--- title: | Inspiring the Best in Kids (6) description: Inspiring the Best in Kids | (6) --- [![](https://blog.westtown.edu/hs-fs/file-2454828850-png/Westtown-Feb2015/logo_graphic.png?width=68&height=68&name=logo_graphic.png)](http://www.westtown.edu/page.cfm?p=1) [![](https://blog.westtown.edu/hs-fs/file-2451508821-png/Westtown-Feb2015/logo_text.png) Spirited Quaker education since 1799](http://www.westtown.edu/page.cfm?p=1) # A Well-Lit Path: A Blog from Westtown School ## [Making a Changemaker: Five Ways to Help Kids Find Their Cause](https://blog.westtown.edu/blog/making-a-changemaker-five-ways-to-help-kids-find-their-cause) Posted by [Margaret Haviland](https://blog.westtown.edu/blog/author/margaret-haviland) on April 22, 2015 - [Tweet](https://twitter.com/share) [![](https://blog.westtown.edu/hubfs/Changemaking.jpeg)](https://blog.westtown.edu/blog/making-a-changemaker-five-ways-to-help-kids-find-their-cause) NPR’s Planet Money recently ran a [story](http://www.npr.org/blogs/money/2015/04/03/397321383/episode-615-a-12-year-old-girl-takes-on-the-video-game-industry)about Madeline Messer, a 12 year old girl who wrote an op ed piece for [the Washington Post](http://www.washingtonpost.com/posteverything/wp/2015/03/04/im-a-12-year-old-girl-why-dont-the-characters-in-my-apps-look-like-me/) about how unfair it was that she had to pay extra to play her favorite video game with a female character. She researched more than 50 games and found that very few of them had female characters available as the free starter character. In conducting her research and writing her letter, Madeline actively engaged in the public discourse about gender and equity. I remember being about the same age and writing to my US Senator about the lack of movies being made for children. I think that year there were no G rated movies. Senator Lugar’s office wrote back to me. I remember thinking at that moment that **what I thought mattered**. These early experiences small, like mine, or larger like Madeline’s provide first forays into our civic spaces. There are easy things we can do to help our children find their voice and follow their interests into the public sphere. [Read More](https://blog.westtown.edu/blog/making-a-changemaker-five-ways-to-help-kids-find-their-cause) 1 Comment [Click here to read/write comments](https://blog.westtown.edu/blog/making-a-changemaker-five-ways-to-help-kids-find-their-cause#comments-listing) Topics: [Inspiring the Best in Kids](https://blog.westtown.edu/blog/topic/inspiring-the-best-in-kids) [Previous](https://blog.westtown.edu/blog/topic/inspiring-the-best-in-kids/page/5) [All posts](https://blog.westtown.edu/blog/all) ### Subscribe to Our Blog ### Recent Posts ### Posts by Topic - [Inspiring the Best in Kids (46)](https://blog.westtown.edu/blog/topic/inspiring-the-best-in-kids) - [Raising Resilient, Healthy Teens (29)](https://blog.westtown.edu/blog/topic/raising-resilient-healthy-teens) - [Help with learning (19)](https://blog.westtown.edu/blog/topic/help-with-learning) - [Communication and Children (18)](https://blog.westtown.edu/blog/topic/communication-and-children) - [Raising Resilient Lower and Middle Schoolers (7)](https://blog.westtown.edu/blog/topic/raising-resilient-lower-and-middle-schoolers) - [sustainability (4)](https://blog.westtown.edu/blog/topic/sustainability) - [Building Self-Esteem in Teens (3)](https://blog.westtown.edu/blog/topic/building-self-esteem-in-teens) - [How to get your teen to talk (3)](https://blog.westtown.edu/blog/topic/how-to-get-your-teen-to-talk) - [How to Pick the Best Independent School in Philly (2)](https://blog.westtown.edu/blog/topic/how-to-pick-the-best-independent-school-in-philly) - [How to manage the mood swings (2)](https://blog.westtown.edu/blog/topic/how-to-manage-the-mood-swings) - [Student Life at Westtown (2)](https://blog.westtown.edu/blog/topic/student-life-at-westtown) - [Westtown Picks (2)](https://blog.westtown.edu/blog/topic/westtown-picks) - [Summer Camps (1)](https://blog.westtown.edu/blog/topic/summer-camps) see all 975 Westtown Road West Chester, PA 19382 610.399.0123 [Contact Us](http://www.westtown.edu/page.cfm?p=498#) - - - - [Apply Now](https://mbp.westtown.edu/SeniorApps/facelets/registration/loginCenter.xhtml?appId=AD) [Make A Gift](http://www.westtown.edu/page.cfm?p=979) Westtown School, a Quaker Pre-K -12th grade co-ed, private, college preparatory day and boarding school, offers a challenging and diverse curriculum that emphasizes critical thinking, collaboration, service and social action. 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