What’s not to love about a girl who’s out to make major world changes? We’ve rounded up three of our favorite do-gooder gals.…

Hannah Teter: Couldn’t be Sweeter
Competitive snowboarder Hannah Teter, 22, won gold in the 2006 Winter Olympics, but she didn’t let that medal muddle her head. Instead, she put her newfound clout to good use. “I’ve always wanted to help out in the world,” she says. “I now have the opportunity to pursue this dream.” So she decided to “sweeten the world one bottle at a time” with maple syrup from her home state of Vermont. Huh?

No, Hannah doesn’t think the Earth is flat as a pancake. But all profits from sales of her Hannah’s Gold Maple Syrup help poor children in the African community of Kirindon, Kenya. “I got to see the difference between clean water and dirty, disease-infested water that the kids were drinking previous to their rain water catchment system,” says Hannah of her trek to Kirindon. So far, she’s raised over half her goal of $100,000. Sticky sweet!

Ayna Agarwal: Doggone Do-gooder
During a trip last year to visit family in New Dehli, Ayna Agarwal, 16, was appalled to see helpless, homeless dogs wandering the streets. So she started Stop Pet Overpopulation Together Globally (SPOTGlobally), an organization to prevent animal overpopulation, starvation and cruelty.

SPOTGlobally has project sites in several locations worldwide: South Africa, Thailand, Nepal, Italy, Philippines, Mexico, Lebanon, Dominican Republic, Columbia and India. At the Friendicoes shelter in New Dehli, over 200 pets are cared for at any given time, but sadly, most have little hope of being adopted. Ayna’s program provides medications and surgical supplies. How does it benefit the world as a whole? Stray pets on the streets can lead to the spread of diseases -- such as rabies, a great endemic in India.

Amira Mortenson: Making Changes out of Change
What’d you drop on your last mocha latte? Three bucks? Five? A single cent in Pakistan can buy a pencil, and a dollar educates a girl for a month, says 13-year-old Amira Mortenson as she travels the world with her father promoting Pennies for Peace. Pennies for Peace inspires kids to collect spare change to support causes, such as building schools in Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Meanwhile, Amira’s dad has received death threats and even been kidnapped, mainly because he wants to help educate girls in volatile countries, as documented in his book, Three Cups of Tea. Amira continues to follow her father and her heart, influencing kids to care and share. “Our generation should be totally dedicated to peace, not war,” says Amira, “and we should make sure every kid in the world can go to school.”

News flash: Video games don’t need to be all karaoke, makeup and mall hopping to appeal to girls. Here are our fave games -- and don’t be surprised if your best guy friend digs ’em, too.

Nancy Drew: Phantom of Venice
A series of thefts have taken place, so Nancy Drew (meaning, you) is on the case. A new culture and skilled thief stand in the way. (PC)

Animal Crossing: Wild World
Customize your town, your house and yourself. The game progresses as you make furry friends and go fishing -- you know, normal stuff. (Nintendo DS)

Cooking Mama: Cook Off
OK, so you can’t actually eat what you cook. But you won’t have to clean up the kitchen. Your remote is the ultimate utensil -- it slices, dices, chops and stirs as you whip up recipes. (Wii)

Flower
Sony has a new concept called “zen gaming.” Instead of gritting your teeth while clutching a controller, the idea is to relax and enjoy -- you are the wind, guiding flower petals at your own sweet pace. (Playstation 3)

Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved 2
Don’t worry, no tricky geo probs here. We just hope you don’t have too much homework, because it is insanely addicting. This version has three new modes. (Xbox LIVE Arcade)

The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
Hey, drama queen, like your games with an epic storyline and action galore? Save the land of Hyrule by solving puzzles, engaging in intense battles and interacting with characters. (Nintendo GameCube, Wii)

LittleBigPlanet
You’re the boss, so be ready for some decision making! This is a limitless adventure with adorable critters and a funky handcrafted feel. (Playstation 3)

Mario Kart Wii
Who doesn’t like to go fast? Pick a character (we love Princess Peach), select your vehicle and off you go! Race your BFF…or up to 11 people from around the world.

Star Ocean: Second Evolution
This sequel to “First Departure” is kind of like anime in orbit. It’s Space Date 366, and you’re on a mystical planet with the Hero of Light, who’s on a mission. (PSP)

Wii Fit
It’s incredible what you can do on the balance board: strength training, aerobics, yoga (we felt the “tree pose” burn for days). It also calculates body mass index and weight -- and is brutally honest.

What does your musical taste say about you? That’s what researchers at Scotland’s Heriot-Watt University are trying to find out. They’ve surveyed over 36,500 people from around the world, comparing music preferences to personality traits. Here’s what the scientists have tuned into so far:

If Ya Listen to Lotsa…

Coldplay Is mainstream rock and pop your thing? That screams volumes for your stellar self-esteem and industrious nature. You might lack a creative edge, but you make up for it with your likeability factor.

Taylor Swift Hey, country lover! You are one hardworking, conscientious gal. You get along pretty well when kickin’ it with the crew, but what people don’t realize is that you’re secretly shy.

