time for change, changemaking, audemars piguet ashoka

Time for Change: Dream, Act, Change Our World

In partnership with Audemars Piguet and Ashoka

Educational Equity Through Changemaking

First Book, the largest online community of educators serving kids in poverty, and Ashoka, the largest global network of leading social entrepreneurs, launched Time for Change: Dream, Act, Change Our World, an initiative designed to further educational equity through changemaking made possible by fine watchmaking manufacturer, Audemars Piguet. The initiative kicks off with a new First Book Accelerator resource for educators that introduces changemaking and suggests practical ways to inspire students to become changemakers for their schools and their communities.

Our world of accelerated change requires everyone, regardless of geography, race, or socio-economic background, to adapt to and create change for the common good. The initiative will address the opportunity and resource gap that limits many young people from low-income and historically excluded communities from solving the problems they care about, building from their unique perspectives and lived experiences.

Time for Change: Dream, Act, Change Our World will launch in the U.S. and expand internationally in 2023.

Changemaking Is a Mindset

Changemaking is a mindset and an approach to life that addresses today’s pressing challenges and injustices through the application of four key abilities: conscious empathy, teamwork, changemaking leadership, and changemaking action. They can also play out by making a positive difference, noticing injustices and inefficiencies, and taking the initiative to address them. Changemaking projects can be far-reaching and complex, like building a powerful social movement. Changemaking can also be local and focused, like reducing food waste in your school cafeteria.

young girl writing on a paper in a classroom setting.

The Time for Change Youth Challenge Is Now Open!

Empowering K-12 Students to Make a Difference in Their Schools and Communities

The Time for Change Youth Challenge is officially open, inviting K-12 students from Title I-eligible, military, and tribal schools to share their ideas for positive change! This online contest is an exciting opportunity for young changemakers to turn their passion into action, whether it’s addressing environmental issues, promoting kindness and inclusion, or improving their local communities.

Students are encouraged to submit their project ideas for a chance to win $1,000 or more to bring their vision to life. Applications are open now through January 30th. Don’t miss this chance to empower the next generation of leaders and problem-solvers. Visit Ashoka’s website to learn more and get started today!

Our Vision

what is a changemaker graphic

Time for Change: Dream, Act, Change Our World is founded on the understanding that a world of accelerated change requires everyone, regardless of geography, race, or socio-economic background to adapt to and create change for the common good. The initiative will address the opportunity and resource gap that limits many young people from low-income and historically excluded communities from solving the problems they care about.

“Our vision is a world in which all young people, particularly those from low-income and historically excluded communities, grow up with the support and resources to thrive as lifelong, dynamic changemakers, equipped to solve problems large and small in their families, communities, and beyond,” said Kyle Zimmer, President, CEO, Co-founder of First Book, and a Senior Ashoka Fellow. “Thanks to this partnership with Audemars Piguet and Ashoka, we can bring this vision to life.”

The initiative will convey the importance, elements, and values of changemaking to First Book’s Network of more than 575,000 educators before presenting these concepts to young people.

The initiative will help young people build on their unique perspectives and lived experiences to solve the problems they care about. It will do this by equipping educators with new practical tools, books, and step-by-step guidance for nurturing changemaking in their students and will showcase stories of young people and their ideas for making positive changes in their classrooms, communities, and the world beyond. At this time of tremendous change and opportunity, this effort will catalyze a movement to make changemaking the norm for all young people.

Inspiring the Next Generation: Educator Tools for Fostering Changemaking in Students

As part of an ongoing Time for Change initiative, First Book has created new, FREE resources that educators can use to help create a changemaking mindset in their students. A Guide for Inspiring Young Changemakers is a toolkit filled with lessons and activities and the Changemakers in Action resource is a video series that features stories from real student changemakers.  First Book hopes these resources will help educators to explore their role in creating a generation of changemakers and students to begin their changemaking journeys.

A Guide to Inspiring Young Changemakers

A new resource to help create an environment where students believe they can be changemakers, see themselves as powerful, and identify ways they can make a difference in their classrooms, schools, and communities.

