Written by Lorrie Holmes

As an early childhood educator and preschool teacher, I am thrilled to be introducing TekyGo! to young children, their families, and anyone else who Guides & Cares for them. TekyGo! is the perfect platform to bring children inside these stories in a very magical, interactive way. Within these fun, energetic and educational games, children are gifted with the opportunity to practice important age appropriate skills: from gross and fine motor skills to STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) and even creative arts (music & movement and visual arts).

Interviewed by Lorrie Holmes

Meet Hollis. She’s 16 years old and the founder of Juggling For Jude where she raises a lot of money an awareness for cancer research using her talents juggling soccer balls. That’s not all she does, she also spends a lot of her time at appearances at special events and public speaking where she inspires a lot of other youth and adults to join in her cause. To date, she’s raised $496,000 with more than 3,000 different individuals donating to her cause.

If you have a story to tell, then tell it, and never give up until the world hears it.

-Esabella Strickland, Award Winning Teen Author, 15 years old

“If you told me at the age of 10 that I would write and have a novel published by the age of 15, I would have laughed at you,” states teen author, Esabella Strickland. “When I was 10 years old, I hated reading because of my Dyslexia; also, because I was being bullied and socially alienated at my old school because of the way I learned. I was often separated from the class to get ‘extra help.’ As a result, my confidence was so low, and I felt so alone and sad.” Esabella explains.

Created by Young Adventurer, Oliver, Aged 9

From ice hockey to snowshoeing, tobogganing to snowboarding – today one of our young Kids Who Write Reporters, adventurer Oliver creates this amazing story for us about how his winters are not unlike any of his other childhood experiences – full of wonder and adventure. Oliver is so excited to speak to us as our young adventure ambassador, sharing with other kids all the ideas he came up with using his imagination, thoughts, and even his own creations. He does all of this with the encouragement and support of his family, who so eagerly follow his lead with skis and show shoes, sleighs and ice skates – through the snowy landscapes of Kelowna’s winter wonderland in these fun winter family adventures.

So, let’s take this winter adventure with Oliver as he leads us through his recommended winter activities with his family by his side, and the extra support of our story sponsor – Play It Again Sports.

From installing buddy benches at schools and other local spots to recycling plastics to saving vulnerable animals – on land and in water – these kids are changing the world one act at a time. They are taking their future into their own hands and improving our world on a global level. We are so excited to be launching our Global Youth Change-Makers Directory before Christmas so you can be aware of what these selfless youth are up to and decide if you would like to support a youth change-maker cause this holiday season or to get involved in their programs.

The choices below include kids who have started and run their own registered charities or represent a registered charity. We are starting off with the kids we have featured this year and including a few extras who have stories scheduled for early next year. We hope you find this resource useful and will be activity updating it every month moving forward. If you are a youth change-maker and would like to be featured with us in our blog and included in our directory, please contact our editor, Lorrie Holmes, at lyricalnote@me.com.

Hi, my name is Addy Barrett. I am 13 years old and I live in Germantown, Maryland. Ever since I was in first grade, I have been working to raise money and awareness for the endangered mountain gorilla. It started when I read a book about mountain gorillas and how critically endangered they were. I immediately wanted to do something so I went home and made a poster. I got a lot of support from friends and family, and the rest is history.

I really like to make my projects educational, but also fun so that I can captivate younger audiences. Over the past several years I have sold t-shirts, hosted three Gorilla Galas, initiated a Gorilla Hi 5 challenge, made gorilla toys and so much more. Through these efforts Gorilla Heroes has raised over $13,000 for gorilla conservation.

Parenting can feel overwhelming, especially when you’re trying to understand what your child needs in the middle of big emotions, challenging behaviour, or constant change. Most of us are doing our best to respond with patience and connection, but knowing how to do that in real life is not always clear.

That’s where the right guidance can make all the difference. There are many dedicated child development experts and parenting coaches offering thoughtful, practical support to help families navigate these moments with more clarity and confidence.

Below is a collection of experts, authors, and resources we’ve explored and connected with. Each offers valuable insight through their work, whether through coaching, books, workshops, or tools designed to support parents and families. We’ll continue to add to this list over time, but for now, we’re starting with these trusted voices in child development and parenting.

Written & Illustrated by Child Author, Celeste, Age 9

A few years ago there was an envelope. It wasn’t any old envelope because this one could talk. No one knew that this envelope contained Santa’s List even though it said Santa’s list on the front of it! Still, no one noticed that is was his real list. Santa had written the list then sent it beforehand. The reason why he did this is because there was a problem with mice coming and eating all the paper. So he sent it all the way to Canada, with the hope of getting it back safely.