Tag Archives: youth activism

The Windmill That Spoke to the Sky

The Windmill That Spoke to the Sky

A Nine-Year-Old’s Curious Journey into the World of Windmills, Clean Energy, and Big Dreams

A thing I really enjoy is building things and learning how they work. A few weeks ago, I made a small windmill at home using cardboard, paper, a motor, and a straw. It was part of a DIY project I did for fun, but while doing it, I got super curious—what are real windmills like? How do they help us? Are they just toys, or do they do something important? That’s when I started reading and exploring everything I could about windmills, and now I want to share it all with you.

A windmill is a machine that uses the wind to spin blades. This spinning action can be used to do work like grinding grain, pumping water, or even generating electricity. In modern times, windmills that create electricity are called wind turbines, but the idea behind them is the same—using the natural power of the wind to help people. I think that’s pretty amazing. Wind is free, it’s everywhere, and it doesn’t pollute the air like cars and factories do.

The first windmills were made more than a thousand years ago. They were used in Persia (which is now called Iran), and they looked very different from the wind turbines we see today. Those early windmills had vertical sails and were mostly used to grind grains into flour. Later, in the Netherlands, people built big wooden windmills with huge blades that turned in the wind. These were used to pump water and keep the land dry. Some of those Dutch windmills are still standing today, and they look like something from a fairy tale.

I was curious how they actually work. I found out that when the wind blows, it pushes the blades of the windmill, making them spin. These blades are attached to a shaft, kind of like a rod. When the blades spin, the shaft spins too. In old windmills, this spinning would turn gears that crushed wheat or pumped water. In new wind turbines, the shaft is connected to a generator, which creates electricity. So, the wind isn’t just blowing for fun—it’s doing something useful!

After learning all this, I felt like building a windmill wasn’t just fun—it was powerful. When I put my little windmill near the window, and the breeze made the blades spin, I imagined it talking to the wind and saying, “Thank you for the energy.” I know that sounds funny, but it felt magical. My windmill didn’t power any lights yet, but it did make me feel like an inventor.

One of the best things about windmills is that they are good for the Earth. They don’t make smoke or dirty gases like cars or factories. They don’t use fuel that can run out. Wind is a renewable energy—which means it never ends. That’s why scientists and engineers are building more and more windmills all over the world to help stop climate change. Windmills help keep our air clean and reduce global warming. That’s a big deal.

I found out that in India, places like Gujarat and Tamil Nadu have huge wind farms—these are places where many wind turbines are lined up in rows. Other countries (like USA, China, and Germany) also use a lot of wind energy. Some wind turbines are even built in the sea! These are called offshore wind farms, and they float and spin in the ocean wind. That’s so cool, right?

There are also amazing facts about windmills that I never knew. For example, the biggest wind turbine in the world has blades longer than a football field! And one wind turbine can make enough electricity to power hundreds of homes. In Africa, some kids even made windmills from scrap to power lights in their villages. That made me think—if they can do that, maybe I can build something that helps people too.

Even though I’m a kid, I believe we can do our part. We can learn about clean energy. We can use less electricity and waste less water. We can build small windmills at home or school. We can talk to our friends about why wind energy is important. And maybe someday, some of us will grow up to become scientists or engineers who build even better wind turbines.

So now, when I see a windmill or a picture of a wind turbine, I don’t just think of spinning blades. I think of teamwork between nature and humans. I think of a world where we don’t pollute the air, and we live in harmony with the sky, the wind, and the land. I imagine windmills waving at the clouds, saying, “Let’s save the planet together.”

That’s why I called this story, “The Windmill That Spoke to the Sky.” Because in my imagination, that’s exactly what it does.

—Parth Singla, Age 9, Haryana, India.

Making A Difference: Taking Action

Making A Difference: Taking Action is a Choice 

And that Choice is Available to Us Every day

By Zoe Leitner, age 18, New Jersey.

I have a history of taking action. I believe that action is the most honest form of belief. Conviction means little unless it alters how we behave—what we build, what we interrupt, and what we refuse to ignore. Awareness is only a beginning; agency begins when we decide to respond.

