【推荐2】Wendy Wang, 18, a recent graduate of Central High School in Philadelphia, US, thumbed（用拇指翻书）through the pages of Ralph Ellison's 1952 novel Invisible Man（《隐形人》）before stopping at a particular page.

She was reading out loud to about a dozen high school students on a Zoom call during a creative art workshop（研讨会）. It was held by New York's artistic studio KOS（Kids of Survival）.

In the workshop, one young artist read a meaningful text, and others responded by drawing or painting on papers. The Zoom call was a part of a week-long virtual workshop for high school students.

“When was the last time you were read to?” said Angel Abreu, a member of KOS and an instructor for the program. “There's a power in listening to everyone's voice and seeing every one connect to the text.” After reading and listening to sections from Invisible Man, students made their own designs about the book, which were then digitally added to the final page.

Ross Samir Ross, 17, a senior at Franklin High School, was inspired by the colors of the South African flag for his design. “I didn't know what colors I was going to use at first, but I thought, why not go back to my racial origins（种族起源）?”

Maryem Bouatlaoui, 16, a junior at Central High School, said she created about five images but was most proud of her design that looked like steel bars（铁栏杆）.

“The meaning behind it was to show that being a minority（少数民族）is like being behind bars in real life, ” Bouatlaoui said. “I think we should be able to get out of those bars and demand social justice and racial equality.”

“The workshop was eye-opening,” said Ross. He learned that art could be found in many places, not only in the museum of art.

The students said they learned not only about lessons from history and important texts, but also about themselves. For Wang, it helped her to gain a deeper understanding of the power of her own voice. “You can use your voice to create art and change the status quo（现状）.”

Ross said he “gained a new respect for the little things” and learned how to value the connections in his life.

The students' digital artwork will be shown on Abreu's website and may be displayed（展示）in KOS' future art exhibitions.

【推荐1】Jessica Long is one of America's greatest athletes of all time, a speaker, author, advocate and sports personality.

Long’s story began over 9,000 km from the United States in Siberia, Russia. She was born with a rare condition called fibular hemimelia. Fearing that she wouldn't be able to care for her daughter, Jessica's 16-year- old mother was persuaded to put her in an orphanage. Jessica's legs were amputated(截肢) at 18 months. In total, she needed 25 operations. At 13 months, Americans Beth and Steve Long adopted(收养) Jessica, who began a new life in Baltimore, Maryland.

Long became interested in swimming when she was very young. “When I'm in the pool, I never really feel like I'm missing my legs,” she would say.

Soon enough, Long was selected as Maryland's Female Swimmer of the Year with a Disability. Aged 12, she first competed in the Paralympic Games at Athens 2004, and took home three gold medals.

In the Rio Games in 2016, Long won one gold, three silvers, and a bronze. For most athletes, this would be considered a surprising achievement, but for Long, the performance didn't live up to her expectations. She was physically, and mentally, exhausted.

Part of Long’s healing process was to realize that she was so much more than an athlete. Success in the pool, combined with her experiences in life, meant that she was an inspiration to people well beyond sports.

“Winning gold medals is good, but there’s something so special about having a little girl who has just lost her leg from cancer come up and tell me I’ m her hero,” she told People.

She began her new task.

“It took me years to realize that if I act ashamed and I try to hide then people kind of react the same way,” she added. "But if I wear my shorts or a cute summer dress and I show off my legs and I’m willing to talk about it, people are engaged and they want to know about my story. The only disability in life is an inactive attitude.”

【推荐3】Growing up, playing hockey with her brothers and the boys in the area, Rhéaume learned pretty quickly that, despite her abilities, she was often cut from teams simply because she was a girl. Although it was frustrating for the youngster, she was not deterred. She continued to work hard and develop her skills to prove she could compete with the boys.

It didn’t take long for her to make a name for herself. In 1984, she became the first girl to play in the famed Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament.

When the Tampa Bay Lightning, a National Hockey League (NHL) team came calling the following year, it was an opportunity Rhéaume could not pass up. When Rhéaume arrived in Tampa Bay, she remembers there was a big bouquet of flowers waiting for her in her dressing room, along with a card. “It was from a radio station in Montreal and the card said go further, good luck to you, we’re all behind you and you’re not alone,” she said. “When I got that, I realized a lot of people were pulling for me to be successful.” It was at that point that the significance of the game began to dawn on her.

When Rhéaume joined the Lightning for a game, on September 23,1992, she became the first woman to play in the NHL. While it might have felt like just another game for Rhéaume in the moment, in the years that have followed, she has realized it was so much more. “I didn’t know that it would inspire so many people,” she said. “It was more later in my life that I realized it was a big deal and I did impact people with my story.”

Although her experience with the NHL was brief, Rhéaume inspired countless girls to pursue their hockey dreams. Almost twenty-eight years later, and she’s still doing exactly that. Today, Rhéaume is the head coach of the12U Little Caesars Girls in Detroit. “I always tell my players to follow their dreams no matter what the dream is and to believe in themselves,” Rhéaume said. “Hard work and never giving up is what can make you succeed.”

