Hope for Our Future: Empowered Youth Are the Catalyst to Change

IN THE SUMMER OF 2024, prior to starting eighth grade, I just knew I was going to have another boring summer until I was given the incredible opportunity to participate in the Xplorlabs Educator Fellowship with Arizona State University as a youth fellow. This opportunity changed the course of not just my summer, but the future ahead of me.

As a result of my experience as an Xplorlabs Youth Fellow, I have become more aware of issues in my community around fire safety and sustainability. I have recognized the power in me to take action, inspire, and make a positive change not just in school, but in my community. I was thrilled to be a part of this fellowship, and I was excited to learn more about fire safety and potentially, make a positive impact on others. During this fellowship, I learned that our community has seen around 600 house fires, with 300 of them categorized as crisis-level events between August and October 2024. A crisis refers to a tough situation characterized by stress, challenges in problem-solving, and an urgent need for assistance.

To better understand this issue, I decided to interview my classmates to see if any had experienced a fire. To my surprise, approximately 30% of them shared personal stories of kitchen fires or incidents involving children playing with fire. After discovering that many of my classmates had been impacted by house fires, I realized the importance of taking action to prevent them. When I realized something needed to be addressed, I understood it would involve a lot of tasks.

Understanding what needed to be done, we recognized the importance of advising children not to play with fire and to close their doors before sleeping, while also reminding parents to check their smoke alarms every month. I took the initiative to invite guest speaker Bryan Dickey from Phoenix Fire Department to our social studies class where he showcased a fire truck and discussed the excitement, joy, and dangers associated with saving lives. He also highlighted that this work comes with a price — long hours, a risk of cancer, and mental health challenges. At the conclusion of our meet and greet, he expressed a strong admiration for our class.