Where Your Passion Finds Purpose
How can YOUR special talent(s) change the world?
Working together, creative, innovative and compassionate teens can be an unstoppable Creative Force for Good
Visual, Media, Culinary Artists, Fashion Designers
Your ability to visually convey the essence of issues and ideas from your perspective and in a relatable way, is critical to their awareness and understanding.
Tell the story visually, design signs to support marchers, create a cooking or fashion show, illustrate written works from peers, create animations for social media, design merch for fundraisers, etc.
Performing Artists
Your gift of creative expression can help open eyes, minds and hearts - you can move people.
Record songs for anthems, choreograph dances for social media campaigns, act in fellow teens' plays and films, and more!
Writers
Without awareness and understanding of issues, there can be no change.
Share your perspective through journalism, poetry and spoken word, storytelling, playwriting and screenwriting. We may enlist teenage performing artists and filmmakers to help bring it to life!
Inventors, Programmers and Social Entrepreneurs
Your creative problem solving can change the world.
Every single challenge we face can benefit from creative solutions. Whether simple or complex, your product, service or program, invention, app, website or other medical, technical or scientific solution could be the one that makes all the difference.
And you could attract funding for or investments in your solution!
Changemakers, Leaders and Activists
Taking action is critical to creating change. YOU are a critical part of the solution!
Submit ideas - or showcase what you've already done - to increase awareness of an issue, rally others to action, influence decision makers and voters, or raise funds for the solution.
Started by four compassionate, creative and entrepreneurial teens, Be the Change Coloring Co.'s first coloring book "explained the coronavirus of 2020 to young kids to give them a better grasp on the problem, and how to prevent themselves from getting sick." It has been featured on NBC, ABC7, CBS2/KCAL9, CNN, NBCLX, and in The Washington Post and Parents!
Buy their books (and support charities!) here: bethechangecoloringco.com
Starting with these CAUSES:
Mental Health
The impact of COVID-19 on teens' mental health is staggering, as routines were disrupted and many faced isolation and loss.
Yet, "...school districts across the country have struggled to staff up to address students' mental health needs that have only grown since the pandemic hit." CBS News
Even before the pandemic, far too many teens were struggling with anxiety and depression, bullying, social media stressors, low self-image & confidence, substance abuse, poverty and hunger, family issues, and so on.
It's time to rally together to increase awareness of the issues teens face... and to solve them. You can do this better than anyone else.
You can use your creativity to express your emotions, or encourage and support struggling teens.
You can change lives.
Celebrate Diversity
Let's celebrate, increase awareness of, and respect for all ethnicities, identities, cultures, religions, personalities, body types, abilities, passions, and aspirations!
Through music, dance, art, spoken word, filmmaking, fashion design, culinary arts, blogs/vlogs, and more, you will build diverse communities around shared passions, create and a sense of belonging, and help self-image and confidence soar!
And by increasing mutual respect for different cultures, interests and talents, you will be part of a solution to reduce senseless, harmful bullying and attacks.
We are all in this world together - let's make it welcoming for all!
Help advance racial equity for all!
Increase awareness of the issues, dismantle systemic racism, address policing, voting access, educational opportunity gaps (tech, tutoring, coursework, etc.), school-to-prison pipeline, healthcare, media bias, criminal justice reform, housing, civics education and participation, livable wages, economic empowerment and so on.
Climate Change / Environmental Issues
83% of Gen Zers are concerned about the planet’s health. And thank goodness, you're doing something about it.
"Young people have upended the climate conversation by organizing, protesting, and pressuring governments to take action for their future."
coveringclimatenow.org
KEEP GOING! It's working!
Show us what you've done, or tell us what you'd like to do.
Voting & Democracy
It's Your Future
Youth clearly impacted the 2020 and 2022 midterm elections--and we thank you!
Show us how you: used your creativity or voice to educate voters about issues that are most important to you,
encouraged and prepared young people to participate in local politics,
made voting more accessible, improved polling accuracy and more!
LGBTQ+ Youth
Support LGBTQ+ Youth who face issues such as increased homelessness, violence, healthcare issues, lack of safe spaces, drug use, and mental health crises.
These numbers are devastating:
"12% of white LGBTQ youth attempted suicide, 31% of Native/Indigenous youth, 21% of Black youth, 21% of multiracial youth, 18% of Latinx youth, and 12% of Asian/Pacific Islander youth."
But get this: "One accepting adult decreases the risk of suicide among LGBTQ young people by 40%." The Trevor Project
Hmmm, got ideas?
Coronavirus Relief + COVID Vaccination
Tell us what you did (or your idea for a new program) to support youth, seniors, families, frontline workers and more!
More issues TBA!
You can support additional causes that are most important to you such as school safety, food insecurity and poverty, girls empowerment, LGBTQ+ Youth, immigration reform, education access and achievement, foster care and adoption, and animal welfare.
Create your profile now to recive announcements!
"Be the change" and win a Changemaker Award!
We'll display all approved entries in the cause's gallery in the Festival to inspire all who visit to be part of the solution. You may also be selected to win a Changemaker Award and have your work featured in Teens on the Verge benefit variety shows! Now THAT's IMPACT!
While we encourage self expression through art, IF YOU ARE IN A CRISIS, please Text HOME to 741741 or call 1-800-273-8255. For emergencies, call 911.
For families, The National PTA has resources to help make it easier for your family to prioritize mental health. "We encourage you to use our informational resources and family activities below to begin learning more about how you can build Social Emotional Learning and resilience skills and better understand and address depression, anxiety, loneliness & isolation, and grief and loss."
Thinking of Participating?
Sign up to be notified of announcements of start dates, awards, celebrity partnerships, and new categories and challenges.
© 2021 Talent Registry LLC, dba The Verge Awards
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