The Young Leader

by

Teens Making a Difference – Boyan Slat

“If you want to do something, do it as soon as possible.” -Boyan Slat

The Dutch born Boyan Slat doesn’t just say inspiration quotes, he lives them. At age 13, Slat set the Guinness World Record for most water rockets launched at the same time. From there, his ambition took off like one of those rockets leading him to become the founder and CEO of The Ocean Cleanup project by age 20.

Slat’s journey to becoming the founder of one of the largest clean-up projects in history began while diving in Greece at the age of 16. He noticed there were more plastic bags than fish in the ocean, which gave him an idea. Slat developed a science project that consisted of several floating barriers, connected to the seabed, that could capture and gather plastics littering the ocean surface, so they could be collected and recycled. The design uses the Ocean currents to do all of the dirty work, as they push the litter into the collection barriers, a task that would take humans thousands of years and billions of dollars. Seeing that the project had something special to it, Delft University of Technology awarded it with the Best Technical Design.

Slat continued to develop his project after the competition, eventually giving a Ted Talk on how it could work. The talk resonated with people around the world, going viral in the process. Slat started a Kickstarter campaign to make the project a reality, which easily reach it’s goal. Now two years later, Slat has a team of over 100 people working on implementing the project while also spinning the technology off to work on cleaning up rivers and streams as well. According to a 2014 study, the system could remove up to half of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch in 10 years.

Boyan Slat didn’t let his age get in the way of his big idea. Because of his decision to not delay, and pursue his vision and passion as soon as possible, the world could become a better pace to live in a shorter amount of time. Who knows what kind of good could be done if more teens followed Slat’s example and listened to his words: ”If you want to do something, do it as soon as possible.”

Contributed by Alex Anderson

by

7 Ways Sports Can Bridge Cultures

Humans have practiced and participated in sports for thousands of years. Because sports have existed for so long and can be found in some form everywhere on Earth, they are a great way to join different societies and bring people together. Here are 7 of the ways sports can bridge cultures.

-Shared Communication

Not speaking the same language as someone can seem like an impossible hurdle to overcome when trying to communicate. One way to bridge this gap is to engage in some shared physical activity. After only a few minutes of either learning a local sport or participating in a shared one, you will start to see the non-verbal forms of communication you use to speak. This communication can be used off the field as well.

-Bring Peace

The passion individuals have for sports is so strong that it can overcome cultural tension. There are several instances of peace through sports, but one of the most famous happened in 1995 when Nelson Mandela helped South Africans differing cultures avoid a civil war through their shared passion for Rugby.

-Put Big and Small Societies on an Even Playing Field

Sometimes the hardest cultural gap to overcome is one of size. Sports solve this problem by taking two different countries and cultures and putting them on a level playing field, allowing each player and team just as good of a chance of as anyone else. It’s how Trinidad and Tobago, a country with a population of just over 1.3 million can play in the same tournament as China, with a population of more than 1.3 billion, which is what happened in the 2006 World Cup.

-Allow You to Travel Abroad and Be Immersed in a Different Culture

Programs like GLA’s Costa Rica: Sports Service Adventure(1) uses teens shared passion for soccer and sports to learn and connect with local communities. The program gives teens an opportunity to live on a coastal village while creating new friendships with local youths all through a shared passion for sports.

-Share History

Sharing the history of anthers culture can be a huge stepping stone to better understanding each other and how societal differences originally started. Learning about why certain rules in shared sports are different between cultures and how that came to be is a great way to jump start the conversation.

-Build Friendships

Branching out and getting to know people from other cultures can be difficult if you share nothing in common. Playing sports together is a great way to get to know people of all cultures and build life-long friendships.

-Teach Rules to Live By

One of the biggest rules that you learn with sports is that of sportsmanship and respecting and admiring your opponents and teammates alike. When you take this outlook and apply it to the world, it allows you to see different cultures and people as equals, no matter their background or education. Athletic activity can build a foundation to live by, and one that can shape the world in positive ways as it brings all cultures together with the shared passion of sports.

Contributed by Alex Anderson

by

Water Skiing vs. Wakeboarding

If you enjoy waterskiing then you should most definitely try wakeboarding. Wakeboarding is much harder and more complicated than waterskiing, but incredibly fulfilling once you get the hang of it! Plus, after you know how to waterski, then wakeboarding will be easier to learn.

Waterskiing has skis similar to snow skis, but much wider than snow skis and while they are on the water, they’re being towed down the boat. When you use water skiis, every time you fall, you have to strap on the skiis again, no matter how tight you make them. So don’t panic! This is part of the sport.

Wakeboarding also has one thick shorter board for wakeboarding. Wakeboarding is on one board, to which you are strapped very tightly so there is no need to strap them on every time you fall. So much easier! Wakeboarding tends to be more sideways in nature while gliding across the water, so your views are less direct (but hey, when you’re on the water, the view from all sides is probably spectacular). Waterskiing is facing straightforward, so it seems much easier in that respect. However, some people believe that wakeboarding is easier than waterskiing in that your legs are not trying to go in opposite directions.

