*All programs researched by Serena Ding of United Under Arts, and summarized by Daysia Charles of SuccessBaseMass.*
In light of the global pandemic, with the indoors becoming commonplace to high school students, many have taken it upon themselves to form passion projects and virtual organizations to help the world. These range from youth-owned blogs where any teen can submit their work, to organizations that send letters to elder homes while visiting hours are nearly nonexistent. And the longer we find ourselves indoors, the more these programs increase, with teens itching to do something fulfilling.
And yet, these programs would hardly be able to get of the ground without team members and supporters. Many youth have been wondering what there is to do with all in-person programs being canceled. My answer: join a youth-led nonprofit! You will be able to earn volunteer hours, become an important team member, and support a valuable cause that suits your interests. Below, we have a list of organizations started by students from all over the world which need new members.
Categories include activism, mental health advocacy, environmental justice, female empowerment, STEM journalism, social blogs, finance and entrepreneurship, tutoring, the arts, education, and community support. Some organizations may fall under multiple categories, be included in one, so we encourage you to skim through them all.
Please email our team at successbasemass@gmail.com if you would like your organization added to this list. We will update regularly.
Activism:
What they do:
Promotes youth activism through youth-told stories, resources, and activism promotions.
Who they are looking for:
Interviewers/interviewees, partners, youth activists on behalf of MKM
What they do:
Advocates for well being of LGBTQ+ youth through resources such as articles that amplify youth voices and stories.
Who they are looking for:
Writers, editors
What they do:
The YACU is a non-profit organization dedicated to engaging youth in politics and promoting bipartisanship and unity.
Who they are looking for:
Volunteers to help research and write policies, create graphics, manage social medias, outreach to press, and help organize and create chapters
What they do:
Encourages youth to stand up against sexual violence through fundraising, spreading awareness, and encouraging others to share their stories.
Who they are looking for:
Anyone interested in Activism
What they do:
The Muslim Youth Empowerment Association (MYEA) is a group of astounding young Muslim leaders striving to making a difference across the country each day.
Who they are looking for:
Muslim youth that will start local community chapters
What they do:
Advocates for civic engagement within underrepresented youth through mentorship, speaking education, and access to opportunities that allow them to pursue their passions.
Who they are looking for:
Chapter founders. Also offers fellowship program for students.
What they do:
Shares impactful stories with the rest of the world to empower youth to take action.
Who they are looking for:
Members, brand ambassadors, chapter leaders, staff members
Mental Health Advocacy:
What they do:
Educate students on how to stay organized, and plan ahead for college and beyond. Also hoping to help people destress through organizational techniques. Carries our their mission through free organization consultations and social media campaigns.
Who they are looking for:
Blog contributors (writers, artists, podcasters, musicians), discord administrators, partner administrators, resource creators
What they do:
Change the mindset on mental health by enriching dialogue, advocating
for policy reform and making treatment accessible for all.
Who they are looking for:
Anyone interested in writing and design to produce a magazine and
podcast.
What they do:
Help people monitor their OCD. They do this through articles, communication, an app that helps people predict and monitor anxiety attacks.
Who they are looking for:
Design interns, social media interns, operations interns, blogging interns (writing and art), ios development interns
What they do:
Encourages conversation about societal pressures on mental health. Also helps discourage stigma, and encourage relaxation.
Who they are looking for:
Unspecified, contact if interested in being involved
What they do:
Raises physical and mental health awareness through articles, videos, and community forums.
Who they are looking for:
Marketers, content creators, editors
Environmental Justice:
What they do:
Advocates for environmental protection through the expansion of knowledge. Offers mentorship programs, writes articles, carries out campaigns, and has designed an app to promote their message.
Who they are looking for:
Chapter founders, social media coordinators, blog writers, and speakers
What they do:
Promote student involvement to fight against climate change by forming volunteer opportunities in wildlife protection and expanding through chapters.
Who they are looking for:
Club founders
Start With You - Link to application, website in development
What they do:
Fight to decrease the ecological impact that humans have through a growing community of environmental advocates. Start With You has established chapters all over the world to fight for their message. Teams will determine main sources of ecological impact in their communities by surveying their neighbors for data, and will then determine the best course of action for improving their relationship with the environment.
