About Children for Change
Children for Change (C4C) teaches students how to be changemakers in their community through activism, advocacy, and educating others. Based in Marin County, California, C4C’s curriculum and programs reach thousands of TK–8th grade students each year.
What They Do
Children for Change offers school-based curriculum and programs for TK–8th grade students that are designed to meet the needs of each school community. Schools can choose to participate in in-school C4C classes, lunch clubs, and/or afterschool programming.
Through original, project-based, California standards-aligned C4C curriculum, students are exposed to diverse perspectives on critical issues including climate action, housing equity, and food justice. Students collaborate to design real-world solutions alongside local community leaders and elected officials.
Each student builds habits of heart and mind by participating in hands-on advocacy projects that benefit their local community and allow for firsthand leadership experiences for young people. Classroom-based learning is further deepened through nonprofit partnerships, in which C4C develops curated, age-appropriate volunteer and advocacy opportunities so that students can take their learning from the classroom into the community as advocates and activists for good.
Partnership with EMA Foundation
EMA welcomed Children for Change as a new partner in our impact network at the end of 2025 and will be providing capacity-building resources in 2026 to help facilitate the development of their new program model strategy to expand their work beyond Marin County. As they work to launch their changemaker programs nationwide, EMA will provide ongoing support with curricular review and refinement, research and analysis of peer orgs and offerings, outreach, promotion, recruitment, and event design. We will also be incorporating C4C’s curriculum into the EMA Community of Learners, a cohort of teachers from around the country who are sharing and developing curriculum resources that center student agency and purpose.
Impact
During the 2023–2024 year:
- 879 students were reached through C4C classes and clubs on 9 Marin school campuses
- 128 families volunteered 317 times with local nonprofit partners
- 41 beneficiary partner organizations participated
- 120 students contributed over 500 meals for St. Vincent de Paul Society
- $1,500 was distributed to 8 nonprofits by 29 3rd–5th graders at the Student Philanthropy Summit
Through hands-on advocacy projects and community-based learning, students gained firsthand leadership experiences while benefiting their local communities.
Join the Movement
Join Children for Change and EMA Foundation in supporting young people as advocates and activists for good. Together, we can create opportunities for students to take their learning from the classroom into the community and participate in real-world solutions that benefit their local communities.
