A cohort for young people ready to learn, lead, and make their mark.
▶ APPLICATIONS OPEN NOW UNTIL AUGUST 28
▶ FIRST COHORT BEGINS SEPTEMBER 2026
Middle school is where it starts.
Young people in 6th, 7th, and 8th grade are already asking hard questions, noticing injustice, and forming their sense of who they are in the world. Changemakers Lab gives them a place to explore those instincts with structure, support, and real tools for change.
This is not another after-school program. This is where the next generation of leaders begins.
What is Changemakers Lab?
Changemakers Lab is an eight-month cohort program created by Pint Size Protesters (PSP) for middle schoolers. Students meet monthly in person to explore identity, learn how change happens, and develop and execute a real action project, aimed at making a difference in their community, with their peers. Each cohort is supported by trained, background-checked adult mentors who are actively engaged in social change work.
PHASE 1 — LEARN
Build the foundation.
Students explore who they are, how systems of power work, and the many ways people create change. They learn about the Social Change Ecosystem and discover their own role in it.
PHASE 2 — DO
Make it real.
Students form project groups, connect with local activists and mentors, and design and execute a real action project on an issue they care about. They present their work at the end of the program.
This program is for students who are ready.
Ready to ask questions. Ready to dig in. Ready to take up space in a movement that needs them.
CHANGEMAKERS LAB IS DESIGNED FOR YOUTH:
✓ In grades 6, 7, or 8
✓ Who want to make a difference but are not sure where to start
✓ Who care about their community and want to act on that
No prior experience required.
Every role in the movement matters, and we help students find theirs. Whether they’re an organizer, storyteller, artist, caregiver, or researcher, there is a place here.
What students can expect
PROGRAM LENGTH & DATES
6 to 8 months
School year cohort
Dates: Sep 20 • Oct 19 • Nov 15 • Dec 20
Jan 24 • Feb 21 • Mar 15 • Apr 18 • May 16
SESSION FORMAT
Monthly in-person
Monthly sessions start at 2:00 p.m.
2 to 3 hours each, with optional group check-ins between sessions
COHORT SIZE
Up to 12 students
Intimate, intentional, community-focused
MENTORSHIP
Real mentors
Trained, background-checked adults actively engaged in social change work
SELECTION
Apply or be nominated
Youth and guardian expectations clearly outlined before the cohort begins
LOCATION
Gahanna area
Community-rooted, locally grounded
Changemakers Lab is PSP, grown up.
Pint Sized Protesters has always believed that young people belong in the movement. We started with the youngest activists in the room. Now we are building space for middle schoolers who are ready for more.
Changemakers Lab keeps everything that makes PSP who we are: the raised fist, the community, the commitment to justice. The design just grew with our kids.
We are not afraid of the words activist or protest. We are not here to be a light social gathering. We are here to develop a new generation of leaders who know that their voice, their creativity, and their care for their community is exactly what this moment needs.
Ready to apply?
Applications are open NOW through August 28. Space is limited to 12 students per cohort.
Common questions
Is there a cost to participate?
How are students selected?
Do parents or guardians need to be involved?
What if my student is shy or does not have any activism experience?
When does the program start?
Support the Lab
Changemakers Lab is free for students to participate. Donations help us cover program materials, mentor training, snacks, and the resources young organizers need to do real work.