One visionary group of teenagers at a leadership camp at Harding University in Searcy, AR in 2007 identified a common problem facing youth and society today - the lack of encouragement. These students felt the best way to combat many of the negative problems facing society was to confront the discouragement that was at the root of these problems. They created a national day of encouragement for Americans of all ages and races to unite by empowering one another through words and acts of kindness, inspiration and support.

"This generation of teenagers may be the most cause-oriented generation America has ever produced," said Encouragement Foundation supporter and host of Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?, Jeff Foxworthy. "They're hardworking, caring, encouraging, giving, respectful and able."

Participation in this year's National Day of Encouragement is widespread. From San Francisco to New York City and points between, Americans are getting involved. Individuals are supporting causes and people in need by volunteering their time and talents, founding their own non-profits, educating, advocating and more, to change the world for good.

To spark the 2009 Day of Encouragement, the Encouragement Foundation has traveled to 14 cities in 7 days, culminating in an event in New York City September 12, to honor the amazing and life changing actions of teens and pre-teens across America. Among the accomplishments celebrated are creative efforts to mobilize schools and communities in support of clean water projects in developing countries; teens teaching residents of senior homes how to use computers and the Internet to connect with friends, family and society; a boy who at age 15 created a way to treat waste by using a combination of existing technologies to produce food, fuel, fight greenhouse gases, and produce oxygen; and, pre-teens founding their own non-profits to provide shoes for children in Africa and toys to replace those destroyed by fires and other disasters.

Youth-led projects honored by the movement from September 5 to 12 included work in CA, NV, AZ, CO, OK, TX, IL, MI, TN, GA, AR, PA, MA and NY.

Endorsed by U.S. Senate Resolution 261, backed by Southwest Airlines, Commonsensesuccess.net, CNL Lifestyle Properties, and Harding University with support from celebrities such as comedian and actor, Jeff Foxworthy, and embraced by communities around the nation, this truly unique idea is gaining considerable momentum.

"The date of September 12 was selected because it is a day for new beginnings following 9/11," said Andrew Baker, organizer of the National Day of Encouragement and executive director of the Encouragement Foundation, a group that raises awareness about the benefits of encouraging others. "Our goal is to challenge people not to just think about the idea of encouragement, but to do something that will encourage someone else. . .even if it's simply speaking a kind word."

For more information on the National Day of Encouragement or to get involved in the movement, visit .

National Day of Encouragement, 7 Days Across America Honorees

Braxton Bilbrey (11) - Glendale, AZ who, at age 7, became the youngest person in history to swim from Alcatraz to San Francisco. This swim and 9 subsequent swims over the past 4 years have raised awareness and support for drowning prevention.

Ashlee Smith (10) -- Reno, NV for founding Ashlee's Toy Closet, at age 8, and collecting toys, books and clothes and donating them to children who have lost their homes in a fire or other natural disaster.

Austin Gutwein (15) - Gilbert, AZ who, at age 10, was struck by the stories of children orphaned by the AIDS epidemic in other countries and began basketball shoot-a-thons, which became known as Hoops of Hope. Since being founded, Hoops of Hope has raised more than $1 million.

Faith Johnson (10) - Gilbert, AZ who was inspired by Hoops for Hope, and started "Flip Flops of Faith," to provide shoes for kids in Africa. The organization sponsors "flip flop drops" throughout her community, and inspires those in communities as far away as Pennsylvania to do the same.

Aurora Bamba (17)--Colorado Springs, CO for overcoming a family tragedy and taking time to serve others as a volunteer with a mentorship program tutoring and encouraging younger kids after school, 2 days per week... "I like being there for them if they need help with homework, want someone to talk to about a problem or if they just need someone to teach them to tie their shoes."

Ryan Jones (14)--Edmond, OK for organizing events, providing leadership and fundraising support to Wishing Well, a student-led nonprofit that organizes events to support clean water projects world-wide in collaboration with Water for the World.

Paige Arter (14)--Edmond, OK for spearheading fundraising events and coordinating awareness activities for Wishing Well in her community and beyond.

artJAM Detroit! WAY group of 20, for providing leadership to and participating in, a unique program to enhance the learning experience for teens living with disabilities by encouraging expression through the arts to develop life-enhancing and pre-vocational skills as they enter the workforce. In the after-school program, students work for professional artists to develop creative processes in addition to gaining production, management and marketing skills.

Javier Fernandez-Han (15)--Houston, TX for developing the VERSATILE (Village Energy Reactor Solar Algae Technology Integrated Life Enhancement) system which treats waste by using a combination of existing technologies to produce food, fuel, fight greenhouse gases, and produce oxygen. The system can offer an improved quality of life for those in dire poverty and provide a "green" solution to help make the world better.

The Interact Club, Billy Ryan High School - Denton, TX for operating Recycle to Eradicate Poverty (RTEP) to recycle used cell phones to fund microfinance loans to the poor in Latin America and "turn phones into loans."

Stephen Green -- Little Rock, AR for advocating for at-risk youth in the State of Arkansas, leading the way to host a meeting of church, community, and government leaders to discuss youth development and to formulate a partnership to develop a mentoring program and help these young people change their generation for good.

Terrence Thompson (17) - Chicago, IL for training younger kids to use video cameras to produce films, and helping younger aspiring videographers achieve their dreams and goals.

Konstantine Buhler (17) -- Forest Park, IL for founding a nonprofit called "ARK" for Always Ready Kids and educating and advocating for preparedness education in schools and other venues where kids make up the audience.

Michael Smith (17) and Dillon Bane (17)--Lebanon, TN for raising awareness and funds to provide clean water for communities in Honduras, and inspiring other young volunteers to do the same, since 2007. They have raised funds selling re-usable water bottles that funded wells, developed and delivered a water filtration system, and are now working on a bio diesel program.

Jordan Foxworthy (17) - Atlanta, GA for developing the Bite Back Campaign, an initiative to raises money and awareness for the malaria in support of Compassion International's efforts. Jordan has raised $500,000 for the cause.

Vinay Trivedi (18)--Philadelphia, PA for founding SeniorLink, which helps residents of senior homes to feel more connected to society by teaching them the skills necessary to use computers and the Internet.

Kayla Barnofsky, Jessica Feldman, Hayley Feldman, Anjelica Mantikas, Ariel Stern, Samantha Malis, Sammi Walnick, Chelsea Genden -New York City, NY for founding One is Greater Than None to inspire individuals to believe that any contribution, no matter how small, has value, and helping by raising funds and awareness for rescue missions that saved these trafficked children and working with an organization called Remote Area Medical who supplies free medical care to impoverished rural areas.

Zachary Lee (20) -- New York City, NY for founding The First Aid Comedy Brigade as the first student-run movement to provide free comedy shows to children in hospitals around the nation, bringing laughter into the lives of thousands of children while cultivating a culture of helping others among college students around the country.

Rebecca Kantar (16), -- Boston, MA for development of and leadership in Minga, a youth-run nonprofit dedicated to ending the global sex trade in children. Rebecca coordinates fundraisers and addresses her peers to educate and empower youth in order to end the current global child sex trade and to prevent their generation from tolerating a future child sex trade.