Though they come from very different walks of life, three young women are uniting to represent a generation of fearless young females empowering youth with messages of inclusion, courage, and confidence – all reasons why The Foundation for a Better Life is featuring the values-driven lives of Malala Yousafzai, Grace VanderWaal, and Sarah Greichen in its inspirational new “Pass It On” campaign, which launches December 2017.
“Malala, Grace, and Sarah, are showcasing the values that lie within them to inspire others in their communities and around the world,” said Gary Dixon, President, The Foundation for a Better Life. “Whether they are making an impact in their own backyards or around the world, these young women are using their powerful, impassioned voices to show us the values that lie within each of us – and how we can uplift others and change the world, or our corner of it – by having courage, confidence, and being inclusive. We’re excited to evolve our Pass It On platform to spotlight these dynamic young women and to encourage others to Pass It On.”
The Foundation for a Better Life launched the Pass It On campaign in 2000 with public service announcements designed to uplift viewers with positive values. The public service ads, which incorporated pop culture icons to bring to life the messages, have been seen in more than 200 countries and are also aired in Spanish and Portuguese in 20 countries throughout Latin America. Over the last 17 years, The Foundation for A Better Life has earned the No. 1 spot for PSAs in both broadcast and billboards and recognized for its creativity and impact on communities.
New Pass It On Campaign Inspires Action
The new Pass It On campaign featuring Malala Yousafzai, Grace VanderWaal and Sarah Greichen will reside online at passiton.com and include shareable social media content and other online media designed to inspire hearts and encourage action. Many media partners including major cable networks, are donating airtime to The Foundation for a Better Life for commercials with VanderWaal and Greichen. These will also play in movie theaters on lobby screens and ahead of feature films. Billboards with Malala and Grace will appear in designated markets across the United States and globally.
The Pass It On campaign kicked off in October with a commercial featuring Joshua Williams, who founded Joshua’s Heart Foundation when he was only four-and-a-half years old to stomp out hunger in poor and underprivileged communities. Additional stories will be released throughout 2018, including ads featuring Jane Goodall, swimmer Mallory Weggeman, and magician Nate Staniforth.
She Champions Every Girl’s Right to 12 Years of Free, Safe Quality Education
Malala Yousafzai is a Pakistani activist, student, UN Messenger of Peace and the youngest person ever awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. At age 15, she was shot by the Taliban for speaking out against their ban on girls’ education. Malala recovered, continued her campaign and, as co-founder of Malala Fund, is building a global movement of support for 12 years of girls’ education. Now 20, she attends university in the United Kingdom and represents the value of courage for the Pass It On Campaign.
She’s Climbing the Charts and Inspiring Fans With Her Message To Be Yourself
Hailed by Rolling Stone as a “pop prodigy,” VanderWaal, 13, unexpectedly skyrocketed to fame after winning the 11th season of NBC’s top-rated America’s Got Talent and releasing the best-selling EP Perfectly Imperfect and debut album Just the Beginning. The ukulele-wielding performer is on track to become one of Generation Z’s brightest stars, writing and singing songs about her own life experiences and prides herself on living a normal life. Recently named Billboard Women in Music’s 2017 Rising star, she is also one of Billboard’s 21 Stars Under 21 for the second time and recognized in Variety’s Youth Impact Report, VanderWaal also is a YouTube and social media influencer who is on a mission to use her incredible voice to empower young girls. She joined the Pass It On campaign to spread the importance of confidence.
She Spoke Up for Her Brother, Sparking a Nationwide Movement
Greichen, 18, is the founder and chief executive officer of Score A Friend and serves as a consultant to Score A Friend Clubs across the country. The Denver, Colorado native created the organization after designing a program to help her twin brother, who has an autism spectrum disorder and experienced a lack of inclusion in his schools and community, find a friend. The mission of Score A Friend is to support the education and activation of youth leaders in advancing inclusion in the world for youth of all abilities. A Girl Scout since 2005, Greichen was awarded the National Young Woman of Distinction Award by Girl Scouts of the USA and the 2016 Outstanding Youth Award for National Philanthropy Day in Colorado. She serves on Special Olympics Colorado’s Youth Activation Committee and the Rose Community Foundation Innovate for Good Grant Review Committee. Greichen is featured in the Pass It On campaign alongside rock band NEEDTOBREATHE, showcasing the value of inclusion.
“Although these extraordinary young women hail from different backgrounds and pursue different passions, their values are universal,” Dixon said. “We hope their stories will inspire people to focus on what’s good in people and right in the world and take everyday action to uplift one another.”
About The Foundation for a Better Life
Established in 2000, The Foundation for a Better Life creates public service campaigns communicating the values that make a difference in our communities. These uplifting messages utilizing television, movie theaters, billboards and radio along with digital and social media, are meant to inspire and encourage viewers to take positive action in the world. As a nonpartisan, nonsectarian 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, the public service messages are created to have a universal appeal and are made available due to the generous support of air time and media space from many TV, radio and billboard companies.
