Celebrate International Day of the Girl with PEOPLE's 2023 List of Girls Changing the World (Exclusive)

These eight young women are making a difference in their communities and beyond

In honor of International Day of the Girl, PEOPLE is highlighting the powerful work that eight young women are doing in their communities — which includes everything from spreading simple acts of kindness and raising drug awareness to reducing food waste and building prosthetic limbs.

For instance, Brooklynn Riley, 16, uses sticky notes to post words of encouragement wherever she goes. Her favorite message to spread among strangers is also fitting for this group of inspirational young women: "I'm proud of you."

Meet PEOPLE's list of Girls Changing the World in 2023.

Brooklynn Riley, 16: Spreading Kindness One Note at a Time

Brooklynn Riley had been searching for a way to incorporate random acts of positivity into her daily life when a late-night idea came to her and stuck.

The high school junior from Louisville launched Stick 2 Kindness in April 2022, and in the past year and a half, Riley has left more than 1,256 notes with inspirational messages everywhere: on cars and in gyms, stores and drive-throughs.

"I want to put a smile on someone’s face," says the teen, who is a competitive cheerleader in her spare time. "It only takes a couple of seconds, but those seconds could make someone’s day or help them through a hard time."

Riley, who plans to pursue fashion in college, has also started a line of Stick 2 Kindness T-shirts, hoodies and bracelets, with all proceeds going to YourMomCares, a national nonprofit supporting youth mental health.

"It’s the little things," she says. "They add up. Being a human is hard, and we never truly know what someone is going through."

Shrusti Amula, 17: Combating Waste and Feeding Communities

According to Feeding America, 119 billion lbs. of food is wasted in the United States each year. But Maryland high school senior Shrusti Amula says that eye-popping number hides a simpler truth: "It’s a pretty easy thing to fix."

One piece of the solution: Rise N Shine, the nonprofit she launched in 2019, which has since collected 115,000 lbs. of food waste from schools and businesses to be composted or distributed to food-insecure individuals.

"Kids are so excited about it," says Amula, who, in between college applications, is expanding the operation to all 211 schools in her county.

"They’re developing green habits they’ll keep their entire lives. It’s nice to see it clicking," says Amula of community enthusiasm for her efforts. She recently won a 2023 Gloria Barron Prize for Young Heroes.

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Sawyer Hendrickson, 14: Honoring Veterans and Active Military Members

When Sawyer Hendrickson was 6, she began sending care packages to her brother Kylar, a Marine stationed on Okinawa, Japan. The Michigan native also sent packages to the rest of his platoon.

Today, that kindness reaches more than 10,000 servicemen and women in 70 countries through Miss Sawyer’s Kids With a Cause.

With help from sponsors and donations, Hendrickson raises $50,000 each year to ship holiday stockings — loaded with baked goods, coffee, playing cards and notes — some of which she hand-delivers to wounded warriors.

Hendrickson also marks her birthday annually by laying roses on headstones at Arlington National Cemetery — and she regularly distributes hand-painted "hero rocks" to veterans. "I shake their hands," says the ninth-grader, who wants to be a lawyer. "I thank them for their service."

Avery Kalafatas, 18: Raising Awareness About a Deadly Drug

When Avery Kalafatas’s 18-year-old cousin died from an accidental fentanyl overdose in 2020, the then-high school sophomore channeled her grief into action.

"Almost everyone knew someone who had experienced a similar [tragedy]," says the California native. "I realized just how big of a problem the crisis is—and how little we were talking about it."

Inspired, she founded Project 1 Life, a nonprofit that educates young people about the realities of illicit prescription drug use and fentanyl poisoning and empowers them to spread the information in their schools and via social media. The program now has more than 200 ambassadors across 20 states.

"We talk openly and authentically about the dangers," says Kalafatas, a freshman at Dartmouth College who plans to study neuroscience to unlock new solutions to addiction. "That is when real change can happen."

If you or someone you know is struggling with substance abuse, please contact the SAMHSA helpline at 1-800-662-HELP.

Jordan Wright, 15: Helping Young Entrepreneurs Find Footing and Funding

Jordyn Wright was only 10 when she started her first business, J. Brielle Handmade Goods, a natural skin-care line that was gentle on her eczema.

The experience inspired the Texas teen to embrace her enterprising spirit, but it also made her realize the dearth of resources for her like-minded peers. "The grants and networking events were targeted toward older people," she says.

In 2022, Wright launched Passion to Purpose, a youth-led after-school and summer entrepreneurship and financial literacy program. The initiative, which has served 60 students and counting, offers education and support for turning interests into businesses that solve real-world problems.

"We need to create entrepreneurs for the next generation," says Wright, who plans to study dermatology and develop skin- and hair-care lines for darker-skinned individuals. "I want to see Passion to Purpose go global."

Yariselle Andujar, 17, and Daniela Moreno, 15: Extending a Helping Hand Through Prosthetics

When best friends Yariselle Andujar and Daniela Moreno, both juniors at Davis Aerospace & Maritime High in Cleveland, joined the school’s robotics team, they asked themselves a big question: How could a 3D printer help them serve others?

"We had the idea to make prosthetics," says Andujar. "[The plastic] is lightweight but very strong."

With assistance from the Great Lakes Science Center Robotics Initiative and the humanitarian nonprofit IMAHelps, the girls and their team made a custom limb last year for a 12-year-old Ecuadoran girl who lost her arm in a bus accident.

This July, the team traveled to Ecuador to deliver four more to others in need. The duo, who hope to room together at Kent State University in Ohio and study aviation, will continue distributing their creations. "By offering a little bit," says Moreno, "we can change a lot."

Grace Sun, 17: Sharing the Healing Power of Music

Amid the pandemic in March 2020, classically trained pianist Grace Sun found herself concerned for her grandmother. "It can get lonely," says the San Diego native.

"I thought about her and others, especially those in senior homes." Melodies for Remedies, which began as a virtual concert series for assisted-living residents, has found a new sound—and a new mission—post-quarantine: therapy for dementia patients.

"We transitioned from classical to music from the ’50s and ’60s and saw the change immediately," she says. "They would turn back into their old selves.”

Today, the nonprofit, which has 115 volunteer student musicians across the globe, has donated more than 10,000 service hours. "When you share music," says Sun, a Wellesley College freshman and a Gloria Barron Prize winner, "you make beautiful connections."

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