Who they are looking for:
Chapter founders, bloggers, social media experts, artists (of any type)
What they do:
SIOS aims to promote more sustainable school systems through presentations, hands-on activities, and peer interaction.
Who they are looking for:
Global Ambassadors/Chapter founders
Female Empowerment:
What they do:
Empowers girls by helping them build a wide network, through which girls can communicate about their social and professional experiences. Also provides several programs and resources girls can use for professional development.
Who they are looking for:
Marketing coordinators, managers, and publishers
What they do:
Help girls around the world access education through fundraisers, speakers, storytelling, and and chapters to expand knowledge.
Who they are looking for:
Unspecified, contact if interested in supporting
What they do:
A platform that showcases women in STEAM to empower aspiring girls in STEAM. Does this by operating a blog, YouTube channel, and monthly magazine.
Who they are looking for:
Organizations to partner with on media
What they do:
Encourages girls all over the world to enter the stem field through interviews, articles, and networking opportunities.
Who they are looking for:
Writers, communicators, editors, graphic designers
STEM Journalism:
What they do:
Publish articles and record podcasts that combine STEM principles and the humanities, with the goal of capturing student interest in prevalent global phenomena.
Who they are looking for:
Writers
What they do:
Peer reviewed science journal where articles are written and reviewed by students ages 12-20.
Who they are looking for:
Web designers, marketing, artists, content creators, software developers, writers, ambassadors to certain countries
What they do:
Write articles that promote computer science as a diverse and exciting realm of the sciences.
Who they are looking for:
Writers
Social Blogs:
What they do:
An organization providing unbiased accounts of Gen Z’s impact on society in upcoming decades. Spreads this view through articles, podcasts, and YouTube videos.
Who they are looking for:
Writers, editors, video producers, and graphic designers. Also open to partnership.
What they do:
Allows students from around the United States and across the world to publish their writing. This can range from poetry and prose to research papers.
Who they are looking for: Writers (well, more like submitters)
What they do:
Promotes the creativity and individuality of multiracial creators by encouraging them to share their work and stories.
Who they are looking for:
Arts network manager, ambassador, media team
What they do:
Educate the public on government and public policies by writing articles on bills passed - past and present - and explaining their purpose.
Who they are looking for:
Journalists, graphic designers, podcast directors, broadcasters
What they do:
Publishes articles and essays about the field of law written by high school students. These can be historical, philosophical, or about international relations - as long as they are related to law.
Who they are looking for:
Writers, editors
What they do:
A blog which publishes a mix of unbiased publications and opinionated articles on economics and history.
Who they are looking for:
Writers, marketers, graphic designers, content creators
Finance and Entrepreneurship:
What they do:
Supports youth in achieving their entrepreneurial ventures through articles, start-up guides, and competitions.
Who they are looking for:
Writers, outreach coordinators, digital coordinators
What they do:
Encourages teen entrepreneurship by connecting teens with tech leaders and exposes them to conferences, hackathons, and workshops.
Who they are looking for:
Unspecified, contact if interested in being involved
What they do:
Encourage Gen-Z entrepreneurship through articles, education, and communication with other young entrepreneurs.
Who they are looking for:
Writers, editors, interviewers, and social media managers
What they do:
Provides free finance and business education for youth through articles and coursework.
Who they are looking for:
Illustration Coordinators, Website/Outreach Coordinators, Content coordinators
What they do:
Educates high school students in stocks and finance, and promotes lifelong learning of investment. This is accomplished through clubs, financial curriculum, competitions, and communication with guest speakers.
Who they are looking for:
Branch founders, outreach associates, branch managers
What they do:
Encourages teen entrepreneurship through mentorship, competitions for prizes, and communication with a growing community of youth entrepreneurs.
Who they are looking for:
Not specified, contact if you want to get involved
What they do:
Provides opportunities to economic education, communication, and partnerships with other youth/organizations.
Who they are looking for:
Chapter leaders
Tutoring:
What they do:
Provides free tutoring on standardized tests for underprivileged students. All tutors are high school students that have been high scorers on the tests they tutor.
Who they are looking for:
Students for their marketing and tutoring teams. Requirements for tutoring are on their website.
What they do:
A free online tutoring platform that provides quick and easy connections, as well as reliable information and a community of like-minded teens.
Who they are looking for:
Tutors
What they do:
A free online platform offering self-paced courses in standardized testing and college level work.
