The Power of Youth.
Sanna Marin, the world’s youngest serving Prime Minister at age 34, steered Finland through the COVID-19 pandemic and played a key role in the country’s decision to apply for NATO membership. Far from privileged, Marin overcame a difficult childhood to become the leader of Finland.
Braids of Strength.
More than a cultural symbol, to the Lakota, hair braids are a connection to ancestors, to tradition, to the earth and to the soul.
From Great to Even Greater.
Lindsey Vonn comes out of a 5-year retirement to become the oldest athlete in the field of downhill racing – with a titanium knee.
The First Victory is Being Part of a Team.
In a small Utah town, teams are built around including athletes of all physical and mental abilities. The result is an experience much deeper and more rewarding than just winning games.
The Mistakes we Make can Become our Greatest Success.
Bette Nesmith Graham was an underpaid secretary, single mom and mother of invention. She started her company, Liquid Paper, in her kitchen, and sold it 21 years later for $48 million. But as part of her lasting legacy, she also pioneered childcare in the workplace, Zen gardens at the office and a continuing education program for employees. Read Story
The Postman who Became one of the Greatest Coaches in Football History.
Knute Rockne was the son of immigrant parents from Norway. After graduating from high school, he worked as a postman for four years until he had enough money to go to college. He would bring his work ethic and ingenuity to Notre Dame, where he pioneered a new offense that featured the forward pass. Read Story
Kids are Finding a Place on the Farm.
On a six-acre lot that abuts an industrial park, students who didn’t fit the traditional mold are flourishing. The secret? Teaching love and responsibility with farm animals.
Celebrating 25 Years of Young Heroes.
Since 2001, the Gloria Barron Prize for Young Heroes has honored 625 young people who are making a difference in the world – from providing meals to the elderly to cleaning up local rivers to mentoring young students in after-school programs. But the work is far from over. As founder T. A. Barron says, “We need heroes today more than ever.” Read Story
The Undeniable Spirit of Ed Dwight, America’s Oldest Astronaut.
At 90 years old, Ed Dwight saw the world from the window of Blue Origin in 2024. “If everybody could take a trip to space and look at it from that vantage point,” Ed says, “we all would have a totally different view of this earth and not only treat it better but start treating each other a little bit better too.” Read Story
The Longest Race.
How Major Taylor, the world’s fastest cyclist, pushed against prejudice to become a champion of the sport, and of fairness and goodwill.
The Courage to Forgive and Rebuild.
Abraham Lincoln delivered a unifying speech on rebuilding and forgiving as the violent American Civil War was gasping its last, brutal breath. It is known unceremoniously as “The Second Inaugural Address.” Read Story
All the Right Steps.
Amy Purdy lost her legs to bacterial meningitis at age 19. Undaunted, she went on to win multiple gold medals in snowboarding, create an action sports program for kids with disabilities, appear on “Dancing With the Stars” and become one of the most sought-after motivational speakers in the world. Read Story
Building Human Connection in a Virtual World.
Aadi is a 2025 winner of the Gloria Barron Prize for Young Heroes, an annual award that honors public-spirited young people across the U.S. and Canada who are working to make a significant, positive impact on other people and the environment. Aadi pairs tech savvy young people with senior citizens in his community to foster intergenerational relationships that build connections to benefit both. Read Story
The Greatest Man Babe Ruth Ever Knew.
The greatest among us have been encouraged, mentored, even cajoled into reaching their potential by wise role models who took the time to elevate a child others may have overlooked. Read Story
Putting Things Together in a Jumbled World.
Dyslexia makes alphabet soup of letters and numbers, mixing them up on the page and making the simplest reading tasks frustratingly difficult. Ingvar Kamprad developed a workaround that spawned the biggest retail furniture company in the world: IKEA. Read Story
