First Book, Audemars Piguet, and Ashoka Announce 2025-2026 Community Changemaker Cohort

We’re excited to announce the cohort of Community Changemakers—eight incredible teams from across the DC and Chicago metro areas who are turning bold ideas into real change for their schools and communities. Each team has been selected for their powerful vision, creativity, and deep commitment to youth-led impact. With $10,000 in funding, hands-on support, and a year of collaborative learning ahead, these changemakers are ready to transform challenges into opportunities for long-term change.

From in-person workshops to virtual coaching and ongoing resources, we’re investing in their growth over the next year—and in the future they’re helping to shape. We can’t wait to see what they build.

Community Changemakers Grant Recipients

Washington, D.C.

Turalloy Jackson, assistant principal at Mt. Royal Elementary and Middle Schools, leads a student-driven initiative that addresses urgent community challenges through service-learning focused on ESOL integration, drug and abuse awareness, and homelessness support. By empowering students to design and lead bilingual family nights, prevention campaigns, and care package drives, the initiative builds bridges between students, families, local nonprofits, and governance partners. Strengthening the Student Government Association’s role as a changemaking hub, this project cultivates a culture where every student feels valued and equipped to create lasting community impact. 

Jessica Goldkind, educator at John Adams Elementary, spearheads efforts to deepen student agency through formal leadership structures such as a Student Budget Committee and a strengthened Student Council. Serving a richly diverse student body of first- and second-generation immigrants, this initiative enables youth to take control of resources and lead culturally relevant projects that foster belonging and school pride. By providing dedicated funding and expert support, students gain real ownership in shaping their learning environment and developing skills vital for academic achievement and civic engagement.

Dawn Dinkins, special education teacher at Walker Mill Middle School, champions inclusion by uniting students across Special Education, English Language Development, Talented and Gifted, and general education programs. Through co-designed classroom sessions, students develop empathy and collaborative problem-solving skills while breaking down traditional silos. This initiative creates accessible leadership opportunities for all learners, ensuring that changemaking reflects diverse experiences and fosters a school culture grounded in belonging and mutual respect. 

Angela Stephens, special education teacher at McKinley Tech High School, leads a changemaking effort focused on strengthening social-emotional learning (SEL) by bridging school and home through a student-designed SEL Toolkit for families. Alongside this, students lead a hallway safety patrol to improve school climate and safety. This initiative empowers students to extend SEL beyond the classroom, fostering a supportive community where youth voice shapes safer and more connected learning environments.

Chicago, Illinois

Elizabeth Jamison-Dunn, principal of Catalyst Circle Rock Charter, guides an initiative centered on empowering Black students from historically marginalized neighborhoods on Chicago’s West Side. Through youth-led service projects, community dialogues, and leadership spotlights, students engage in meaningful civic participation that strengthens community resilience and prepares them to be lifelong agents of positive change. 

Aribania Cosey, school counselor at Chopin Elementary, creates culturally responsive spaces that honor the identities of students from Chicago’s Humboldt Park and Ukrainian Village neighborhoods. By integrating Student Council leadership, civics-based experiential learning, and makerspace lounges, this project offers youth safe environments to explore their cultural roots, amplify their voices, and build leadership skills amid community shifts.

Shonnika Henry, principal at Lionel Hampton Fine & Performing Arts School, leads a diverse leadership team that blends expertise in systems-level strategy, restorative practices, SEL, and instructional coaching. Together with a student representative, this team facilitates authentic youth co-leadership through programs like the SOAR Leadership Lab and Artivism projects. The initiative transforms school culture by embedding student voice and agency in every decision, ensuring changemaking is a genuine partnership with measurable impact.

Mieka Matthews, program director at Manufacturing Renaissance, advances youth leadership within the Manufacturing Connect program by embedding structured co-leadership roles such as peer changemaker coaches and youth advisory teams. This initiative uniquely links technical career training with changemaking, expanding support for job retention through peer networks and empathy-focused workshops. It prepares young people to succeed not only in manufacturing but as resilient leaders driving transformation in their workplaces and communities.

About Time for Change

Time for Change is made possible with the support of Audemars Piguet. For years, the Swiss Haute Horlogerie manufacturer has committed to uplifting young people by supporting educational programs and initiatives. Time for Change is a long-term collaboration coinciding with the launch of the limited edition Royal Oak Concept “Black Panther” Flying Tourbillon in partnership with Marvel, paying tribute to the next generation of agents of change.

Visit firstbook.org/timeforchange to learn how you can dream, act and change your world.