role models to them, and to make it up close and personal by bringing these celebrities to the towns and communities of these teenagers. The celebrities would be qualified as good celebrities by the same pledge that visitors to www.wanabenow.org may take, the WANABENOW Pledge, which says that the person taking the pledge can be a good example and role model for others. The pledge says: I pledge that... -I will treat myself and others with respect, -I will not abuse drugs or alcohol, -I will show respect for the world around me, including its living creatures and the environment, -I will do what I can to be a better person, -I will do what I can to help others. I believe my organization and website can help kids and teens stay out of trouble and be better citizens of their communities, even role models for others. It may even help some celebrities stay out of trouble by making them conscious that they are role models for today's kids and teens and that we appreciate it when they are good role models for us.

My organization identifies good celebrity role models for teenagers--celebrities who teens can relate to, and introduces new celebrity role models to them, and makes it up close and personal by bringing these celebrities to the towns and communities of these teenagers. The celebrities are qualified as good celebrities by the same pledge that visitors to www.wanabenow.org may take, the WANABENOW Pledge, which says that the person taking the pledge can be a good example and role model for others.

I started an organization called We All Need A Better Example Now. I already established a website, www.wanabenow.org, which will be constantly updated. It includes the WANABENOW Pledge form for kids and teens to take the WANABENOW pledge to be worthy, themselves, of being a good role model for others. It also identifies good celebrity role models that today's teens can relate to. I am in working hard to bring celebrity role models to my home town of Ridgefield, CT so that the teens in my town can actually meet in person these good role models. I have sent out FedEx packages, registered letters, and emails. I have met in person with the manager of Push Play and have talked with leaders in my town in an effort to bring Push Play to Ridgefield. I have printed and distributed cards about wanabenow.org. So far, the impact I have made is to introduce and increase awareness of some good celebrity role models to my friends, schoolmates, and the people who have visited my website. I have also instilled the message that they, regular people like you and me, can be good role models for others.

Others can help by helping bring the good celebrities to the towns and communities to personally meet the teens. I am finding out that is is very hard to do. Even if the celebrities come for free, administrators have many concerns, including things like the cost to keep a school or Boys & Girls club open for a few extra hours or to provide added security at an event. Also, to help guarantee success of the celebrity visit, even if it just a "meet and greet," help with publicity is needed, including the costs of flyers or posters.