Young people investigate the problems caused by plastic shopping bags, then propose solutions to address the problems. This lesson prompts teams to design a reusable shopping tote out of an old T-shirt using engineering, problem-solving, creativity, and communication. They take action for the common good by using and sharing their project and by educating the community about problems and solutions to the plastic bag crisis. 

To better understand what youth in the community care about, the youth group develops a survey to sample students at the local high schools. Survey participants identify the most pressing issues they feel are affecting youth. This helps youth grantmakers determine which grants to award to impact what is most valued by the youth in their community. This may also be used in pro-active grantmaking. 

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