Ashley Rhodes-Courter

Image courtesy Joe Santa Winner in the Education & Environment Category

After 14 different foster homes within ten years before finally being adopted at the age of 12, most kids would count themselves lucky and leave the foster care system behind them. But Ashley Rhodes-Courter didn't want to leave the system behind, she wanted to fix it. Ashley has since dedicated her life to bettering the lives of adoptable children everywhere, doing all she can to ensure that the more than 118,000 children currently waiting for placement become more than just another sad statistic. She has spoken to thousands of people, sharing her story -- the revolving door of foster care, abuse, separation, neglect -- and raising awareness.

She helped raise more than one million dollars through the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption, and has helped countless other people by making the facts of the adoption system in America known. One woman told her that after hearing her speak, she and her husband opened their hearts and doors by adopting four brothers and sisters, keeping the family together.

After many years of advocacy, Ashley is turning her attention to making change in the political arena. Her work helped change legislation for the 1997 Adoption and Safe Families Act, and she is planning an internship on Capitol Hill with the Congressional Coalition for Adoption. As far as she sees it, whatever else she becomes in her life -- a politician, a scholar, a mother -- she will never forget her years spent in the foster care system. It's where she came from, and it's her job to try to make it better.

William Hwang

Image courtesy Joe Santa Winner in the Education & Environment Category

William Hwang was going through his old school stuff during a break after his first year in college when he was hit with an idea. Inspired by the fond memories of the summer science programs he attended as a child, William wanted to bring similar opportunities to underprivileged kids who would otherwise never receive them. He and some friends gathered in his parent's dining room to talk about his idea, and InnoWorks was born.

The goal of InnoWorks is to get kids enthusiastic about science, technology, engineering and math. How they do this is what sets them apart. First, InnoWorks is entirely free; everyone who works on the program is a volunteer. Also, the volunteers – undergraduate college students -- act as mentors to the kids. The courses are designed with the idea of learning through group activities and team-based missions. For each course, the kids work together to complete missions based around a central theme (past themes include robots, the senses and explorations).

Currently, there are eight InnoWorks chapters, including groups in the Bahamas and Saudi Arabia. And William hopes to expand even farther, reaching as many kids as possible. However, as far as he's concerned, InnoWorks is about more than just teaching science, it's about creating a philosophy of education that fundamentally changes students’ attitudes toward learning and making them better lifelong learners.

Kelly Voigt

Image courtesy Joe Santa Winner in the Education & Environment Category

When she was only seven years old, Kelly Voigt was bitten in the face and throat by a dog. Plastic surgery was able to help her physically, but not emotionally. She suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder and depression.

Some people might never have been able to recover. But in her tragedy, Kelly found inspiration. She began Prevent the Bite, an organization dedicated to teaching kids how to interact safely with dogs. She travels from school to school, giving presentations and demonstrations. Often times, Casey, a golden retriever specially trained and certified as a therapy dog, joins her. The goal is to show kids what to do around a dog, and also to take away any fear the kids might have.

The problem is a lot more widespread than you might think. When she's giving presentations, Kelly asks the students to raise a hand if they've been bitten or if they know someone who's been bitten. Usually more than half the students raise a hand. More than 4.7 million people are bitten by dogs each year in the United States alone. Together, Kelly and Casey are doing all they can to prevent as many of those bites as possible. And the program is spreading. People from across the country contact Kelly saying they want to do what Prevent the Bite is doing. Kelly and her mother are currently working on a video, in hopes that they can reach as many people as possible.