Children Spotlight of the Month: Orion Jean

Orion Jean is a Haitian American author, philanthropist, and youth leader whose life and work powerfully demonstrate that age is never a barrier to impact. At just 13 years old, Orion has emerged as one of the most influential child advocates for kindness, literacy, and community service in the world today.

Raised in Texas, Orion’s journey began with a simple yet profound conviction: if you see a problem, you have a responsibility to help fix it. This belief led him to create his own youth-led initiative, the Race to Kindness, a movement dedicated to spreading compassion through practical action. What started as a small act of service has since grown into a global campaign inspiring children and adults alike to lead with empathy and responsibility.

In 2021, Orion’s extraordinary commitment to service earned him the prestigious title of TIME Kid of the Year, selected from thousands of nominees worldwide. His recognition did not stop there. He was later featured on the cover of TIME Magazine in February 2022 and has received numerous honors, including the Prudential Spirit of Community Award, the Gloria Barron Prize for Young Heroes, and the Top 100 Global Child Prodigy Award in 2025. He has also appeared on major media platforms such as The Ellen Show, Good Morning America, and CBS Evening News, using each opportunity to amplify messages of kindness and civic responsibility.

Through the Race to Kindness, Orion has led initiatives that have resulted in the donation of more than 100,000 meals to food-insecure families, over 600 toys to children in hospitals, and an extraordinary collection of more than 500,000 books for children who lack access to reading materials at home. His passion for literacy is central to his mission. As Orion explains, sharing books is about more than reading; it is about giving children access to imagination, confidence, and opportunity.

Orion is also an accomplished author. His books, Race to Kindness and A Kids Book About Leadership, encourage young readers to understand that leadership begins with character, service, and the courage to act. Through his writing, he speaks directly to children, affirming that their voices matter and their actions can change communities.

What sets Orion Jean apart is not only the scale of his impact, but the clarity of his purpose. He does not view kindness as a one-time gesture, but as a lifelong commitment. He often describes his work as a marathon rather than a sprint, emphasizing consistency, perseverance, and collective responsibility.

Orion Jean represents the very best of what child leadership can look like. His life is a reminder that children are not merely the leaders of tomorrow; they are capable leaders today. In celebrating Orion as our Child Spotlight of the Month, we celebrate a young person whose integrity, compassion, and sense of moral duty continue to inspire a global movement toward a kinder, more responsible world.