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In the News

Getting Gen Z Primed to Save the World

The Atlantic • 12/29/15
The leading edge of “Generation Z” has already shown evidence of an active social conscience—for example, in Afghan teen Malala Yousafzai, who at age 18 became the youngest person ever to win the Nobel Peace Prize. But Gen Z also boasts plenty of less celebrated activists—people like Virginia teen Sejal Makheja, who founded The Elevator Project, which provides job training to people in poverty, when she was just 14. A recent study by cultural forecasting firm Sparks and Honey found that 26 percent of 16-19-year olds already volunteer on a regular basis. 
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Look Out, Generation Z Is About to Enter Your Workplace

The Telegraph • 7/19/15
Growing up on decidedly shaky economic ground seems to have nurtured a distinctly entrepreneurial spirit. Earlier this year, the Generation Z Conference was held at American University in Washington DC with the aim of harnessing exactly this drive. It was attended by the likes of 16-year-old Sejal Makheja, who founded a vocational training organization that aims to lift people out of poverty when she was just 14.
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A Point of Privilege

Huffpost Education • 5/4/15
A recent PARADE magazine story about the opening of the Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the United states Senate reminds us that the imperative of civic engagement is nothing new and parents can help instill "the helping gene." That message likely resonates with Generation Z (born mid-to-late 2000s to present). Paul Greenberg, CEO of Nylon Media, notes 60 percent of them want to make a difference in the world, compared to just 39 percent of the Millennial generation preceding them.
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Meet Gen Z Philanthropist Sejal Makheja, Founder Elevator Project

Beth's Blog • 4/16/15
Helping people in need is not only part of Makheja’s DNA but seems to be a hallmark of this generation. Says Makheja, “After the tipping point in my life when I met Juan, the passion and determination for the cause of poverty alleviation became something I discovered myself as well as the value of paying it forward.” 
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Make Way for Generation Z

The New York Times • 3/28/15
Among those who attended Bisnow Venture's Gen Z conference was Sejal Makheja, 16, a sophomore who lives in McLean, Va. When she was 14, Sejal founded the Elevator Project, an organization that aims to lift people out of poverty through apprenticeship, vocational training and job placement. She said she went to the Gen Z Conference because she wanted to cultivate the skills she’ll need to take the Elevator Project to a national scale.
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A Movement to End Poverty

Talk Poverty • 3/25/15
Sixteen-year-old Sejal Katherine Makheja believes. Two years ago while volunteering at a D.C. nonprofit, she met Juan, who talked about his struggles finding a job. Sejal found his situation hard to comprehend until her father explained that many people don’t have advantages–such as access to a high-quality education–that she has. So she told her parents she wanted to help Juan get an education. Her family paid for Juan to go to community college, where he earned his certification in construction. Soon after, he landed a fulltime job. 
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