TomTod Ideas

TomTod is a youth development nonprofit based in Canton, Ohio that listens to, honors, and advocates for middle schoolers.

Yep. You read that right. Middle schoolers, and only middle schoolers.

We create programming specifically for 10-14 year olds because we think their perspective is valuable and necessary for the community.
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Since 2012, we’ve helped thousands of middle schoolers discover and love their community while finding ways to help it thrive. Using the latest research about early adolescent development, our programing allows students to explore idea creation through a community-focused, developmentally appropriate lens.

Everything we do is community-based. Early Adolescents are in a critical developmental stage when they are fiercely curious about their place in the world. We aim to tap into that curiosity, directing it toward empathy and community engagement. We cultivate the altruism they’re seeking by encouraging them to pursue the common good through ideas that help their community thrive.
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We are also responsive to student choice, intent on helping middle schoolers develop healthy autonomy. While we develop helpful pathways for students to explore their community, they simultaneously get to follow their curiosity by working, researching, and collaborating around ideas that matter to them.

When given the chance, middle schoolers want to help their community. We empower them to explore how they can.