An Austin youth has been named as an honoree in the annual Gloria Barron Prize for Young Heroes. Each year, the Barron Prize honors 25 outstanding young leaders who have made a significant positive difference to people and our planet. Campbell Erickson, age 17, created A Youth Mind (AYM) to empower young people around the world to document their life stories and improve their lives through entrepreneurship.
AYM works with schools and organizations to provide disposable cameras and writing prompts to students and encourages them to think about how they can affect change in their own communities. Participating students then learn the basics of business and pitch project ideas during AYM-led youth entrepreneurship summits.
Erickson has organized AYM projects in Colombia, India, Kenya, Madagascar, South Sudan, Tanzania, the U.S. and Zimbabwe. Erickson began his work a year ago following a trip to Cambodia, where he says he was inspired by the dedication and resilience of the young people he met. “This project combines my passions: wanderlust for the world, a deep sense of caring for others and an excitement about the creation of something new,” he says. The Barron Prize was founded in 2001 by author T.A. Barron and was named for his mother, Gloria. For more information, visit barronprize.org.
