Realize to Act began out of the realization that young people can take action in their community. Tanya Keskar, then 12-years-old, always knew that education was a critical stepping stone to opportunity, and as she better understood the inequities in access to educational materials, she started showing up at community events with balloon animals to fund backpacks and school supplies. A community formed around this work, and in 2019, we registered for 501(c)3 status. 

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Today, our team distributes thousands of school supplies and backpacks every year, engages students in service learning and leading change, and is continuing to innovate through tech infrastructure to connect communities and equip every student with a backpack filled with school supplies, and a spark of joy to fuel a lifetime of learning and dreaming big.