Each summer, thousands of New York City teens contribute to their communities through activism and organizing that frequently involves media projects, the Gotham Gazette reports. A young activist fighting to keep a power plant out of his neighborhood helped produce a film about local pollution that screened at the United Nations. And a group of young women working with Arab Women Activists in the Arts and Media (AWAAM) are developing radio spots about issues facing Arab women in their community.
“Young people are extremely aware of what goes on in their community and often they don’t have a means to really propose solutions to problems that are affecting them,” said a program officer from North Star Fund, which is helping fund AWAAM’s youth program. North Star Fund considers nurturing young activists to be an investment in the city’s future.