Making a difference

Tyler King, a sixth grader at St. John’s School, volunteers on the Kids’ Committee at the Children’s Museum of Houston and is passionate about helping others.

When I was younger, I loved spending time with my parents at the Children’s Museum of Houston. One day, about three years ago, my friend invited me to check out the Kids’ Committee. I thought it was the coolest thing. I went through the interview process and have been hooked ever since. The committee is composed of kids of varying ages, genders and backgrounds dedicated to helping the museum to be a better place for children in Houston and across the world.

The Kids’ Committee meets once a month during the school year. We act as a “think-tank” to provide a kid’s perspective on everything from exhibit development to programming. We test and provide feedback on the new exhibits before each opening. We also plan and participate in various celebrations at the museum, for example, the annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day Celebration. We are not just helping ourselves by enjoying the new exhibits first, but rather expressing our ideas to improve the exhibits in order to benefit the children in our community.

Community service is defined as an act of selflessness, pushing outward from oneself to others, and not drawing inward and focusing on only you. I have spent a lot of time trying to help others in my community and to improve the society that we live in. When you give to the community, the community gives back to you. It might not be in money or possessions but, in return, your life is enriched knowing you have helped better the lives of others. I have experienced such reward through the chaos of opening a new exhibit and then seeing a child loving that exhibit for the first time.

Every day, community-service opportunities happen all around us, and everyone can pitch in, no matter your age or how much money you earn. Anyone can make a difference in the lives of others, no matter how small or big it is. Making a difference in people’s lives can also change you, for the better, I think! So go out and make a difference.

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