Built from evidence-based practices, A Guide for Inspiring Young Changemakers, is filled with resources as well as stories to inspire educators and their students in their changemaking journeys.  These stories come from diverse communities that reflect the economic and social challenges experienced by educators and students across the country.

Changemakers in Action: A Video Series

Young changemakers from across the country share how they built sustainable solutions to problems in their communities. In response to educator feedback asking for real-life, relatable stories to inspire their students, First Book and Ashoka created a series of video journals featuring young changemakers who share their journeys to identify and build sustainable solutions to problems in their communities. Accompanying each video are helpful resources to assist educators with encouraging their students to start or continue changemaking journeys.

teen girl smiling in greenhouse garden

When a School Garden Becomes a Lifeline for Healthy Food Access

STAR School is a public charter school in Arizona, on the Navajo Nation. Sustainability is a core principle of the school and the facility is fully supported by wind turbines and solar.

teen boy smiling in classoom

Making Financial Education Accessible

Isaac, 16, of Indiana is the founder of Students Teaching Finance, an initiative that equips high schoolers with the tools they need to bring financial instruction to K-8 students.

teen girl smiling in classroom

Linking STEAM to Changemaking: A Powerful Combination

A middle school for girls in Massachusetts is giving students the opportunity to ignite their passion for STEAM by connecting these subjects to real problems they care about.

We Are Changemakers

First Book and Ashoka created and launched a 30-second and 60- second public service announcement (PSA) to drive family and community awareness. These PSAs will air on TV stations across the U.S. throughout 2023. The goal of the PSAs is to spread the word about the value of changemaking to educators, parents, and young people in underserved communities nationwide.

group of young adult volunteers working outside and planting trees.

Changemaker Educator Resource

Changemaking is the idea that, in partnership with others, every person can apply creative solutions to address problems in their communities. Everyone has the power to be a changemaker — it doesn’t matter how old you are or where you live.

This resource provides concise and actionable information to help educators bring the power of changemaking to their students.

Educators will learn:

  • What changemaking looks like in practice
  • The value of incorporating changemaking into teaching
  • How changemaking fits in with Common Core standards
  • How to develop and support changemakers in the classroom
  • The four essential changemaker skills with practical activities to reinforce those skills

Time Saver: Abilities of the Month

Download the Four Key Changemaker Abilities.

conscious empathy time saver

Conscious Empathy

Being aware of and sensitive to the feelings, thoughts, and experiences of others in a way that guides you to contribute to the good of all.

Teamwork time saver

Teamwork

Creative ways to encourage collaboration and teamwork in your classroom or program.

Changemaker Leadership cover image

Changemaking Leadership

A mindset that recognizes that everyone has an area of expertise and is called upon to lead at different moments.

Changemaking Action Time Saver Cover

Changemaking Action

Applying critical thinking skills to come up with more effective and sustainable innovative solutions to address social problems.

How It Started

The Watch That Fueled a Partnership

Time for Change: Dream, Act, Change our world is a long-term collaboration coinciding with Audemars Piguet’s partnership with Marvel, which debuted in the spring of 2021, paying tribute to the next generation of agents of change. Over the years, Audemars Piguet has supported a variety of non-profit organizations invested in promoting educational programs and initiatives for young people.

A unique version of the Royal Oak Concept “Black Panther” Flying Tourbillon timepiece was auctioned off to support the long-term educational program Audemars Piguet has established with First Book and Ashoka.

The company’s corporate social responsibility is overseen by the Audemars Piguet Foundation, which since 1992 has been contributing to the cause of worldwide forest conservation through environmental protection and youth awareness-raising programs.

audemars piguet marvel watch

Ashoka knows that all young people can see a need, have a dream, build a team, and change their world. And that it is this experience that gives them the superpower to be givers — i.e., to have a good life. In a world now defined by change, not repetition, ethics requires that everyone have this, life-giving power to give, i.e., to be a changemaker.

Bill Drayton, CEO | Ashoka

I think a changemaker is someone who can go out into the community, find a problem, and figure out a way to creatively change it or figure out something that isn’t working well and to change it and create a new solution for it.

Grace, Changemaker, IN