We are looking for young people involved in foster care (ages 15-23) who want to tell stories that will make a difference—for your friends, and for adults who work with young people.

We have two publications: Represent, our publication by and for youth in foster care, and YCTeen, a magazine by and for teens. (If you are not in care, learn how to apply for the YCTeen writing program here.) We encourage you to read some of our recent stories here.

Teen writers are mentored by full-time professional editors, learning memoir writing and journalism skills. Our writers get to be a voice for other teens; their work is published for thousands of readers through our publications and partners like The Nation, Chalkbeat, or in Youth Communication curricula. The writing process is rigorous, involving many drafts, but with lots of support and guidance from an editor. As a group, we will participate in discussions and activities related to journalism and issues you care about. Writers will be paid $175 per published article. We will provide laptops to participants who do not have them.

Eligible Participants: NYC teens and young adults in foster care

Genre(s): Nonfiction, Memoir

Location(s): New York, NY

Submissions Open: Various

Submissions Close: Various

Submission Fee: None

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