Real Stories
Real Change
PRogramming and professional development
Real Stories from teens
Our programs integrate authentic, real stories from teens to equip schools, teachers, and other youth-serving organizations with the skills to interact more effectively with the teens they serve and help develop supportive, culturally-responsive learning communities. Our mission includes elevating the perspectives of young adults and teens of color for the benefit of others.
AMPLIFYING YOUTH VOICES
Our education-focused training approach aids teachers, after-school staff, counselors, and other professionals in enhancing their engagement with young adults and teens. Meanwhile, our youth writing programs, initiatives, and publications provide teenagers with the platform to express their perspectives for the benefit of other students.
SocIal emotional learning programming
Programming and professional development for
adults who work with teens.
95% of educators state that our programs help students understand sel
92% of educators feel more equipped to establish a space for students to discusss racial issues
our initiatives have impacted more than two million teens & Young people
Happening Now
Resources for
grieving youth
Many YC writers have written about loss and letting go—whether it’s dealing with the death of a friend or loved one, letting go of a relationship or an identity you’ve outgrown, or losing a home or a way of being. Our writers have also focused on the strengths they developed or relied upon to get through difficult times, the people who helped them or the places and things that brought them joy. We hope youth and youth-serving adults can use the stories in this page when confronting loss.
OverDrive and YC Announce 15 Co-Produced Anthologies
OverDrive announced fifteen anthologies created in partnership with Youth Communication, where teens work with professional editors to share their personal stories. Written by teens for teens, common themes include body image, bullying, gender identity, living with a disability, recovering from trauma, and more.
They are available exclusively for libraries and schools through Libby and Sora!
Story of the Week:
“Finding My Way“
When you’re a child trying to navigate a new country, it’s hard to know where to turn for help. This week’s writer, Shiria, moved to the US from Bangladesh when she was 9. This story is about hurt and rejection but also about growth and persistence. Shiria reminds us that finding our voice can be a slow process, but it’s worth it.
The lessons provided in the YC program were well-organized and thought-provoking. I appreciated listening to and reading about my students’ views on how to address the circumstances of the stories we read and for how they were not judgmental of the others or each other while engaging in student-led discussions of the stories.
— TEACHER