What are you grateful for this year?

Why not show your attitude of gratitude by creating positive change in the world this year!

Happy new year, change-makers!

It’s that time of year again—time to reflect on the past year and set your goals for the one ahead. Usually people look at what didn’t go so well the year before and pledge to improve in the future. We pledge to exercise more or do better in math class. But this year, what if we think about what went well this past year. What do you have to be grateful for and how can you pass these things on to others so they can have a better year too?

Personally, I am most grateful for my daily activities and habits. Some things are so commonplace for us that we never think to appreciate them and so these little things get taken for granted. So, what are you most grateful for this year? Here are some ideas to get you started:

• You may be grateful that you can go to school. Did you know that 22 out of every 100 children in the developing world do not have access to primary education, according to the United Nations?
  
  
• You may be grateful that you have safe drinking water to keep you healthy. Did you know that 1.2 million people in the world do not have access to safe drinking water?
  
  
• You may be grateful that you don’t have to work full-time as a young person, and can instead go to school and spend time with friends. Did you know that according to UNICEF, the United Nations Children’s Fund, it is estimated that one of every 12 children in the world are involved in work that puts their health at risk or has caused them serious harm?

Now that you’ve thought about what you’re grateful for, it’s time to make a new kind of resolution: to allow others to have these things to be grateful for too. Learn about how you can take action with Free The Children to help provide children with an education, clean water and freedom from child labour through our alternative income projects at we.freethechildren.com/get-involved.

Research the issue you care about and make an action plan. You can contact a youth coordinator at Free The Children to receive your own Action Planning Handbook for your school, or for any other help you need. Find your youth coordinator at we.freethechildren.com/need-to-know/youth-coords or call us at 416-925-5894!

Wishing you an amazing 2009!

Lauren Roach
International Youth Coordinator

Free The Children is the largest network of children helping children through education in the world, with more than one million youth involved in our innovative education and development programs in 45 countries. Founded by international child rights activist Craig Kielburger, Free The Children has an established track-record of success, with three nominations for the Nobel Peace Prize and partnerships with the United Nations and Oprah’s Angel Network.