2 TIME February 28/March 7, 2022
How we chose
Kid of the Year
MUCH HAS BEEN SAID, AND RIGHTLY
so, about what a heartbreaking time this
period has been for so many kids around
the world: “The Lost Year,” we called it
in a TIME cover about how COVID-
aff ected a generation of students. This
year’s TIME Kid of the Year, 11-year-old
Orion Jean, from Mansfi eld, Texas, has
turned that script on its head—fi nding,
and sharing, positivity in hardship: “You
have to fi nd something that breaks your
heart for you to really get out there and
make a diff erence,” the sixth-grader told
TIME contributing editor Angelina Jolie.
Choosing the Person of the Year,
something we’ve done here at TIME
for nearly a century, is always a daunt-
ing and heady endeavor. Choosing the
Kid of the Year, now in its second year, is
sheer inspiration. And Orion personifi es
it. When he was just 9 years old, he won
a student kindness contest and donated
his $500 prize to a local children’s hos-
pital. Since then, he’s collected and do-
nated hundreds of thousands of books,
meals, and toys to those in need. Orion
not only launches big eff orts to fi x prob-
lems he sees in everyday life, like food
insecurity and lack of access to educa-
tion. He also inspires others to join him,
bringing local communities and gov-
ernments together to help the neediest
among us.
Kid of the Year begins with a nation-
wide search—this year saw thousands of
submissions—in which parents, teach-
ers, and friends can nominate a kid,
age 8 to 16, who is helping to make the
world a better place. We also, in part-
nership with Nickelodeon, look across
social media and school districts, at ac-
tions big and small by kids from around
the country.
Panelists, including representatives
from the Special Olympics and Laureus
Sport for Good Foundation USA, form
an advisory committee to help judge
the candidates on the positive impact
they’ve had this past year and signs
that they’ll continue to lead in the fu-
ture. A committee of kids—including
Nickelodeon stars Alaya High, better
Edward Felsenthal,
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF & CEO
@EFELSENTHALknown as That Girl Lay Lay; Dylan
Gilmer of Tyler Perry’s Young Dylan;
and Wolfgang Schaeff er from The Loud
House—weighs in as well. We then work
with host Trevor Noah to narrow down
the fi nalists and select the ultimate Kid
of the Year.
This year’s fi nalists include Orion
as well as environmental activist Cash
Daniels, 12, from Chattanooga, Tenn.;
inventor Lino Marrero, 15, from Frisco,
Texas; Mina Fedor, 13, from Oakland,
Calif., who organized a rally to raise
awareness about anti-Asian hate during
the pandemic; and DJ and anti bullying
advocate Samirah Horton, 13, from
Brooklyn. Each of them will be desig-
nated a TIME for Kids Kid Reporter,
with opportunities through the year to
contribute to TIME, and will receive
a cash award from Paramount Global,
Nickelodeon’s parent company.“WE LOOKED FOR the attributes we
want to see more of in the world:
determination, passion, kindness,
bravery, and innovation,” says TIME for
Kids editor-in-chief Andrea Delbanco.
In addition to Andrea, the TIME team
supporting the project included senior
editor Emma Barker, who edited the
stories in this package, and Mike
Beck, Maria Perez-Brown, Rebecca
Gitlitz, Ian Orefi ce, and Jeff Smith,
who produced the one-hour TV special
highlighting these kids.
The special is now available to watch
on Nick.com, the Nick app, and Nick
On Demand.
“Kindness is a choice, and while we
can’t force others to be kind, we can be
kind ourselves and hope to inspire other
people,” Orion told Jolie. “I want others
to know that they can start today.”FROM THE EDITOR
△
Contributing editor
Angelina Jolie speaks
to Kid of the Year
Orion Jean over Zoom