Change Agent Adventure at Center for Civil and Human Rights
It’s no secret that every person can make a difference in the world, but it might be a secret on where to start.
You can start right here in Atlanta! Change Agent Adventure at the National Center for Civil and Human Rights is the new children’s gallery, offering interactive ways for kids to learn how to help make the world better. With a focus on empathy, belonging, justice and “upstandingness,” the gallery connects children to learning and skill-building with creativity, inspirational stories, games and more.
After a secret knock, new recruits begin their journey in a magical elevator traveling down to the center of the earth, bypassing views of the Solidarity Reservoir and Courage Caverns. Visitors choose the color of their lanyard, and they’ll answer a few questions to determine their specialty and receive their unique agent name and password.
Changemakers can choose from activities throughout the space. Play in The Agent Arcade with video games Right Runner, where you’ll gather your community to stand up for what’s right, and Diversity Disco, to unite aliens with the power of dance.
Learn about historic changemakers, like Martin Luther King Jr., Eleanor Roosevelt and Bob Marley, and match these legendary figures to their iconic hats in the Create & Celebrate chamber. Make your own special hat by decorating with stickers, ribbons, pipe cleaners and more, and the space includes mirrors for modeling off your new look.
Participants are encouraged to look at their own traits to determine how their beliefs, skills and strengths might empower them to help others. Hear from advocates around the world with Free Agent Advice. Dial their number to listen to the stories and advice of fellow activists Malala Yousafzai, Greta Thunberg, Julio Salgado and more.
Kids can dance and get their wiggles out at the silent disco featuring three different playlists with Beyoncé, Sia and more, as you’re inspired by clips from marches and protests from all over the world. A quieter area allows kids to sit in beanbag chairs and read picture books. Doodle words of encouragement to the next potential agent using erasable markers on the drawing tables. Spin the Challenge Wheel for real-life implementation of your newfound skills.
Before pressing the magic button to teleport back to the Center, write and create a pledge to add to the Change Agent Pledge Wall for how you hope to help change the world.
This interactive play space makes learning fun and explores big ideas through hands-on creativity. No matter your age, this gallery is a reminder that everyone can make a difference.
The Details
- 100 Ivan Allen Jr. Blvd. NW, Atlanta 678-999-8990. civilandhumanrights.org
- Admission: $26; ages 7-12, $20; ages 6 and younger, free.
- Hours: Mon.-Sat. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. and Sun. noon-5 p.m. Last entry is at 4 p.m.
Good to Know:
- Multiple parking options are available near the Center. The closest MARTA stops are Civic Center Station or Peachtree Center Station, or you can ride the MARTA Streetcar and stop at Centennial Olympic Park.
- Visit on Saturdays for kid-friendly Saturday Adventures events with a storytime, crafts and activities.
- Depending on your child’s energy level, expect to spend 30-60 minutes in the gallery.
- Designed for ages 12 and younger, teens and former kids will still enjoy and learn from this experience.
- Available in the lobby or at the end of the gallery, the Change Agent Adventure Guide is a family-friendly map to other attractions in the Center with different tasks for young agents to accomplish during their visit.
