CASEY SHERMAN
UNITED STATES, 19
Project: Empower the People
Basic Human Needs: Education
Following the tragic shooting that took place in Parkland, Florida in February 2018, Casey was one of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School students to lead the March for Our Lives (MFOL) movement. At the MFOL Parkland rally in March 2018, Casey spoke to 30,000 community members. As she stepped onstage, the crowd erupted in cheers and students chanted, “Enough Is Enough!” along with Casey. In that moment, she realized the responsibility she carried as a young leader and the power of teens to create real change. One month later, Casey founded Empower the People (EtP) – a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization working to increase youth awareness and civic engagement in the United States. They work with students across the country in classrooms and in communities, applying civic education to enact social change. EtP’s events and programs encourage young people to understand the country’s current issues, and to take action on the social and political stage. EtP and the Constitutional Rights Foundation launched a Civic Action Project in January 2019. Their joint initiative supports 50,000 students nationwide each semester to implement their own social impact projects in their communities. In November 2019, EtP hosted their first national event about gun violence prevention for 130 high school students across the United States. Casey hopes to grow Empower the People into a long-lasting, national platform, instilling in young people the power they have to be catalysts for change.