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Saylor.org is a free and open collection of college level courses. There are no registrations or fees required to take our courses, and you will earn a certificate upon completion of each course. Because we are not accredited, you will not earn a college degree or diploma; however, our team of experienced college professors has designed each course so you will be able to achieve the same learning objectives as students enrolled in traditional colleges.

Can someone who loves gardening as a hobby really make an impact? Robin Emmons did so with the help of volunteers and donors who made Sow Much Good grow from a backyard initiative into a community project. Tired of the rat race, Robin quit her job to do some self-searching. After a couple of weeks, she was told of her brother being held in jail for an undiagnosed schizophrenic outburst. Concerned about her brother's deteriorating health in the mental facility, she volunteered to bring fresh produce from her backyard garden… then realizing that her purpose was just around her-literally. To read more about Robin Emmons visit www.thextraordinary.org

Plastic destroys our ecosystem yet we keep reproducing them. It's as if we are only after making life more convenient for the present and not at the very least concerned about the fate of our children, who will basically inherit this planet. It's easy to just ignore this for now especially if we delude ourselves with false hope that someone else will figure out a way to solve a major problem such as pollution. Elif Bilgin, a gifted teen from Istanbul, isn't too selfish to just think of the now. She made bio-plastics out of banana peels. To read more about Elif Bilgin visit www.thextraordinary.org

As tribe leader, Chief Almir Narayamoga Surui had to do something to save Paiter Surui, their niche in the Amazon Forest. Loggers did not give up easily considering the money century-old trees bring in. When the Surui Chief began to criticize and act against logging, a bounty was put on his head, forcing him to leave his people for seven months. It was not the end of the story. More determined than ever, Chief Almir kept his partnership with Google Earth Outreach and has found a way to liberate his people from welcoming loggers through a 50-year development plan. To read more about Almir Narayamoga Surui visit www.thextraordinary.org

Age is not something Parker Liautaud considered when he decided to do his share in saving the planet. He's been called a show-off, a spoilt kid, a climate change clown. Some people could not bring themselves to believe that someone under 20 would literally walk halfway around the world, in a biting cold environment, just to get the global warming message across. Parker was not even the athletic type to begin with. But after working hard, he became the youngest to complete a Last Degree expedition to the Geographic North Pole all for the love of the planet. To read more about Parker Liautaud visit www.thextraordinary.org

What hope is there for children of women who are addicted to drugs? Or homeless? Desperate? They get so absorbed with their misery that they don't pay much attention to the baby they are carrying. Or maybe they care but their lives are so messed up they don't know what it's like to love another human being anymore. We can only give what we have. Speaking of giving, nobody does it better than Martha Ryan, a registered nurse who founded Homeless Prenatal Program. The idea behind it is to help end the cycle of childhood poverty. To read more about Martha Ryan visit www.thextraordinary.org

For Nicholas Lowinger, having a comfy pair of shoes is as important as having just the right size of clothing. Shoes can be a source of embarrassment and can trigger bullying. A good pair of shoes can motivate a person to go out there and mingle, confident and comfortable in his/her footwear. At five years old, he gave away shoes he had outgrown. But shoes that don't fit defeat the purpose. So when he was only 10 years old, he founded Gotta Have Sole, a foundation that gives away new shoes that perfectly fit kids and teens in homeless shelters. To read more about Nicholas Lowinger visit www.thextraordinary.org

Maya Shea Penn is the CEO of her very own business, Maya's Ideas, at age eight. Her company makes hand-crafted scarves, headbands, tee-shirts, and accessories. Not only are they fabulous, they are all eco-friendly. As young as she seems, Maya has a profound understanding of her responsibility as a steward of the Earth. Maya's Ideas 4 The Planet is a non-profit organization she set up that's geared towards caring for the planet. Aside from being an entrepreneur, Maya is a published writer, an animator, a speaker, a designer, an illustrator, an artist, a philanthropist, and an inspiration. To read more about Maya Penn visit www.thextraordinary.org

We can't argue with Hugh Herr, a double amputee, who says that he's no disable. For one, he's a professional climber. Secondly, when he walks using prosthetics he created himself, you really won't be able to tell from his gait. Hugh Herr currently directs the Biomechatronics research group at MIT Media Lab. We owe him the first intelligent prosthetics, employing bionics that make them work like real body parts. His company, iWalk, has helped veterans, amputees, and stroke victims get their life back. Envisioning a world where disability doesn't exist, it's safe to call him a visionary. To read more about Hugh Herr visit www.thextraordinary.org

Andras Forgacs is a renaissance man-he invents, helps companies take off, inspires people to be more creative. With a scientist for a father, it's not surprising how Andras ended up being a visionary. He co-founded Organovo with Gabor, his father, who acted as the lead scientist for the cutting-edge biofabrication company. They are into cultivating body parts using avant-garde technology. A few years later, Andras launched Modern Meadows. It works like a meat brewery. With the help of technology, Andras hopes to address food issues by growing meat. To read more about Andras Forgacs visit www.thextraordinary.org

