Princess Chomilo-Kisob, a ninth-grader at Hopkins North Junior High, started Kids’ World International to educate immigrant and refugee youth about deportable crimes. She created the organization in seventh grade after seeing what her mother did for immigrants and refugees on Take Your Child to Work Day. (Craig Lassig Sun Newspapers)

On Take Your Child to Work Day, students have the opportunity to see what their parents do for a living. If they're lucky some might even get an idea of what they themselves want to do when they are older. For Princess Chomilo-Kisob, seeing what her mother did inspired her to start her own venture at the ripe age of 12.

Princess, 14, of Plymouth was in seventh grade when she accompanied her mother, Bri, an advocate for immigrant and refugee families, to juvenile court in Minneapolis. There she watched her mother talk to teens and their families about deportable crimes and ways to prevent being in a deportable situation.

Princess, a ninth-grader at Hopkins North Junior High, didn't go home with the idea for her new organization that day, but it was soon after, when she was writing a paper on an important educational experience, that she decided she could do the same thing as her mother, but in a youth setting.

She started Kids' World International, a youth-founded and youth-run organization designed to educate immigrant and refugee youth about deportable crimes and educate the public about the immigrant and refugee youth population.

She was somewhat intimidated to start her own organization, she said, but felt there was a need for it in the area.

"A lot of immigrants and refugees aren't aware of their deportable crimes," she said. "Just because you have a green card or work permit doesn't mean you are a citizen."

She received her first grant for the organization in seventh grade, which she used to make brochures and launch a Kids' World International Web site, www.hrusa.org/kidsworld.

The Web site includes information on the benefits of becoming a U.S. citizen, the types of crimes that warrant deportation and resources people can contact if they need help.

She also travels to local schools and other facilities to make presentations. Language barriers are often a problem, she said, so she does her best to get documents in other languages. Helping others allows her to learn about their cultures, she said, so she too benefits by participating in the organization.

Princess serves as the organization's executive director and has 10 other youth volunteers who help her with the various tasks. A few adults who serve as an advisory committee oversee the group.

Jo Senander, a Minnetonka resident who serves on the advisory committee, has been involved for about a year. She first met Princess and her mother at a joint meeting of staff and volunteers from local shelters for people who have been battered. She said all the people at the meeting were shocked when they heard the details of Princess' organization.

"We were all just awed by this child who had taken it upon herself to get this organization started to help kids," she said.

National Camera Exchange recently donated a video camera to Kids' World International, which Princess plans to use to make a video that will teach others how to make presentations at schools. With high school on the horizon, her schedule will be busier, she said, so she'd like to get more volunteers to help her out. Besides volunteers, she is also seeking office supplies and a laptop computer for her work.

Princess, who has been nominated several times for the Junior National Young Leaders Conference in Washington D.C., said she isn't sure how long she plans to be involved with Kids' World International, but she's been pleased with its success so far. "I'm really happy I've been able to help a couple people here and there," she said.

For more information on Kids' World International go to www.hrusa.org/kidsworld.

National Camera Exchange recently donated a video camera to Kids' World International, which Princess plans to use to make a video that will teach others how to make presentations at schools. With high school on the horizon, her schedule will be busier, she said, so she'd like to get more volunteers to help her out. Besides volunteers, she is also seeking office supplies and a laptop computer for her work.

Princess, who has been nominated several times for the Junior National Young Leaders Conference in Washington D.C., said she isn't sure how long she plans to be involved with Kids' World International, but she's been pleased with its success so far. "I'm really happy I've been able to help a couple people here and there," she said.

For more information on Kids' World International go to www.hrusa.org/kidsworld.