Queens sixth-grader Daniel Mosquera was so persuasive on the subject of environmental awareness last year that he won over a 9-year-old who initially “had no idea what global warming was” – and then a light bulb went on in his own head.
“If I can teach one person, they can teach their parents. If I can change the mind of one person, then maybe I can change the minds of millions,” said Daniel, of PS 99 in Kew Gardens.
Last year, when he was 10, he went door to door in his neighborhood handing out leaflets with information he compiled about how to conserve energy – his outreach project in a Children for Children Queens Service-Learning Initiative.
He was nominated for a Post Liberty Medal in the Young Heart category by Aisha Lloyd of Children for Children, a nonprofit that motivates young people to do community service.
During his mission to spread the word about the environment, the engaging young man met many families with preschoolers – and promptly expanded his volunteer work.
Daniel, now 11, said he wanted to give the kids a “jump-start” with their ABCs and, armed with his Disney books from when he was even younger, began teaching some neighborhood kids the rudiments of reading.
“I read them stories, and the children read to me,” said the young tutor, who describes himself as a “very patient person.”
“I don’t push them so hard,” said Daniel, who hopes to become a lawyer. “I go with the flow.”
Suzan Bruck, a guidance counselor at his school, said, “He had a great understanding for the project, and when it was completed, he continued to work with people in his community.”