Teenage Youth Ambassadors Create a New Breed of Superhero for the 21st Century
Many superheroes were created as fictional solutions to the social issues of their time. (Ever wonder why so many heroes gained their powers from radioactivity? Think about it.) Their storylines are dripping with social commentary, which makes them one of my favorite conversation starters when I casually wish to get my nerd on (hint: always). . . .
How We Find Cosmic Heroes
The League of Extraordinary Advisors Selects First-Ever Winner
In late April, The Sidekick Collective’s advisory board, more commonly referred to as the League of Extraordinary Advisers or “the League,” convened for their first-ever meeting. To observers, this meeting of super-brains and super-hearts was not unlike Iron Man, Thor, Captain America, and the Hulk’s first meeting in The Avengers (notably . . .
The Definition of a Superhero
Part II
In The Definition of a Superhero (Part 1), I proposed that to be a “superhero”, a person (or alien, creature, demi-god, etc.) must fulfill three core pillars of super-heroism:
- They right what’s wrong.
- They help others first.
- They protect the vulnerable.
These three pillars are nothing new. From reading . . .
The Definition of a Superhero
Part I
A few weeks ago, my dad and I had the opportunity to speak to a group of high school students at the University of Washington’s Law Academy. We were asked to speak about civic engagement at the high school level and answer the questions: Why not you? Why not now?
This became an interesting exercise in superhero analysis. I needed to . . .
Origin Story
Like every good superhero story, The Sidekick Collective has its roots in a seemingly unlikely turn of fate.
In 2008, Eric Liu and Nick Hanauer launched a $25,000 national high school essay contest asking, “What does true patriotism mean to you?” They received thousands of essays from students across the nation.
. . .
With Great Power
America loves a good superhero.
I clearly remember the moment my own superhero love affair started: Ninth grade. Spiderman. The geeky and sweet (yet 100% dreamy) Peter Parker. The radioactive spider bite. Then, Uncle Ben shot by the very robber that his nephew let go free. His final words, “With great power comes great . . .