Spotlight On an Equitable World

Most teens are responsible for homework and getting good grades. They likely have chores, such as dishes or lawn care, that an adult expects them to take care of on a daily or weekly basis. Perhaps they have a younger sibling who depends on them for rides to school or afterschool care. These are all responsibilities related to personal and familial obligations, but what about a responsibility to the community and the world itself? Learning social responsibility means understanding the ways you are connected with others. Teens become aware of social responsibility by seeing it take place in the real world. The information in this volume will help readers understand the importance of key concepts, such as service learning, volunteering, and self-efficacy.

Empathy is a force for good! But it doesn't come easily to everyone. This guide explores the concepts of empathy and apathy and how they function in a community. Readers discover the positive aspects of empathy through real-world examples of people, many of them teens, who made a difference in their own communities by researching problems and searching for solutions. The text also discusses what occurs when a lack of empathy exists within a community. Photographs of teenagers engaged in community activities will help readers make a meaningful connection with the text.

The United Nations works for global social justice. Tracking unfairness and injustice, the UN solves problems with resources, opportunities, and rights. Social change is their purpose. The UN is a large, international body with many resources available to them, and they make a big impact on communities around the world. But they rely on active citizens who are ready to work for social change. Empathetic individuals can identify issues important to their lives and in their community. These efforts can lead to important social change all over the world! Topics in this volume include human rights and needs, establishing goals, and following a plan to achieve social change.

What does it mean to be an ally? It can actually mean a lot of things, but it mostly means caring enough and being brave enough to help others who need it, even strangers. This could mean volunteering to house and feed refugees. It could mean being a positive voice for a marginalized group. Regardless of what it looks like, being an ally to others is an essential component of social change. This volume inspires and encourages readers to make a conscious decision to become an ally using real-life examples. Readers will come to recognize that, together, allies can make big differences in their schools, communities, and around the world.

We are all born free and equal. We have the right to an education, a job, a fair wage, ownership of property, free expression of our views, and privacy. You can see rights and freedoms in action in your community, and you can begin to see the need for freedom, justice, and fairness in your real world as well. Your personal conclusions and choices can result in respect and protection of human rights. This is everyone's responsibility. This title explores what it takes to raise your voice and fight for human rights for everyone, featuring accessible language and real-life scenarios to help readers grasp the subject matter.

Self-awareness is an important life skill. You are a work in progress! And so is your identity. The person you become in the future can be imagined now and shaped by your values and goals. It's equally important to recognize and accept the identities of those around us. Our society depends on the assets of diversity. Varied backgrounds and experiences contribute valued talents and strengths. As you grow older you see how your identity is connected to many groups by birth or choice. You may have connections to explore that you never knew existed. A brave person makes connections across differences and welcomes diversity. This title also explores the connection between identity, bias, and injustice, as well as how we can overcome those injustices.

Being part of efforts to solve modern problems-in your community and in communities around the world-can help others who need assistance and can establish you as a creative, determined, and caring community member. The text in this volume addresses real-world solutions and shows readers the skills and attitudes necessary to bring positive change. Readers will also learn about leadership roles and how they can prepared themselves to contribute to and even lead community efforts. Everyone can make a positive difference in their world, and this guide imparts in-depth details on how to achieve success in creating solutions that all citizens support.

What does it mean to be an active citizen, and what does it take to become one? Active citizens recognize negative issues in their community and work to improve them. They come together with others who have similar aspirations, and they work affect positive change in the community and around the world. This guide introduces readers to the idea of being and active citizen, defines what the means, gives real-world examples of positive change, and offers advice for pursuing and achieving equity in society. Photographs of teens engaging in community and political endeavors will help readers gain a fresh understanding of activisms and how they can stand up for the rights of all people.

In an ever more diverse society, young people encounter differences more than ever before...and that's a good thing! This guide explores the concept of respect from many facets. Showing respect for others is the foundation for building positive connection in the community. Readers will explore respect, and self-respect, through the lenses of different cultures and identities, including Native Americans fighting for equal and fair representation in society, and Black students striving for inclusiveness and fairness in school. This volume will guide readers on a thorough exploration of what respect means in modern society, and demonstrates how they can make a difference in the lives of others.

Making connections with others in the community is an essential life skill, and one that can help young people successfully navigate the choppy waters of today's society. Inside this book, readers will learn about the epidemic of loneliness that affected U.S. citizens after the COVID-19 pandemic struck, and how they can cope with their own loneliness and the loneliness of others. Forming meaningful and lasting relationships can defeat societal isolation and bring the world closer together. Readers learn the importance of creating a welcoming community, in school and beyond. Other topics include welcoming outsiders, active listening, connecting online, and much more.

We see clear examples of fairness and unfairness in our world every day. It's clear that some people have more than enough money and resources to succeed and thrive, while others lack even then most basic of human needs, including shelter, food, water, and even a home country. Fairness does not just happen when barriers need to be broken and minds need to be changed. Changing the way a society thinks is a big job, but it begins with you. You are a positive force for good! This guide explores the importance of citizens taking an active role in the community to achieve social justice. Readers will be inspired to work for fairness after reading real-life examples, from history and from our contemporary world, of others doing exactly that: fighting for fairness.

As they mature, teens make numerous decisions about their beliefs, values, and attitudes. These decisions shape the adults they will become, and they can become the basis of positive action. Young people can and do value diversity and respect differences. Friendships between students with differences involve shared experiences and new awareness. In our diverse country, teens who appreciate others and take opportunities to engage with them can help create a greater sense of inclusion and social justice. Readers will explore important concepts such as self-awareness, eschewing bias, celebrating diversity, and more.