Either way, both have ropes and a handle to hold onto while going through the water. They also both require a boat to pull them as well as plenty of room to move through the water. They are most commonly used in various lakes across the country. Rivers tend to be too narrow to really get to move around much. To take part in either waterskiing or wakeboarding, purchasing a life jacket beforehand is an incredibly smart precaution, especially for your first time on the water. Summer is the perfect time to practice both and decide which one is more fun and more enjoyable for you personally.

Contributed by Author

by

Say What Needs to be Said – A Bold, Remarkable Teenager Takes a Stand

Blog-Photo-May-2015-02

High school can be a very difficult, stressful time. It can also be an opportunity where you find yourself and what you truly believe in. You may even inspire others along the way.

There’s no way around it, school can be a grind. Even if you don’t personally care about your grades and college applications, you may gradually start to feel the weight of other people’s expectations. Your school, teachers, parents, friends, family, and pop culture can all add to this. It might all feel heavier than a freshman backpack.

One brave and insightful teenager from my high school—and this was 5 years ago—wrote an article questioning all of this. For us, our school had a dominant workaholic, constantly busy high school culture. We were also strictly grouped by class level: SP, CP, AE, and H/AP. Don’t know what these mean? Well, I still don’t even know. They were just labels.

My classmate asked all of us, “Why? Why should we feel pressured into taking all higher level classes? Maybe I don’t want to spend almost all of my time after school on homework. Maybe I have to support my family by working a job. Maybe I would rather spend time with my loved-ones and friends over grinding away to get into a ‘good’ college. But what really bothers me is the common reaction I get from people about my classes. When I tell them I’m in CP math, people seem to think it’s because I’m not smart enough to be in AE or Honors. Honestly, why should we all feel pressured to overwhelm ourselves with work and extracurriculars?”

What you see above was not taken from the article they wrote; I didn’t actually even read it. Many of my classmates and I heard about it through our friends. We found it compelling and powerful because it was something many of us were thinking about, but we never said anything. They did.

Maybe your current school or community has a different issue that’s been unacknowledged. Few people have the courage to candidly address the most important matters everyone’s thinking about. You don’t have to be smart, athletic, attractive, privileged, or in any way exceptional to do this.

If you do, though, then you have my genuine admiration. And who knows, people you never even met may still think about your meaningful contribution 5, 10, or 20 years from now.

Just speak up.

 

Contributed by Nick Fochtman

by

5 Must-Read Tips For Every Teen Visiting Mexico

Y2

Mexico is an amazing country, and it is one of the top vacation spots in the world—especially when spring break rolls around. It has a lively culture, beautiful beaches, and who can forget the delicious food? Seriously…the food will change your life. It’s that good.

But, as with any foreign country, traveling to Mexico requires a heightened sense of cautiousness, particularly for teens and college students who are visiting for spring break. Here are 3 must-read tips to remember:

1. Get An International Data Plan

International data rates are no joke. A few texts or calls could easily run your bill through the roof. Talk to your mobile carrier and sign up for a temporary international data plan to use while you’re out of the country. Your parents will thank you for not breaking the bank.

2. Learn The Basic Lingo

One of the trickiest parts of traveling abroad is the inevitable language barrier. So if you’re going to Mexico, then it’s important that you brush up on some very basic spanish terms, phrases, and questions. This will help you navigate your trip with confidence, and will also lead to a more meaningful experience if you’re able to converse with the locals. Here’s a list you can print out and keep with you on your trip.

3. Stick With Your Group

We all know getting lost sucks, but getting lost in a foreign country when you’re supposed to be having fun. . .now that’s just terrible, not to mention very dangerous. So, even if your friends or group members are doing one activity, and you want to do something else, just wait until you can all go together. Don’t ever isolate yourself or wander off alone—it’s just not safe.

4. Wear Sunscreen!

Your parents say it. Your tour guides say it. Heck, every travel article out there probably says it, but yet some people still don’t wear sunscreen when visiting Mexico. Listen folks, the sun in Mexico is much stronger and more intense than it is in the states, and that means you can get a bad sunburn in a fraction of the time. If you fry your skin to death on the first day, you’ll be miserable and in pain the rest of your trip, and nobody wants that. Get a strong SPF, and wear it. ALL. THE. TIME.

5. Bottles And Cans Only

Many visitors don’t realize that the tap water in Mexico, and subsequently the ice, is not always safe to drink. It’s kind of a gamble, really, because some folks can drink it and be fine, while others end up with food-poisoning-like symptoms. So the best thing to do is stick to bottled or canned water, sodas, tea, etc. Even if the price is a bit higher, it’s definitely worth it to know that your tummy isn’t headed for turmoil.

If you follow these five tips, and always remember that safety is the most important thing, you’ll have a blast in Mexico and you’ll be counting the seconds until you can return for a second visit!

Contributed by Ashley Welter

Brought to you by