The mission of the National Youth Foundation (NYF)—founded and led by three Black women and a Black teen with a vision for change—is to promote diversity, inclusion, and gender equality through innovative literacy programs.
The National Youth Foundation has four core initiatives.
“I Matter”: Isabella Hanson, the only youth cofounder of the NYF, was deeply impacted by the killings of Breonna Taylor and George Floyd. She initiated a national poetry and art competition that allows young people to express their feelings about racial injustice. The NYF publishes an annual book of the top entries and donates copies to underserved libraries and schools across the country. The NYF also hosts youth-led and diversity-focused poetry workshops for youth throughout the nation, as well as internationally.
The Amazing Women’s Edition: In this national book competition, students write books on a woman whose story they feel needs to be told. NYF selects the winner and publishes and donates their books to underserved libraries and schools.
Student Book Scholars: This team writing contest, which emphasizes kindness and antibullying, is a collaboration with professional athletes from the NFL, NBA, and MLB.
Youth Writing Workshops: The NYF visits underserved cities and towns across the country and collaborates with community centers and schools to research and create biographical stories on prominent leaders from their respective communities.
In addition, the National Youth Foundation offers students and teachers a mental health toolkit, which they can download for free. The toolkit suggests that students engage in creative activities to express the thoughts and feelings weighing on their mind. Whether it’s music, painting, writing poetry, or any other form of artistic expression, creativity offers a valuable outlet for their emotions.