Among those stories of unruly teenagers and those young people who, seemingly, have no direction in their lives, there always emerges more than a few glimmers of hope which outshine all the negative.
Last week, this newspaper spotlighted two of those positive examples.
One story focused on a Peters Township senior who designed and planted a memorial garden dedicated to five Washington County soldiers who died while serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. Her motivation was not on whether the United States should or should not be involved in the war. She only cares that those from her hometown area are affected and deserve to be honored.
The other article was on a group of junior and seniors from Upper St. Clair involved in the Kids Helping Kids organization. This group has raised money and gathered supplies which they will deliver this summer to impoverished areas of the Dominican Republic. They know they won't be living in the same comfortable conditions to which they are accustomed. They've been warned that what they see will, certainly, not be what they've ever experienced.
Giving back to a community or to others less fortunate is nothing new. There are countless stories throughout this country - and certainly around our region. This newspaper is proud to have published articles about many of these good deeds.
What is changing about the situation are the faces of those involved. Whereas community service was once dominated by the middle- to older-aged population, it is now being passed on to a new, younger generation.
Dr. Jane Goodall is a well-known primatologist. Through her work and travels, she has discovered something about a particular section of humankind. It inspired her to write, "Young people, when informed and empowered, when they realize that what they do truly makes a difference, can indeed change the world."
No one, especially not teenagers, goes into a community service project expecting to instantly change the world. Many times, it is the catalyst of one young adult who gets their friends involved. Once involved, though, these teen-agers begin to realize the gratification which comes from helping others. Little by little, they understand the impact they can make.
It is our responsibility as adults and parents to foster that 'give back' enthusiasm. We can encourage them as they undertake a project or join along side them as they help others. Informed and empowered, as Dr. Goodall mentioned, is a great gift we can pass on to our young people.