​​​Arriving, Finally, As My Chosen Name  

by Spencer Katz

I had recently cut my hair short for the first time. At school, a male friend saw me and said, “You look like a boy,” and it felt validating, especially coming from a boy. Then, it started to click that maybe I wasn’t the girl I thought I was. 

My Own Stamp of Approval

by Matthew Carlson

My first two years of high school, I felt on top of the world. I had a 4.0 GPA. I discovered my love for theater. I made a lot of friends. I was up late studying so I wasn’t sleeping much, but I didn’t mind that.

Silent No Longer

by Stephanie Cuevas

Names have been changed. Four years ago, my family spent Christmas with my aunt in Dallas. One afternoon, we walked into a boutique at the mall. Rows of trendy clothes caught my eye. “Let’s get you something nice,” my grandma said.

We Asked 8 New York City Teenagers: How do you feel about returning to school?

It feels like the ones in power do not really care about us. New York City has the nation’s largest school system with approximately 1.1 million students. If we all go back, it is likely that interaction with our peers and strangers could cause many of us to contract the virus; cases are bound to rise.

Attention New York City Teens: Your Voice Matters Now More than Ever!

by Inside Voices Staff

Last September, New York City’s Department of Education (DOE) hired Amallia Orman for the newly created position of Student Voice Manager. Part of her job, as she describes it, “is to listen to and accomplish real change with students, according to what they find meaningful.”

What Teachers Can Do to Combat and Call Out Racism

by YCteen Editors

Like Asa, kids of color often tell us that they are tired of being the “racism police” at school, and get little support when they are targets of or witnesses to racism. Many school systems, including the New York City Department of Education, are providing implicit bias training.