Ineffective substitute teaching is a problem that means thousands of hours of lost learning for America’s students. It cannot be dismissed with a sigh and ‘Just wait for the teacher to come back on Monday.’ – Adora Svitak
I would say that kids are great in many ways, because I think that we are less hampered when it comes to ‘this costs too much’ or ‘that’s impossible’. – Adora Svitak
The point of my work is to make it clear that all youth can make ‘big miracles’ happen. – Adora Svitak
I cannot emphasize enough the importance of family encouragement – not just for me, but for everyone. – Adora Svitak
Mostly, I avoid worrying since the time spent doing it could be spent more constructively. – Adora Svitak
I think that my peers deserve more than products to buy wrapped up in advertising. We need ideas to share and causes to believe in – opportunities to lead and teach. – Adora Svitak
Like probably a lot of people, I came away from watching films like ‘Miss Representation’ and ‘Half the Sky’ with the realization that the battle for women’s rights is not over, especially not globally, and that the moral imperative of our century is to achieve full rights for everyone regardless of gender. – Adora Svitak
My family joke that I’m really a very senior person who accidentally happens to be 11. – Adora Svitak
The world needs opportunities for new leaders and new ideas. Kids need opportunities to lead and succeed. Are you ready to make the match? Because the world’s problems shouldn’t be the human family’s heirloom. – Adora Svitak
When I was little, I thought everyone in the world liked to read because it was so fun. But then I realised that was not exactly true. I want other kids to read and write more all over the world, because it helps them to understand things better. – Adora Svitak
I think one of the keys to better writing is releasing all of your ideas and to not be afraid. Dream big. This could be the greatest novel in the world you know. – Adora Svitak
There are lots of different interpretations of the word ‘prodigy.’ My own is of someone who is talented and tries to help other children. So in that respect I could be called one, although I don’t think I’ll go off the rails. – Adora Svitak
CEOs of top companies could probably use a dose of not-asking-for-raise behavior and less self-entitlement, rather than us trying to change girls in order to fit into the common mold of what we think a CEO looks like. – Adora Svitak
America, you’re sending girls a mixed message. On one hand, you’re saying to have positive body image and love who we are; on the other, we’re being marketed makeup and clothing that obviously turns us into someone different. – Adora Svitak
If we all understood we can learn from both older and younger people, then we’d have a better world. – Adora Svitak
Make sure that your kids or the kids in your life have an opportunity to share their ideas, and to teach you something about what we know. – Adora Svitak
I would love it if we made more comparisons between current issues and issues of the past. Maybe we’d realize that sometimes ‘current issues’ and ‘past issues’ are one and the same. Our world’s people still fight over natural resources, kill in the name of religion, occupy regions and give them up – just as we did ‘so long ago.’ – Adora Svitak
Any good teacher knows how important it is to connect with students and understand our culture. – Adora Svitak
We all love people who give credit to others for their success. Companies would probably do better with CEOs who didn’t blow their own horn and ask for ridiculous salaries and new yachts every year. – Adora Svitak
A lot of negative words adults call the young, like ‘naive,’ ‘impulsive’ and ‘way too connected online,’ are all things we can turn into strengths to help us. – Adora Svitak