What is {Young}ist?

{Young}ist is a young people-powered website devoted to storytelling, artistic projects, and news analysis with staff and contributors all under the age of 26. We’re bringing artists and activists together to cross-pollinate and give voice to the stories of our generation.

We will publish multimedia content, written features, expressive long-form journalism, and innovative art forms that will provide a wide range of perspectives on culture and politics—all through the eyes and hands of youth.

Check us out on Tumblr, Facebook and Twitter

Why make a site like this?

Around the globe, our generation is coming to terms with extreme economic and climate crises. In the midst of these crises, we are connecting the online internet buzz of social media with offline action--and doing it better than mainstream media ever could. It’s about time we had our own space; a platform to allow us to speak for ourselves. To one another.

Our generation is sharing information rapidly and the way that we produce our own information is constantly shifting. And so are the power dynamics. Entire movements—from the Arab Spring to Occupy Wall Street—have been catalyzed through the perfect chemistry of face-to-face organizing, branded aesthetics, and social media communication.

It is young people who are the ones at the forefront of these movements while simultaneously deciphering the most effective and efficient strategies to get our stories out to greater audiences. However, there are few platforms that facilitate the ascension of youth into the roles of: strategist, designer, or author. Herein lies the problem: there is no website that is run entirely for youth. And so, we need a home of our own—for us and by us—on the internet.

Who is making this site happen?

Our core staff includes student organizers from New York City, Los Angeles, and Atlanta, techy designer folk, multimedia artists, slam poets, a Montreal transplant whose journalistic coverage of the Quebec student strike received international attention, marketing and social media gurus who have worked with New York Students Rising, 18 Million Rising and 99Rise (lots of rising!), and some online media folks who have written for and worked at publications like Salon.com, Alternet, and The Nation--and our combined age is 138!

Though we have a range of interests, our common vision is found in seeing young artists and activists work together to tell the stories of our generation—and together we're developing a way to do just that.

Start-up and launch

We’ve gathered a team of incredible 30 contributors from all over the globe. We will let their accomplishments speak for themselves: a DJ who is the youngest person ever to select music for a major network TV show, the person responsible for putting together The Nation’s biweekly Dispatches from the US Student Movement, 1 of the Georgia 8 of the undocumented student movement, the project coordinator for the 2013 National Student Power Convergence, a young artist who is apart of the #YoSoy132 movement in Mexico City, a Pakistani writer who previously has written for VICE, and many, many more!

Over the next month, our contributors and editors will be publishing on Tumblr while we work with some very dedicated designers to build a site that’s designed to be interactive and super customizable—getting the news you want, the way you want it, and looking good doing it.

How much do you need to launch?

We’ve got to hit $12,000. It’s the bare-bones budget for launching this project but the more you give, the more we will be able to do!

Where is the money going?

• Web design and development
• Stipends for our hard-working team (both staff and regular contributors!)

 

Clockwise From Top: Prize Level $50 (Front); Prize Level $50 (Back); Prize Level $300

Testimonies

I'm supporting {young}ist because I owe it to another generation of activists, artists, and writers who are striving to create a critical online space that reflects a vibrant youth movement, and because we'll all benefit once they're able to do so. Your donation reflects your commitment to a more just world—one where youth deliberately carve out a space for their voices, and where the rest of us deliberately listen."

~ Aura Bogado, Reporter for The Nation and Colorlines.com

"People north of forty years old, speak in blanket terms about "younger generations" as if they are inactive sleepwalkers. When in fact, older generations have polluted our food, medicated our nation, removed arts, robbed our banking system, profitized prisons, controlled education and slight of hand--sullied the playing field, toward an unspoken oligarchy. {Young}ist, is a force~filled way for discussions, mandates, missions and humans--to potentially evolve."

~ Victoria Mahoney, Director and Producer of Yelling to the Sky, award-winning independent film

"I'm supporting {young}ist because the radical voices of our generation are silenced. You won’t hear from marginalized youth on television. You won’t see the art they create on the walls of a gallery. {young}ist will amplify these voices: it will also connect them. Spaces of creation and reflection are often lacking from our shared experience of activism. May a fresh, young perspective on media fill that void? {young}ist is proof of a resounding yes."

~ Jérémie Bernard-Wien, Spokesperson for Quebec student union, ASSE

FAQs

Can we exceed the goal?

Of course! The more of your funding we receive, the more we will be able to do in terms of making our start-up as smooth as possible!

Who will be writing for {Young}ist?

Well, it’s not just writing. But you can see the bios of our contributors here.

Are you including global voices as a part of {Young}ist?

Our team is very dedicated to building a global contributor base and is currently recruiting writers, musicians, artists, movers and shakers from around the world who are involved in innovative work in their communities.  

What kind of content will be published on {Young}ist?

Good question! You can check out the Tumblr that we’ve started where you can find the first pieces of content our contributors have put together with the support of our editorial team. 

I know an awesome young person. How can I get them involved?

Great! We are accepting applications for contributors. Please send an inquiry to isabelle.nastasia (at) gmail (dot) com for more information about this process!