【推荐1】Johnny Agar had always dreamed of competing in triathlons (铁人三项赛) as an athlete. Unfortunately, he’d been diagnosed with cerebral palsy (大脑性瘫痪) shortly after he was born. This disorder makes it difficult for the now-28-year-old to get around. However, he and his father are proving that where there’s a will — and a lot of love — there’s a way!

Jeff Agar, 59, is helping Johnny experience life to the fullest by entering triathlons by his side. As a team, they’ve completed over 200 races, including a full ironman triathlon that required them to swim, bike and run 140 miles in just 17 hours.

“I’m not a fan of triathlon,” Jeff joked. “I’m doing it not because I love it. This is Johnny’s dream and I’m giving him the legs and the power to do it.” Although Jeff typically provides the majority of the manpower, it was important for Johnny to cross the finish line on his own legs. “Walking in races was my way of telling Dad, ‘Okay, I’m not just going to say thank-you anymore; I’m going to actually put words into action,’” Johnny said.

Johnny and his dad now form Team Agar, using their story and the power of motivational speaking to inspire others. “When we completed that 140-mile Ironman together, it had an amazing impact on many people who had seen our story. We began to see that competing isn’t just about us crossing the finish line; it’s about helping others leave uncertainty in the dust — even those facing greater obstacles than we did.”

Earlier this month, they received some incredible news. They were invited to compete in one of the toughest triathlons: the Ironman World Championship! What made the occasion even more special was a pre-recorded video message from Johnny’s idol, athlete Peyton Manning. “Rumor has it that you’re a big fan of mine,” Peyton said, “I’m a big fan of yours as well! You guys are incredible; you’re a true inspiration.”

【推荐2】Heroes come in many different shapes, sizes, and abilities. But they all have the same superpower: to lift the hopes of others. 14-year-old Caleb Prewitt of Jacksonville, Florida, had a closed mindset on what he could accomplish with Down Syndrome until he met Chris Nikic. “If we had a poster of Chris, it would be in Calebs room. Chris is Caleb's hero,” Caleb's mom Karen Prewitt said.

Last November, Chris finished a 2.4-mile swim, a 112-mile bike ride and a 26.2-mile marathon run at the Ironman Florida competition in Panama City Beach in 16 hours, 46 minutes and 9 seconds. “I don't remember when I stopped crying after Chris crossed the Ironman finish line, to be honest,” Karen said. “I couldn't help but just cry and cry. And I know that Caleb felt it, too. Those tears were there because he did it against all the odds, against all the barriers. Not only the barriers of society, but the barriers of his physical body. There were moments when we weren't sure if Chris was going to finish, and moments where we knew he was struggling during the run. And the fact that he crossed the finish line with time to spare was something I'll never forget. It felt like in that moment he was carrying the Down Syndrome community on his shoulders.”

But what Chris did next was even more herculean. He took Caleb under his wing, became an instructor, worked out with him and planted a dream. Caleb met Chris at a bike camp in Orlando. It can be difficult for kids with Down Syndrome to ride a bike because of their balance. One month after the hike camp, Caleb had mastered riding a bike. “I couldn't believe it, hut I could. He was inspired by Chris. That encounter made an impact on him,” she said. It wasn't long before Caleb started participating in triathlon clinics.

Last weekend, Caleb finished his first mini-triathlon. He is believed to be the youngest person with Down Syndrome to ever do so. He also received an invitation to compete on Florida's Special Olympics triathlon team—the same team Chris is on.

【推荐3】I wanted to share the story of someone in my community. Alex and I have been pretty good friends for years. He was raised in a pretty abusive home, and grew up with major depression and anxiety. He talks about his story all the time to help other teens. Alex has truly changed his life around to help other people and we are all so glad for that.

He started an organization to help homeless people. He has teens from across the world mail him stories of hope or funny pictures that they drew and he goes around and gives homeless people those things along with food or something. They love receiving drawings and letters because they feel great knowing that someone took time to do that for them.

Alex also wrote a book to inspire teens. He wants other teenagers to see what he’s gone through so they feel inspired to make a change in their lives. Alex is an extremely inspirational person and this book will help teens in similar situations as Alex was in.

Alex has won three awards for everything he did. He won an inspirational people’s award through a local organization; he won the Youth Service America’s everyday hero award and he won a Canadian awesome award. He’s changing lives and he really deserves these awards. Alex’s latest accomplishment is the start of the National Youth Internet Safety and Cyber Bullying Task Force. I can’t believe how many families he’s affected. It’s so much work just to help people he doesn’t know but Alex loves it.

I believe that young stars are not just singers and actors. I believe they are also the youth changing our world. There are not many teens that choose to change the world around, but Alex is definitely one of them.