Welcome to Ripplekids.com, home of the Ripple KidsTM! Ripple KidsTM is a nonprofit organization dedicated to inspiring and empowering kids to take action in their communities by publicizing what their peers are doing.

Where does the name 'Ripple KidsTM' come from?

The name comes from the idea that if one kid does something positive in her community, it will inspire someone else to do something, and so on and so on and so on. It's the ripple effect caused by one kid — a 'Ripple Kid' —taking action.

Our goal with this web site is to create an interactive experience that makes community involvement cool and fun. We want community service to become part of the mainstream conversation where hearing about the good things kids are doing is the rule rather than the exception.

The concept of Ripple KidsTM was developed by Bridget Belden, a mother of two from Orange County, CA. In 2003 during a particularly introspective time in her life, Bridget was inspired by her 7 year old daughter and 5 year old son and their natural inclination to want to help others. Instead of 'what difference can I make - the issue is too big' it was 'I can make a difference. Period.' The concept was striking to Bridget - If we can empower and support kids while they have the inclination and the creativity, what kind of community issues can we resolve? What kind of adults will those kids grow into? What kind of world can we create?

The beauty of this concept is that kids are already doing amazing things. All we have to do is tell people about it, and by doing so, we’ll inspire others kids to get involved. And so on, and so on, and so on – it’s a ripple effect, which is where the name came from. That is what Ripple KidsTM is all about.