Someone Should Do Something About This, But Who?

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And how?

Picture this: You are in the school lunch line. It’s the best day for lunch–it’s pizza day, or maybe it’s those Bosco sticks with the red sauce. Your friend is ahead of you, and when they reach the lunch lady, she types your friend’s name on the computer. The lunch lady sighs, “do you have lunch money? Your balance is negative.” Your friend’s face gets red, and they start to stutter, but before they can finish, the lunch lady doesn’t give your friend the pizza or the Bosco sticks. Instead, they get a cheese sandwich wrapped in plastic and a carton of milk. Your friend is embarrassed, and rushes through the line. Kids behind you whisper. Some of them even laugh.

Maybe you are the friend. Or have been.

It’s frustrating, right? We’re required to be at school for 7 hours a day, but we have to pay for our own lunch. That doesn't make sense. The teachers don’t seem to care, the lunch ladies are just ‘doing their job,’ the principal doesn’t notice. Nobody is talking about it. Someone should do something about this, but who? If not the adults…

Could it be you?

Of course, you might think: but what could I do?

That feeling, caring but not knowing where to start, that’s exactly why The Next Generation Combination exists, and that’s why USYF is sharing it. In this compendium, you can find something that works for you. For example, maybe you and your friends create a QR code and pass it around school. The code can link to a trusted Venmo or GoFundMe, with a note that explains the money is going toward paying off lunch balances. You can create a petition and get everyone to sign it. There are ideas like this and more in The Next Generation Combination.

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But what the heck is a compendium? What is massive collective action?

Think of it like this: a compendium is a summary or collection of ideas about a single topic. In this case, we are sharing a collection of creative ways people can come together to make change, like doing something about school lunches. It shows that change isn’t just about loud protests or big, fancy speeches. It’s also about teamwork, sharing ideas, talking to each other, helping one another, and using what we already have, like social media. These methods are real, and they’ve worked for people all over the world. You don’t need to be famous or an expert, just someone who cares about something and is ready to take the first step. So, instead of asking what can you do, we ask: what can we do?

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With our partnership with Joe McCannon, and thanks to our friends at the Higher Ambition Leadership Alliance, we were able to make this happen and bring this document to light for young activists like yourself.