Who they are looking for:
Instructors who will be responsible for coming up with lesson plans for and teaching their own courses.
What they do:
Offers free tutoring on standardized tests and general courses for high school students.
Who they are looking for:
Tutors
What they do:
Tutors high school and college students in the STEM field. Completely free of charge, and low cost packages available for those who need intensive help.
Who they are looking for:
Not specified, contact if you want to get involved
The Arts:
What they do:
Provide underprivileged communities around the world with access to art resources/opportunities, and run free arts based events to establish connections between people of al backgrounds.
Who they are looking for:
Looking for people to start chapters in their area, become managers to oversee several chapters, promote their cause, and maintain their website.
Education:
What they do:
Promotes STEM education by guiding students, creating STEM-based research opportunities, expanding their outreach through chapter creation, and promoting learning through events.
Who they are looking for:
Chapter presidents, club leaders, and volunteer teachers to spread STEM education.
What they do:
Foster interest in the neuroscience field through education, outreach, and awareness. Shares resources such as webinars and online courses in psychology and neuroscience, and hosts neuroscience competitions.
Who they are looking for:
Several open positions - reach out with a spot you can help in
What they do:
Encourages students to pursue a computer science education through C.S. tutoring and sharing student projects.
Who they are looking for:
Tutors and chapter founders
What they do:
Exposes elementary school students to computer science through beginner CS education.
Who they are looking for:
Chapter founders
What they do:
Inspires teens to explore neuroscience by offering neuroscience courses, writing articles, mentoring students, and initiating chapters from all over the world.
Who they are looking for:
Chapter founders, web developers
What they do:
Promotes accessible STEM education for communities with very little exposure. They do this by providing tech help to senior centers, and stem competitions/resources.
Who they are looking for:
Chapter founders
What they do:
Introduces teens to science communication, media, policy, and related fields through discussion and makeathons.
Who they are looking for:
Unspecified, contact if interested in being involved
What they do:
Provide enriching opportunities for youth through a bimonthly focus topic, articles, and events that help youth gain insight on a certain field.
Who they are looking for:
Ambassadors, Artists, Writers
What they do:
Provides opportunities for students to learn more about STEM through resources such as STEM articles, YouTube channels, textbooks, projects, and accessible tutoring recommendations.
Who they are looking for:
Contributors, bloggers, social media managers, communications interns, and reviewers
What they do:
Provides youth (elementary school students) with introductory lessons into business and computer science.
Who they are looking for:
Speech, computer science, and art teachers
What they do:
Encourages civics education by creating high quality civics curriculums for teachers to use, and creating chapters to spread their message.
Who they are looking for:
People to start chapters in their state
What they do:
Making the community a better place for everyone by organizing and carrying out projects ranging from educational programs to community service drives intended to benefit others.
Who they are looking for:
Volunteers ( Tutors, Teachers, Ambassadors) and Program Managers
What they do:
Increasing diversity in STEM by providing opportunities in technology through STEAM curriculum.
Who they are looking for:
Ambassadors
Community Support Organizations:
What they do:
Connect people online during these times of isolation. This includes building friendships, k-8 tutoring, and helping people navigate websites.
Who they are looking for:
Volunteers and people to fill leadership roles.
What they do:
Fights to destigmatize mental illness through writing letters, peer education with local organizations, and policy based advocacy (sometimes through letter-writing campaigns).
Who they are looking for:
Chapter founders, partners, health workers, letter writers
What they do:
Collect and sell scrap paper/old magazines to to raise money for elder homes and orphanages.
Who they are looking for:
Volunteers
What they do:
Promotes extracurricular programs and opportunities for Canadian students. This includes scholarships, volunteer opportunities, and advice.
Who they are looking for:
Photographers, chapter founders
What they do:
Supplies kids with care packages full of fun activities. These packages include books, games, and school supplies.
Who they are looking for:
Donations
What they do:
Sends letters, artwork, and poetry that promote encouragement during these times of isolation to elder homes.
Who they are looking for:
Letter writers
What they do:
Sends handwritten letters and emotional support to orphanages to share love and hope, as well as create educational material, provide tutoring, and send care packages to orphans.
Who they are looking for:
Chapter presidents, Team Positions (Blog writer, Executive board)
Comments