Kids can change the world. Some do it with their art or inventions. Other young people make the planet a better place by supporting their community. Each year since 2012, News-O-Matic has picked one superstar to be the Kid of the Year. Now it’s time to decide the Kid of the Year for 2024. But we need your help!
News-O-Matic readers like you vote for this important award. In 2022, you made Tariq — the “Corn Kid” — the Kid of the Year for his joy of corn. The 2023 award went to a boy named Jace Weber who raised money for people with disabilities. Read on to learn about this year’s nominees. Then cast your vote!
Alice Lee (age 15)
Alice Lee began playing chess at age six. The girl from North Oaks, Minnesota, would tag along with her older brother to a school club. Over time, Alice improved at chess, developed a love for the game, and was able to beat her brother! Alice competed in the Women’s American Cup in 2022 and 2023, coming in second place both years. But in March 2024, 14-year-old Alice returned to the Women’s American Cup to place first — and earn a $40,000 prize! “I think chess is great for problem-solving skills,” Alice told News-O-Matic. “Being persistent and having the skill of
can be really important in life.”
Eniola Shokunbi (age 11)
Eniola Shokunbi learned about the importance of clean air during the COVID-19
. As a middle school student from Middletown, Connecticut, she led a
to improve air quality in schools. Eniola learned a simple air filter design from scientists from a nearby university and went with them to test the filters at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Eniola used the results to get air filters for every classroom in her school, but she wanted to expand the project. She wrote letters to national, state, and local officials. Her efforts paid off in October 2024, when lawmakers in Connecticut approved $11.5 million to put air filters in every public school classroom in the state! “I was just so happy that all this work paid off, but I know that my work isn’t done yet,” said Eniola. “I want to get this into every classroom in the country.”
Huck Kurinsky (age 10)
Huck Kurinsky’s BMX flips and jumps earn him top prizes. The boy from Bay Village, Ohio, began riding bikes at age three and did a bike backflip when he was six. In October 2024, Huck won the BMX national championship for his age group — for the third year in a row! He values safety, practicing tricks on foam and soft surfaces. And Huck works to keep other young bike riders safe by giving away 1,800 helmets with an Ohio group called “Put a Lid on It.” In addition to BMX, Huck enjoys math and student council at his Cleveland-area school. Huck’s big dreams include competing in the Olympics and the X Games someday. The fourth grader has advice for other kids: “Always follow your dreams. Never give up.”
Nila Ibrahimi (age 17)
Nila Ibrahimi advocates for the rights of girls and women living in Afghanistan. In 2021, the young singer protested a ban by the Kabul Education Directorate that said girls over 12 could not sing in public. Nila recorded and shared a protest song online, starting the #IAmMySong movement, which led to the reversal of the ban. Nila and her family left Afghanistan for Pakistan when the extreme militant group known as the Taliban took over in August 2021. Her family settled in Canada, where Nila co-founded “HerStory,” a platform dedicated to sharing the stories of Afghan girls and women. Nila won the International Children’s Peace Prize in November 2024 for her work fighting for girls’ and women’s rights in Afghanistan.
Sirish Subash (age 14)
Sirish Subash won the 3M Young Scientist Challenge for inventing a device called “Pestiscand” that detects
on produce. Concerned about the health risks of pesticide residues, the Snellville, Georgia, teen developed a handheld device that uses light
and AI to identify whether produce still has pesticides after washing. He refined his invention with the help of a 3M mentor and presented it during the competition’s finals in October 2024, where he won a $25,000 prize. And the Georgia teen plans to keep working with science and AI to achieve his goals. Sirish said he will continue to use his passion “to make something that will leave the world a better place.”
William Miller (age 9)
William Miller made his community in Goodyear, Arizona, safer for his grandmother — and everyone else. He wanted to make busy streets safer when he and his grandma walked to get ice cream. William dressed up in a suit and went to the city council meeting to tell officials about dangerous street racing. His efforts led to the installation of a traffic light, a crosswalk, and increased police enforcement of the area. “It feels amazing that the city council listened to a young person like me,” stated fourth-grader William, “and that I was able to make a difference.”
By Diana Richard
Updated December 5, 2024, 5:00 P.M. (ET)
