Youth Engaged 4 Change (YE4C) is all about getting young adults excited and engaged with their communities. Many times, this means going out to our schools, local community organizations, and jobs to pursue our passions. But that is not the only way we can impact the world. What young people have to say is just as important as what we can do. Youth voices are powerful, and there are places to share them. After looking across the internet, I have selected a few blogs and forums that focus on young people and what we have to say. For the creative writers and artists reading this post, young people can also share their experiences and publish content from their perspective on some of these sites. Here is a list to help you get started with sharing your experiences and ideas.
 

Blogs related to education

Student Voice

• Created by: a nationwide student-run non-profit organization.
• Mission: to amplify student voices to create change and to connect youth with adults to improve the education system and decrease educational inequities.
• Content: opportunities to join the Student Voice network, blogs about educational inequities and personal experiences, and resources for students and educators to make local changes.
• Submissions: If you are a high schooler, you can apply to be a journalism fellow and create content on their website to tell your story about educational inequities and your perspective on the issues affecting youth in education.
• Why I like it: I have known about educational inequities, but always thought it was policymakers who would change the education system. But this website shows that there are resources and experiences young students like ourselves can draw on to make local change locally.
   

Student Voice Forum

• Created by: the Kentucky Student Voice Team, a group of over 100 self-selected students from elementary school through college.
• Mission: to give youth a voice in elementary, middle, high school, and college communities.
• Content: feedback, advice, suggestions, and experiences as it relates to students in the Kentucky education system.
• Why I like it: It’s easy to think that the student’s role in the education system is to learn. But I found that the Student Voice Forum is an opportunity for the educators to learn from the students about improvements, which I think is awesome.
   

Blogs related to youth leadership and advocacy

Youth Activism Project

• Created by: non-profit organization made of young female leaders.
• Mission: to empower young people to engage in widespread change.
• Content: resources, blog posts on how to be an activist in your community, and various trainings, seminars, consulting for teens.
• Submissions: Middle schoolers to young adults are welcome to join their network and receive tools to be activists in their own spaces.
• Why I like it: From young to old, the Youth Activism Project combined written resources and possible consultations to get young people empowered. I love that they are being active about activism!
   

GEN-ZiNE Magazine

• Created by: Anushka (Check out her Inspiring Story here)
• Mission: to address the issues of today through the eyes of Generation Z.
• Content: art and culture, multiculturalism, climate, health and wellness, sustainability and more.
• Why I like it: I love reading magazines and found that seeing content through the eyes of my generation made the experience more meaningful and applicable. Additionally, seeing these young people with nuanced perspectives pushed me to think about the big issues that affect us.
   

Blogs related to mental health and wellbeing

Teen Speaks

• Created by: the Youth Advisory Program at Boston Children Hospital’s Young Women and Young Men Health sites.
• Mission: to share information about health and wellness from passionate high schoolers, college students, and healthcare providers.
• Content: healthy food recipes, men and women-specific health issues, school, relationships, mental health awareness, resources, and more!
• Why I like it: Wellness is very important and Teen Speaks covers numerous aspects of health that are relevant to both men and women. Even more, they have articles full of information with tips and resources that I can apply in my life.
   

Blogs addressing a variety of topics

Voices of Youth

• Created by: UNICEF.
• Mission: to connect young people to issues affecting our world.
• Content: opinions on topics such as Innovation & Technology, Personal Growth, Employment, Health, Human Rights, from youth in over 200 countries.
• Submissions: Anyone aged 13-24 around the world can post articles, poems, drawings and illustrations, and videos.
• Why I like it: I loved that this has an international platform. I never interact with people who currently live in India, England, or Kenya. But this platform allows me to hear their perspectives and insights from the comfort of my bed.
   

The New York Times Learning Network

• Created by: The New York Times.
• Mission: to create a space for young people to share their thoughts on specific topics every day.
• Content: Each day, they publish an article and accompanying questions for youth to answer on different topics: food, politics, science, media and culture etc.
• Submissions: Any young person 13-19 years old can comment, and New York Times will highlight some of the notable responses people submit.
• Why I like it: This opportunity is easily accessible to those who have something to say, but maybe aren’t the best at writing 500-word prose. There’s a new topic every day which keeps it exciting, and I can see what other young people are talking about in real time about the same topic.
   

The Adroit Journal

• Created by: poet Peter LaBerge.
• Mission: to showcase the future of art, prose, and poetry.
• Content: bizarre, authentic, subtle, outrageous, raw, creative works of art.
• Submissions: Any secondary or undergraduate person can share their poetry, prose, and art.
• Why I like it: This platform is the perfect place for young people who have out-of-the-box ideas or perspectives. I learned something new about the most bizarre and interesting topics that I couldn’t have found anywhere else.
   

Youth Engaged 4 Change

• Created by: youth working in partnership with the federal Interagency Working Group on Youth Programs
• Mission: to inspire and empower young people to make a difference in their lives and the world around them
• Content: topical content created by youth ranging from education and disability to wellness and advocacy
• Submission: If you are a 16 to 24-year-old interested in sharing blog post content, resources or opportunities for other young people, email ye4c@air.org for more information and guidelines.
• Why I like it: YE4C’s blog encompasses different aspects of content youth may need such as resources, new opportunities, and inspiring stories about the great things young people are doing.