Representing a new generation of women activists, Elana Brownstein advocated for countless causes, ranging from body image to AIDS orphans, while still in high school. With a gift for spurring fellow classmates to action, Brownstein organized a clothing and toiletries drive for inner city orphans, raised money for victims of 9/11, and ran a sandwich drive for local soup kitchens. In ninth grade, she participated in GO GIRLS (Giving Our Girls Inspiration and Resources for Lasting Self-esteem), which led to her campaign to encourage local retailers to make clothes displays that reflected the diverse shapes and sizes of real women’s bodies. A committed Zionist, she helped raise $2,000 for Magen David Adom. She also served as a student ambassador to Szarvas, Hungary, where she worked in an outreach summer camp, helping Jewish children from Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union rediscover their Jewish heritage.

Renee Brownstein was honored at the 2002 Women Who Dared event in Baltimore.