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5 Ways You Can Make an Impact in 60 Minutes or Less

1. Take Part in the Healing Classrooms Challenge
   The healing classrooms challenge is a way to get involved and gain knowledge about the Syrian refugee crisis. The first step is registering a team (don’t be shy to enlist help from a teacher or parent/guardian)! Next, follow the few easy steps provided here to make a pinwheel. Finally, package them up and send them in! Each pinwheel made will be matched with a $2 donation to the International Rescue Committee’s Healing Classrooms program. Quick, easy, and impactful. 
2.  Visit DoSomething.org | Volunteer for Social Change If you’re looking for a way to make an impact while also doing something that you’re passionate about, check out DoSomething.org for some great ideas! There are plenty of projects to get involved in that take 60 minutes or less, but if you have time for longer term projects, there are plenty of those as well. The wide variety of activities, causes, and time spent on them is what makes this one of our favorite go-to sites when we’re looking for a cause to get involved in!
3. Neighborhood Clean-Up ​​​Whether you have a park nearby you, live close to the beach, or simply have a neighborhood that you think could use a little bit of tidying up, grab a bag- of course one that’s made out of 100% organic or recycled materials- and go! We continue to be so, so inspired by the Bye Bye Plastic Bags Campaign and think their goals and initiative provide the perfect motivation to become more mindful and take action towards a more environmentally friendly world.
4. Team Up, Take Action, and Make a Pledge Is there something that you feel particularly passionate about? Something that really makes you say, “I want to take action and I want to take action now”?  Use resources such as the internet, colleagues, friends, family, etc. to find a group of like-minded individuals that are interested in the same cause. Girls’ education is something we are especially passionate about (check out the #62milliongirls campaign, Let Girls Learn & Girl Rising- a global campaign for girls’ education. While it can be overwhelming to consider all of the world’s problems and how to even begin tackling them, by taking a pledge and equipping yourself with knowledge about something you care about, you get the ball rolling!
5. Start With Your Own Community 
   There are so many ways to get involved within your own community whether it be at your school or at your church, and in 60 minutes or less you could:
   - Tutor, mentor, or coach someone
   - Play games with or read to someone at a retirement home
   - Volunteer your time at a local soup kitchen or food bank
   ​All are quick ways to assist individuals in your own community.
   BONUS! Check out the tool kit at the  Girl Effect to find some more inspirational and practical ways to make an impact!