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Despite being only 20-years-old, Charles Orgbon III is an internationally recognized youth engagement expert, environmental activist, and diversity and inclusion strategist.
In 2008, when Charles was only 12-years-old, he founded Greening Forward, which would become the largest youth-driven, youth-imagined environmental organization in the country. Today, Greening Forward has funded the efforts of over 2,000 students and 50 student environmental groups from across the United States, and has also convened four international conferences for young environmental leaders. The students that Charles and Greening Forward support go on to create campaigns that reduce waste, conserve resources, and rally for more sensible environmental legislation.
Leveraging his varied non-profit leadership experience, Charles often blogs for the Huffington Post, as well as partner with agencies to offer consulting services. His past consulting clients have included numerous international environmental NGOs, federal agencies, philanthropists, school districts, environmental justice campaigns, and media corporations.
Charles makes appearances on CNN International and MSNBC, as well as in Essence, Black Entertainment, JET, Parade Magazine, USA Today, and in Laurie Thompson’s Be A Changemaker: How to Start Something that Matters. In fact, the Children’s Museum of Indianapolis recognized Charles by dedicating a piece of the Power of Children permanent exhibit to his work.
While Charles reminds students that they have the potential to make a difference in their schools, communities, and eventually the world, he also shows adults how to ally with youth in substantive ways. Given that young people are more multicultural in the United States than any previous generation, Charles often underlines how meaningful engagement of young people can also address institutional diversity deficits.
Charles has crafted a winning blueprint for how youth and adults can work together to create a more sustainable, equitable world, while also building a dynamic career as a young entrepreneur.
In 5th grade, Charles Orgbon III responded to his school’s litter problem by leading school-based community beautification projects. When he realized that the environmental movement wasn’t adequately supporting young environmental change makers, he created Greening Forward. Today, the youth-driven, youth-imagined organization has grown into the largest movement of its kind. Greening Forward has distributed tens of thousands of dollars to youth environmental projects that plant trees, build compost bins, install rain barrels, monitor streams, and recycle waste. The organization has planned numerous International Young Environmentalists Youth Summits, and advocates for a number of environmental issues.
To inspire more young people to make a positive difference in the world, the Children’s Museum of Indianapolis has commemorated Charles’ efforts in its permanent exhibit, Power of Children. Charles is one of 18 young people profiled in Laurie Ann Thompson’s award winning Be a Changemaker: How to Start Something that Matters, an inspiring guide for young social entrepreneurs who want to effect social change.