Slayer If you like to thrash to heavy metal, you have a rebellious side and could be a bit of a lazybones. But while people think you’re a little hard-edged, you’ve got ’em fooled. You’re really such a softie.

Beyonce You can just feel the vibe of R&B and soul running through your veins? Let your artistic sparkle shine on. This shouldn’t be a problem since you’re packing major mojo and self-assuredness.

Hayley Westenra Do you chill out to classical music or even opera? You’re quite at ease with yourself but not particularly outgoing. You’re actually a bit of a recluse, who’s well-read and deeply contemplative.

Toots and the Maytals You love reggae, right? No worries, mon! You’re upbeat and sociable, but you still keep it chill. You take life as it comes, and you’re always real. Your mantra: Relax, be happy.

The Derek Trucks Band A girl who grooves to jazz and blues is creative, confident and comfy in her own skin. You’re extroverted and sensitive rolled into one, so you probably have a lot of friends!

Kanye West Do you lean toward rap beats, rhymes and rhythms? You might have a tendency to bend the rules. But you have too much self-worth to take it too far. Still, you’re often the life of the party!

Farhan Akhtar If you dig Bollywood-spun tunes, you’re probably very spirited and quite a force on the social scene. We’re betting you could stay out and dance all night if you didn’t have to worry about curfew.

Dreaded “bed head” usually comes from sleeping on wet hair, wearing bands to bed or tossing and turning all night. No need to hide under the covers. Never again leave the house looking like you stuck your finger in an electric socket!

Prevent the Poofies
Bed head is easier to prevent than fix. It’s best to wash hair so it has time to dry before you hit the sack. If you blow-dry, don’t put your head on the pillow while hair is warm -- that can set it in ways you don’t want. And no gels, mousses or sprays before bed.

Still All Sticky-uppy?
If you’ve taken the above advice and still look like an anime character, here are some in-a-flash fixes.…

Quick Fix No. 1 Shower in the a.m. and wash away all traces of hair-gone-wild. Style and step out looking awesome as usual.

Quick Fix No. 2 No time to shower? Lightly mist hair with a spray bottle of H₂O, combing through with fingers. Brush then style as you blow-dry. Use a detangling product if necessary but don’t overdo it. Hair will look greasy, and that’s even worse than bed head.

Quick Fix No. 3 Put hair up, using one of the following techniques: 

• Butterfly clips Sweep hair back as if you’re making a ponytail, then twist it up and clamp on the clip. Keep it loose and casual. A few wisps of hair hanging on either side of your face look soft and pretty.
• Chunky headband If you only need to tame the front, this is quick and easy.
• Ponytail, anyone? Stay away from thin elastic hair ties. Those leave marks and can break hair. Think thick bands!
• Try a high pony Pull hair on top of your head and secure it with a ponytail holder. Some girls call this a “pineapple.” So cute!

Quick Fix No. 4 Break out the straightening iron but be careful. You could burn yourself (yikes!) or singe your locks, leading to many more bad hair days. Go for product with zero alcohol before using the iron. A spritz of hairspray after straightening sets the look.

Your bed head prob is chronic? A great stylist can give you a cut and recommendations to make messy morning hair a thing of the past!

We heart pop culture! From books to bands to video games, these are our absolute faves (in no particular order).

Spore
Where can you go to create your own funky creature and develop it through quirky evolutionary phases as you travel to other planets? Straight to your computer (and soon Wii, according to word on the street) with this outta-this-world computer game. Install the disk, then go online to romp in an infinite architectural universe all generated by you and other gamers. Spore…never a bore.

The 39 Clues
The 39 Clues: The Maze of Bones is the first in a fictional book series that places the reader squarely in the role of detective. Meet Amy and Dan of the Cahill clan, the world’s most powerful family. When Grandma Grace dies, the kids are given a choice: one million dollars or one of 39 clues leading to a global quest for treasure and untold power. This is a multimedia adventure that combines reading, online gaming and card collecting in an awesome interactive experience.

Metro Station
We love the everygirl-fave boy band Varsity Fan Club just as much as the next gal, but Metro Station is the real rock-it-out deal. The band just wrapped its UK tour with Boys Like Girls (who, incidentally, recently released a live-concert DVD titled Read Between the Lines). Don’t blink and you might catch a glimpse of Miley Cyrus doing a bumper-car cameo in Metro Station’s “Seventeen Forever” video, but singer/guitarist Trace Cyrus doesn’t piggyback on his little sister’s popstar success. Yes, they’re sibs. But this isn’t mentioned even once on the band’s Web site, and that’s one of the things we like best about these guys.

Fearless
This is a two-fer fave! What are the odds that a pair of young female musicians would each release a CD of the same name? Sizzlin’ R&B singer Jazmine Sullivan, 21, was nominated for five Grammy awards, including Best New Artist, for the release of her CD titled Fearless. And smokin’ hot Taylor Swift, 19, was country music’s best-selling artist of 2008 with the release of her second CD, also titled…Fearless. These girls couldn’t be more divided in their musical tastes, but they both have gobs of go-for-it gumption. Love it!