At 12 he saw a need and acted on it -- at 17 he went to Nigeria

At 12 he saw a need and acted on it -- at 17 he went to Nigeria: "rthur Gallanter hangs up the phone, looking a tad embarrassed to be interrupting an interview for something as mundane as a lunchtime burrito order. 'That was my sister,' he explains. 'She's calling from the local taqueria.'

Not that Arthur, a 17-year-old Pacific Heights resident, is always serious. Sure, he's been called a 'philanthropist' and is responsible for spearheading a successful campaign to donate used computers to schools in Nigeria; and, yes, he just returned from Nigeria, where he saw his altruism in action. But Gallanter insists, 'I'm still a basic 17-year-old kid.'"

Tags: NPYouthinPhilanthropy