Youth Be Heard

Our Impact

Our vision for all youth to believe in their own value and potential has never been more timely. As many of you know, YBH was born out of a passion for all youth to believe in their worth and in the process counteract increasing youth mental health issues with an innovative and research-based approach. 

In evaluating our programs, we saw some incredibly encouraging results from publishing on youthbeheard.org to participating in the POETS, BE HEARD event, and the Strengths-Based Writing Program!

Impact of publishing with Youth Be Heard:

  • YBH now publishes over 100 pieces a year from young authors and artists in the United States and beyond including Egypt, Canada, Spain, and India.
  • 76% of youth reported that publishing with YBH improved their sense of self-worth.
  • 70% said that publishing with YBH improved their confidence.
  • 76% responded that publishing on YBH increased their belief in their ability to impact others.
  • 70% said that creating their own content helped them understand how other media is created and published (media literacy).
  • The majority of respondents said viewing content on YBH increased their empathy for someone with a different background.
  • The majority of work submitted is from youth who have never published or submitted work before.

POETS BE HEARD qualitative responses:

  • “I loved expressing myself and hearing other stories. It moved me, made me feel heard, gave me passion to write more. It’s been hard for me to find spaces to share my work aloud and I loved that this was a space where I could.”
  • “Of course, I love writing poetry for myself, but I also write it so others feel less alone.”
  • “Reading my poetry out loud was another therapeutic experience, as I’m finally sharing out loud what has been swimming around in my head.”
  • “It was so inspiring to listen to other poets. Especially when some of them wrote about topics I’ve struggled with personally so getting to see how they approached it/have handled it was really really interesting.”
  • “Being in the audience at the poetry slam helped me connect with my community and explore the diverse voices we all share.”
  • “This poetry slam definitely encouraged and inspired me! Hearing the voices of people my age, as well as their words, sparked ideas in my head for my own work.”
  • “I already continue to write, but this gave me the encouragement I needed to feel good about writing. I don’t know anyone else in my circle who writes poetry so finding supportive peers means the world to me, especially when I’m trying to get a poetry book published soon!”

STRENGTHS-BASED WRITING PROGRAM impact highlights:

  • 100% agree or strongly agree that this program increased their knowledge about forms of writing
  • 85% agree or strongly agree that this program increased their understanding of publishing
  • 100% said it helped them gain self-insight
  • 85.7% responded that it increased their sense of accomplishment
  • 85.7% said it increased awareness of their strengths

Please take a minute to read this fantastic Edwardsville Intelligencer article written about our organization!

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We are a stepping stone for youth to grow into the confident and mindful voices that are needed in our collective futures. This is long-term work is aimed at empowering youth while shifting the media landscape to have a more balanced representation of the narratives shaping our society. Youth Be Heard provides a safe place for youth to gain confidence, express, inspire, and share. 

We are seeing the impact of our work, and we invite you to join in the effort to sustain and grow Youth Be Heard.   Your tax-deductible donation will help us grow and continue!

You can donate by credit card or Paypal by clicking the button below:

Or, send a check by mail to Youth Be Heard, PO Box 291, Edwardsville, IL 62025

Visit youthbeheard.org and follow us on Instagram and Facebook to be inspired and to see the impact of your contribution.

Thank you for supporting youth – they have something to say.