Our World is NOT for Sale!

Youth Speaks is building the next generation of leaders through the written and spoken word. Our innovative programs nurture and develop the youth voice and promote positive social dialogue accross boundaries of age, race, class, gender, culture and sexual orientation. We encourage youth to find their own avenues toward creative self-expression, and embrace the collaborative nature of group dynamics and peer-to-peer education. By coupling public performance and publication opportunities with educational workshops, mentoring programs, and cooperative learning, Youth Speaks encourages active literacy, honest writing, and critical thought.



At Youth Speaks, the voices of youth matter. As part of a sweeping national phenomenon, teenagers today are picking up the pen and taking hold of the microphone with an energy and pasison that crosses cultural, racial, class, gender, sexual orientation, and language lines. Since opening our doors in 1996, Youth Speaks has been on the frontlines of this movement, offering thousands of teenagers free programs that allow them to find and develop their voices in youth friendly environments.