MyImpact Challenge Winners Share Amazing Successes
The Bill of Rights Institute’s MyImpact Challenge civic engagement contest is open for the 2023-2024 school year.
As students across America busily work on their projects and submissions, with the May 19, 2024, deadline just a few months away, we checked back in with some of last year’s winners.
These students were all honored as award winners from MyImpact Challenge, which encourages students to develop constitutionally-principled service projects in their communities. Each year, MyImpact Challenge awards up to $40,000 in prizes to students and teachers, including a $10,000 grand prize.
As you will see, our previous winners remain heavily engaged in their communities and are continuing to expand their efforts.
Oregon student Caroline Gao, the 2023 MyImpact Challenge grand prize winner, started The World In Us, a cross-cultural education nonprofit that connects students from diverse backgrounds. Last summer, the organization hosted a virtual exchange program for roughly 300 students worldwide.
“As always, we are incredibly grateful for the Bill of Rights Institute's support and recognition,” Gao said. “I'm excited to see the next generation of MyImpact Challenge winners!”
MyImpact Challenge 2023 first prize recipient Rylee Brooke Kamahele founded The Catalyst Club in her home state of Hawaii. The organization supports multiple charitable causes, and Kamahele also assisted with relief efforts after wildfires struck Maui last year.
One of Kamahele’s organization’s recent ventures was acquiring Theodore, or “Theo The Leo,” a service dog who is currently training in his new duties and will be part of The Catalyst Club Leo’s Club animal therapy program.
“Theo's presence promises to bring comfort and joy to many, embodying the spirit of service and compassion at the core of our mission,” Kamahele said.
“As I look back on this incredible year, I am reminded of the power of collective effort and the impact of dedicated hearts and hands,” she added. “The expansion of The Catalyst's Club and the successes of our initiatives are a testament to the passion and hard work of our volunteers, supporters, and young leaders.”
New Jersey student Mark Leschinsky won second prize in last year’s MyImpact Challenge for founding the Student World Impact Film Festival (SWIFF). The festival showed 13,890 youth films last year – a 345 percent increase from the 2022 festival.
Young people from 149 countries worldwide had their films featured by SWIFF, and the festival received the International Diana Award for Social Justice Work, named after the late Princess Diana of Wales.
“MyImpact Challenge has been instrumental in SWIFF's growth throughout 2023, and SWIFF is now equipped with the funding and resources to continue to grow into 2024 and beyond,” Leschinsky said.
Katie Meggers received a $1,500 award for her MyImpact Challenge submission. She founded the Mindful Moves organization to educate children in her hometown of Newport Beach, Calif., about health and wellness. Meggers’ classmate joined her in Mindful Moves, and together, they created an app to reach more children and are currently planning their summer curriculum.
Maya Murchison received $500 for her MyImpact Challenge project. She created the African American Mentor Program (AAMPed) to introduce African-American children to positive role models.
Murchison’s organization is celebrating Black History Month in February, and she said, “My AAMPed project has been very rewarding, and it also helped to highlight my leadership skills to universities. I really hope I can continue AAMPed wherever I go to college.”
To learn more about MyImpact Challenge, and to help us spread the word, visit www.myimpactchallenge.org.