My understanding of action began somewhere ordinary: the kitchen. For my mom and me, baking together, mostly chocolate, was routine, almost background noise. But in 2020, I realized that familiarity could be a tool for change. I started selling over 600 hot chocolate bombs in my community, raising more than $4,000 and reaching over 80 families. I didn’t do it to seek recognition, but in response to what I saw around me: needs that could be met, even in small ways.

The project worked not because of novelty, but because it was accessible. Participation didn’t require prior experience, complicated forms, or large commitments. Anyone could contribute in a meaningful way. It was easy to understand, easy to engage with, and immediately relevant to the people it aimed to serve. What mattered most was how the money was used afterward. Instead of deciding what organizations might need, I asked them. Jackets instead of cash. Food instead of flyers. Listening reshaped my understanding of service: meaningful help begins with attention, not assumption.

That lesson stayed with me. In 2023, I founded Chocolate4Charity, a nonprofit that channels my love of baking into meaningful impact. Through partnerships with Pink Jewels Boutique, David Chad Beauty Parlor, Nicole Nicosia Hair, and Smith & Company Gifts, we’ve sold over 800 boxes, raising nearly $10,000 for causes I care deeply about: $3,000 to the Mark Schonwetter Holocaust Education Foundation, $3,500 to the Montclair Animal Shelter, $1,000 to MIB Agents Pediatric Cancer Research, and 200 chocolate boxes donated to Comfort Zone Bereavement Camps.. Over 80 students have joined me in volunteering, packaging, and delivering chocolates, discovering firsthand how small actions ripple outward. Each box doesn’t just deliver chocolate; it gives people a chance to contribute, participate, and see the real impact of their efforts.

Chocolate is the vehicle, not the focus. Some causes reflect my family’s history. Supporting Holocaust education honors my great-grandparents, Holocaust survivors, and my grandparents, immigrants, whose experiences shaped my understanding of responsibility. Other causes reflect friendship, grief, and compassion, such as supporting a peer battling cancer, helping children navigate loss, and advocating for animal rights.

The most important measure of success is not the money raised but the number of people who participate. Many people want to help but hesitate because they do not know where to begin. Chocolate4Charity offers an accessible entry point through packaging chocolates, sharing a cause, or delivering donations. I have watched classmates who rarely speak up—over 80 in total—discover a sense of purpose simply by stepping into action. Real impact begins not with grand gestures but with invitations that inspire others to act.

In 2025, I was honored as a Top Upstander at an event organized by a library in Montclair, New Jersey, in collaboration with children’s book author Dr. Janice Cohn. The recognition was meaningful, but I do not see it as a title or an accolade. To me, being an Upstander is deliberate. It is the refusal to remain passive once you notice something that needs attention. It is the choice to respond, even when the right path is unclear or imperfect.

This understanding resonates with a message Dr. Janice Cohn often shares: “Light a tiny candle.” Action is not about being seen; it’s about aligning belief with our behavior. It is found in everyday decisions—listening, offering help, stepping forward when silence would be easier. That philosophy continues to guide my work with Chocolate4Charity and in other parts of my life.

Being an Upstander, like any meaningful action, is not a single moment. It’s a practice, a habit, and a commitment to notice what others might overlook. In that sense, recognition matters less than the choices that lead to it. Action remains its own reward.

Action began in a kitchen for me, with melted chocolate and a question I could not ignore: What will I do with what I see? That question has guided every choice I’ve made since that first chocolate, and to the moments when I have chosen to speak, listen, and act.

Meaningful change requires aligning belief with behavior, noticing what needs attention, and inviting others to work with you. Real impact is rarely sudden or dramatic. It is built from small, intentional acts that ripple outward, shaping communities, relationships, and lives in ways that are often invisible, yet enduring.

I truly believe taking action is a choice, and that choice is available to us every day. That’s where responsibility begins, and that’s where belief becomes real!

—Zoe Leitner, Age 18, New Jersey.