About Youth Be Heard
Youth Be Heard (YBH) builds confidence in youth through writing and art. Our vision is for all youth to believe in their own value and potential.
Founded in 2018 as a 501(c)(3), with its beginnings in Greater St. Louis, YBH is now elevating youth creative expression nationwide.
We offer free editing and publication services on youthbeheard.org for individuals aged 13-24, ensuring that all young voices—regardless of their resources—can refine their skills, build confidence, and share their stories.
At Youth Be Heard, we take youth voices seriously. Through editing, mentorship, and leadership opportunities, we nurture their talents and encourage impactful contributions to society.
Youth Be Heard cultivates the voices of youth to help reshape the media landscape by including more diverse perspectives and mindful youth contributors. We don’t tell youth what to think- we hold space for them to process how to think. As such, all opinions expressed on youthbeheard.org represent the views of the individual author or artist, rather than of the organization. We aim to uplift a multitude of perspectives so we can see other points of view and disrupt the echo chambers and burst the filter bubbles found online. If you disagree with something, write about it! Send it to us here.
All content and comments are monitored before publishing, ensuring YBH is a safe space for creative exploration, constructive feedback, and sharing work that can inspire others.
We welcome topics that resonate with youth, including career and college decisions, identity exploration, relationship dynamics, and mental health management. By integrating media literacy and positive youth development theories, we affirm that youth voices are vital and should be woven into the fabric of society. Read more about theory here.
When submitting writing or art youth will receive a customized response and your work will go through our editing process. The author makes the final decisions about all recommended changes. When the piece is satisfactory to the editors and the author, it may be published on youthbeheard.org
Why should you write?
To Discover Yourself
- Writing and art are powerful tools for self-exploration and healing. They empower you to express your unique voice, which is essential for a balanced representation of our society. Too often, individuals grow up believing their voices don’t matter, leading to a lack of diverse perspectives. By writing and creating, you foster personal growth and development.
To Connect with Others
- When you share your stories—especially how you’ve overcome challenges or made tough decisions—you inspire others. Diverse voices and viewpoints encourage greater understanding and empathy among us. We are stronger when we come together and share our experiences.
To Make Your Voice Heard by Adults
- The structures and policies shaped by adults directly affect your everyday life, from education to healthcare to the environment in your school. It’s crucial for decision-makers to understand how their policies impact you. Your experiences and ideas are valuable and deserve to be heard.
“As creatives, we live in this space of validation. It took someone outside of my inner circle to validate my work, it took another entity to say ‘your work is valuable’. To say that maybe my work is worth something in this world.”
Adiba Nelson