Today is the 25th anniversary of Global Youth Service Day! This day of service is celebrated across the U.S. and in more than 100 countries. It’s a day that more than 4,000 service projects will be completed by millions of young people.
At Disney, our Friends for Change initiative inspires kids and families to make a positive change in the world. In addition to sponsoring Global Youth Service Day, a campaign of Youth Service America, we partner with the nonprofit to provide project grants year-round — grants that help fund service projects like those taking place today.
Young changemakers ages 5-18 can apply for a $1,000 grant to help fund their community project. From a 10-year-old who started a peer-to-peer program that promotes self-confidence to a group of teens in Uganda who harvested rainwater for their community’s water supply, kids around the world are demonstrating that small actions can add up to big change!
In 2012, Disney’s Friends for Change grants expanded to Latin America and the UK and helped support 150 projects. To date, Disney has funded project in 55 countries, positively impacting more than 500,000 people!
If you or your family are among those making a difference today, thank you! And if you’re hearing about Global Youth Service Day for the first time, check out GYSD.org to learn how you can have a positive impact on the world!