Dreamer ENT – Dream. Dare. Soar.

You are browsing the archives of 2011 November.

It’s Round 4 for Radio Disney’s N.B.T. singing competition. All of the contestants have been so talented and it’s great that they’ve been pursuing their passion of singing. Find out more about the contestants at: http://radio.disney.go.com/nbt/index.html

Bullying is such an important topic, and it breaks my heart to see recent reports of young people who have been hurt and affected by it – words can have a bigger impact than we know. I was also affected by bullying when I was younger and I feel for those who can relate, and appreciate Megan and Liz for their inspiring efforts! Stay tuned for more information about Dreamer ENT’s Show Some Love Anti-Bullying Campaign. – Julene, Editor of DreamerENT.com

Youtube singing sensations Megan and Liz are twin sisters who took their passion for music and decided to share it with the world. The girls began posting Youtube covers a few years ago and began catching the attention of others; they were even surprised on the Oprah Winfrey Show and able to meet one of their inspirations Taylor Swift.

Recently Megan and Liz wrote a song called “Are You Happy Now?” to address the topic of bullying and how words and negative actions affect people so deeply. They got fans to submit photos for the music video and the compilation is really inspiring, watch the official video above and the fan submission video below.

You can visit StepUptoBullying.org to find out how you can take a stand against bullying too. Have you ever dealt with bullying or have seen it in your own school?

(Left to Right) 2011 HALO Award honorees Kyle Weiss, James O’Dwyer, Adele Taylor, Shanoah Washington, and Emily-Anne Rigal gather on-stage during Nickelodeon’s 2011 TeenNick HALO Awards on October 26, 2011 in Hollywood, California.

These five teens honored at the TeenNick Halo Awards show that it doesn’t matter how young you are to make a positive difference in your world through service. Each of them were awarded with donations toward their causes presented by celebrities who have also been involved in charity work.

Read about each of the honorees, (including one of DreamerENT’s past interviewees, Adele Taylor of Adele’s Literacy Library) and how they took the initiative to address a problem or area they felt passionate about:

The Honorees

Adele Taylor, 16, Williamstown, NJ – An avid and enthusiastic reader, Adele Taylor, of Williamstown, N.J., grew up understanding the value of literacy. After learning that one in five adults can’t read, she decided to take action. In December 2008, at age 13, this exuberant young lady created the organization Adele’s Literacy Library, with the goal of promoting literacy among people of all ages. Adele is honored by Jason Derulo who supports the Make-A-Wish Foundation among other charitable efforts. Find out how you can help Adele as she also works to enrich the lives of youth in Africa with the love of education and reading…

James O’Dwyer, 19, Tuscaloosa, Ala. – James was a freshman at University of Alabama when the devastating EF4 tornado hit Tuscaloosa, leaving a six mile track of destruction across the region. He started Magnolia Disaster Relief, an aid program that targets small rural towns hit the hardest by tornadoes by delivering food, water, clothing, toys, furniture and fridges so affected people can start rebuilding their lives. James’s HALO match is Taylor Swift who, among her many philanthropic endeavors, raises money and awareness to benefit those affected by tornadoes and floods.

Emily-Anne Rigal, 17, Williamsburg, Va. – As a young overweight girl, Emily-Anne was bullied so harshly she was forced to switch schools. Recognizing how upsetting her experience with bullying had been, she decided to create WeStopHate.org, a teen-run YouTube channel and website, which helps combat bullying by motivating teens to share their own stories of triumph and give tips to others on how they too can prevail.

Shanoah Washington, 18, St. Petersburg, Fla. – Born in California, Shanoah’s home life was plagued with gang violence until her grandmother moved her to Florida and enrolled her at the local Boys & Girls Club, providing her with guidance to reach her full potential. She created Sista2Sista, a mentoring program which aims to motivate young girls through the development of self-esteem, honesty, self-discipline and positive thinking. Shanoah’s HALO match is Jessica Biel who works with Girl Up, a United Nations Foundation campaign that rallies girls in the U.S. to help give girls in developing countries a better future.

Kyle Weiss, 18, Danville, Calif. - A huge soccer fan, Kyle’s activism was sparked after speaking to Angolan fans at the 2006 World Cup and learning about the dire state of the country and lack of sports resources available to the youth of Africa. Kyle and his brother started FUNDaFIELD, an organization that fundraises to build soccer fields in developing countries in Africa. Kyle’s HALO match is David Beckham, a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, who campaigns and fundraises to establish education and recreational programs involving soccer for children around the world.

The TeenNick Halo Awards, hosted by Nick Cannon, will air on Nick at Nite on Sunday, November, 6, 2011.

Here’s another awesomely innovative business idea from the NFTE 2011 Elevator Pitch Contest. 16-year-old Hayley Hoverter‘s product Sweet (dis)SOLVE is a beverage sweetener made from organic sugar and encased in a soluble organic starch that melts into your drink. This is a great idea that will save paper and is great for the environment. Haley also won the $10,000 grand prize for her business at the 2011 NFTE National Youth Entrepreneurship Challenge, congrats! Watch Hayley’s pitch below: