A family in Maryland is turning its lessons on women’s history into a chance to volunteer and encourage others to advocate for change.
Carolyn Deol, 11, of Rockville, Maryland, is home-schooled and said that at the beginning of the pandemic, her mom was teaching them about the 19th Amendment.
“Everyone that supported women’s suffrage would wear a yellow rose,” Carolyn said.
She said she wanted to make a difference like those women in history. So, she teamed up with her 12-year-old cousin Kareena Panicker to create a website and podcast called “The Yellow Roses” to teach children about social justice.
In their podcast, they interview authors of books about women’s suffrage.
“You’re never too small to make a difference, or too young to make a difference,” Carolyn said.
Carolyn and her two siblings, Silas, 8, and Norah, 6, have also been busy volunteering as much as they can, calling it their “School Year of Service” with the help of their mom, Kate Amburgey.
They have been taking part in a different service project for each month. They collected $1,200 for Pennies for Peace, donated 73 “mugs of love” to Meals on Wheels, collected canned food for the Manna Food Center and are going on “Hikes for Voting Rights” to raise support for voting equality.
They have all of their events posted on their website so others can sign up and join them.
“I personally feel that this is an unmatched education, and I feel grateful that we’re able to give our kids this opportunity that allows us to support who they are,” Amburgey said.
Carolyn said they want to inspire future generations of leaders.
“I just wanted to show other kids, ‘Hey, as you can see, it’s not just for adults, it’s our democracy too. We can also do something,'” Carolyn said.
Her mom said it’s inspiring to see how her children have stepped up to help others.
“It’s something that they’ve grown up with and it just makes me feel so hopeful for the future, to see these kids understand the power that they have and to see the confidence that they have to make a change, which I truly believe that they can do,” Amburgey said.
