Free The Children
is the largest network of children helping children through
education in the world, with more than one million youth involved
in their innovative education and development programs in
45 countries.
 Founded
by international child rights activist Craig Kielburger, Free
The Children has an established track-record of success, with
three nominations for the Nobel Peace Prize and partnerships
with the United Nations and Oprah’s Angel Network.
Unlike any other children's charity in the
world, Free The Children is both funded and driven by children
and youth. Their mission is to free young people from the
idea that they are powerless to bring about positive social
change, and encourage them to act now to improve the lives
of young people everywhere.
On this page Marc Kielburger, Chief Executive
Director of Free The Children, shares how this unique movement
for change could make the world a fundamentally different
place.
 Marc Kielburger is an accomplished social advocate, leadership specialist and speaker, as well as a bestselling author. He is the Chief Executive Director of Free The Children, the world's largest network and children helping children through education.
Marc is also the co-founder and Chief Executive Director of Leaders Today, the world's top youth leadership training organization.
In recognition of his vision and leadership, Marc has received Canada's Top 40 Under 40 award and an Ashoka Fellowship for his innovation and commitment to social change.
He is the youngest person ever to be awarded the Ontario Medal for Good Citizenship and is the recipient of an honourary doctorate of education from Nipissing University for his work in leadership development.
Growing up in a middle class household in Canada, Marc developed a very compassionate and practical approach to problems in the world. At age 17, his experience working as a page in the House of Commons became a life changing one when he was encouraged to engage and make a difference in humanitarian issues.
Learn more about Marc and his social involvement here.
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Humble beginnings
Free The Children was founded in 1995 by Craig Kielburger, Marc's younger brother. Craig was inspired to establish the organization after reading an article in the Toronto Star about a young boy who was killed for standing up against child labour.
Today, Free The Children is the world's largest network of children helping children. Their team consists of 150 full-time members, with an average age of 24, who have affected more than one million youth around the world, and built more than 450 schools that educate over 40,000 children.
Free The Children provides education to students who cannot afford to go to school, particularly in rural, under-served areas with high instances of child labour.
What separates Free The Children from other organizations is that they engage children in the entire process - programs are developed by and for youth.
Because much of Free The Children's international work is done in rural regions with little to no political structures, they engage citizens at a grassroots level, working in partnership so that everyone understands their important role in facilitating change.
To help eliminate every barrier to education, their Adopt a Village campaign includes programs that focus on issues such as clean water, medicine and alternative income.
Domestically, they work a little differently. In their early years with Free The Children, Craig and Marc were advised that what they really need to do to help solve problems on a global scale is to change the mentality of Canadians. By working with youth, Free The Children is able to connect with individuals early in life to change their understanding of what they can do to make a difference.
According to Marc, the more we engage at an early age, the better off our future will be.
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The Me to We philosophy
The guiding principle at Free The Children is their me to we philosophy, which calls for a shift in the way we make decisions and look at the world. For instance, when you vote, do you elect a candidate because of what he or she can do for you or for your community?
Marc describes this as a small, quiet movement of people who care about and engage in their community. He believes that if we take just 10 minutes to change the world each day, our world would be a fundamentally different place.
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How to fulfill change
Free the Children believes that the following
components are important to the work they do and the movement
for change they have created:
- Fill a niche - There is a large number of organizations
that seek to achieve similar goals. Try focusing on fulfilling
a niche to effect greater change.
- Stick to core values - In the beginning, Free
the Children made sure to establish their principle values
and stick to them every year.
- Share stories - Acknowledge the journey you
are on, and constantly ask yourself why you are doing
what you are doing and why it is important.
- Know your audience - Free The Children
ensures that they engage youth with youth. Their team
is made up of youth, which helps the organization stay
fresh and dynamic
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The
cult of celebrity
Free The Children is associated with a number of high profile people that help to convey their message, such as Desmond Tutu, Anita Roddick and Jane Goodall. Their presence is something that the organization has wrestled with over the years.
According to Marc, these high profile associations lend credibility to Free The Children because of the credibility that comes along with celebrity status. More importantly, they help to engage those who would otherwise overlook important youth issues.
These high profile associations are important to Free The Children because these are admirable people who are doing some great work in their own regard. Their involvement creates opportunities for mentoring and connection with some of the greatest social justice heroes of our time.
Nonetheless, Free The Children seeks to help youth understand their importance in creating movements for change. For instance, heroic individuals can only effect change with the support of people around them - friends, family, parents, associates and more. In essence, Free The Children is a movement of inclusion.
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The role of technology
Marc believes that Free The Children would
not be possible without the internet. The organization is
constantly trying to find technological solutions to remain
engaged as much as they can.
Youth are thought of as having short attention
spans. The internet provides an opportunity to keep youth
constantly engaged with online polls, photo and video uploads,
e-newsletters, personal webpages, podcasts and more. According
to Marc, the more investment in technology we have, the greater
capacity we have to scale.
What's more, technology levels the playing
field between older and younger people. Generally, older persons
are slower to understand technology. By turning to youth,
who are more likely to adapt to technological advances, a
bond is created between generations of individuals.
Sustainability
There are a number of things Free The Children
believes can improve the resilience and sustainability of
movements for change. The following are some of the areas
they focus on:
- Develop emotional literacy - Ensure that those
involved in the movement have the capacity and terminology
to talk about important issues.
- Practice and focus on empathy - Ask questions
and provide a sense of humanity.
- Appreciate our similarities - We create relationships
based on our similarities, so it is important to acknowledge
and appreciate the things we have in common.
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Free The Children - Roots of Empathy is an evidence-based classroom program that has shown dramatic effect in reducing levels of aggression and violence among schoolchildren, while raising social emotional competence and increasing empathy.
Me to We - Me to We is a philosophy, a manual, a manifesto and a movement by Craig and Marc Kielburger about finding meaning in our lives and our world by reaching out to others.
The Aid Matrix Foundation - Aidmatrix connects aid, such as surplus product and goods including food, clothing, building supplies, medical or educational supplies, and cash, to people in need.
World Computer Exchange (WCE) - WCE is an international educational non-profit focused on helping the world's poorest youth to bridge the disturbing global divides in information, technology and understanding.
Do We Need Another Hero? - This report, written by Stephen Huddart, examines the role that celebrities play in advancing social causes. Read the full report here or abstract here.
Engineers Without Borders - Engineers Without Borders seeks to help people in developing communities gain access to technologies that will improve their lives.
Meal Exchange - Meal Exchange is a national student-founded and youth-driven charity organized to address local hunger by mobilizing the talent and passion of students.
Roots of Empathy - Roots of Empathy is an evidence-based classroom program that has shown dramatic effect in reducing levels of aggression and violence among school children while raising social and emotional competence and increasing empathy.
Children and Community - As part of Community Life, this space seeks to examine the importance of community to children and provides a variety of useful resources.
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