Mallika Dutt was born in India, a place where women are relegated next to men in the social hierarchy. Seeing the violence around her had Mallika pursuing a career in social justice. She became a lawyer and worked for various organizations. Upon realizing that social media and the arts can profoundly influence people and move them into action, she established her own organization in 2000. Since then, Breakthrough has been "breaking" barriers and shifting paradigms towards a more liberal society. Mallika has proven that women has the power to change the world for the better. To read more about Mallika Dutt visit www.thextraordinary.org

Fawzia Koofi is the first woman to ever become the Second Deputy Speaker of Parliament in the history of Afghanistan. The fact that she lived after being left out to die under the sun is a testament to her courage. She would have to prove that courage over and over again as she dodges threats to her life and insults thrown at her just because she is a woman. Only 39 years old in 2014, she hasn't reached the required age to run for the highest seat in the government, so she'd set out to do it 4 years later. To read more about Fawzia Koofi visit www.thextraordinary.org

An author, a freegan, an activist, a father, a concerned citizen-Tristram Stuart is all that and more. He was brought up in a thrifty household where food actually got eaten. So when he began feeding pigs and discovered how much food grocery stores and food servers throw, he was compelled to do something. He endeavored to dig deeper into the problem and by discovering how much food go to waste, he began spreading the truth about the ongoing food scandal. This led to the Feeding the 5000 initiative, The Pig Idea, and the Gleaning Network. To read more about Tristram Stuart visit www.thextraordinary.org

Ron Finley is not your typical gardener. His garden transformed the lives of the people in his barren community called South Los Angeles. Prior his initiative, for you to get fresh produce, you should brave driving 45 minutes. So to save on gas and beautify his front lawn, he planted food. Of course, he got apprehended for that. But 900 signatures got authorities off his back. Los Angeles Green Grounds was an organization inspired by his defiance to grow his own food. Ron is now quite a famous speaker but he remains to be a humble gardener. To read more about Ron Finley visit www.thextraordinary.org

Dr. Laura Stachel is the co-founder of the non-profit WE CARE Solar. Together with her husband, Hal Aronson, they launched the organization to provide sustainable lighting system in developing countries where mortality rates due to childbirth were a lot higher. The Solar Suitcase units they have distributed to 27 countries so far have saved thousands of patients, not just mothers and their babies. The solar lighting system enables clinics without electricity to still do business in the middle of the night-an inconceivable feat years before. To read more about Laura Stachel visit www.thextraordinary.org

Marlice van Vuuren is definitely not afraid of the wild. Growing up with wildlife impressed a deep love for the animals in her heart. So much is her love for them that she has lived most of her life caring for her lions, cheetahs, vultures, baboons, and hyenas. Not your usual pets? Truth is, they aren't her pets either. They are her family. She co-founded the N/a'an ku sê Foundation with her doctor husband which gave way to wildlife conservation projects and livelihood initiatives for the San community, the aborigines of Namibia. To read more about Marlice van Vuuren visit www.thextraordinary.org

Ronny Edry describes himself as a father, a husband, a teacher, and an Israeli. What is he doing in theXtraordinary? Well, he started the Israel Loves Iran initiative by posting a photo of himself carrying his daughter who was holding an Israeli miniature flag. The caption read "Iranians, we will never bomb your country. We [heart] you." For the first time in his Facebook life, Ronny's post was shared and liked by many of his friends. Soon, he was talking to Iranians who agreed to post their images to reciprocate the message with "Iran [heart] Israel." To read more about Ronny Edry visit www.thextraordinary.org.

Stephen Ritz is a dynamic inspiration for kids in the Bronx who used to believe there was no more hope for them. His enthusiasm is undoubtedly contagious, enabling troubled teenagers to secure a source of living with the use of the knowledge he equipped them with in and out of school. Besides restoring hope, Stephen helped the malnourished community reclaim their health by growing local produce right in his very classrooms. His non-profit organization called Green Bronx Machine harvested produce enough to feed 450 people. Now that's what you call serving the community in the truest sense of the word. To read more about Stephen Ritz visit www.thextraordinary.org.

Shigeru Ban does not call himself an environmental architect even though he has made a name in paper architecture. The Naked House at Kawagoe, Saitama prefecture, Japan; the Nomadic Museum; the Cardboard Cathedral in Christchurch, New Zealand; and the Musée d'art Moderne Georges in Pompidou, Metz, France are just some of his masterpieces. They all have one thing in common-paper. He founded the Voluntary Architects' Network (VAN), a non-governmental organization that aids in building homes for refugees and evacuees. Because of his dedication to giving back to the community, he has been dubbed "the people's architect." To read more about Shigeru Ban visit www.thextraordinary.org