Inspiration for You[th] Podcast

Youth Voter Engagement in the Midwest

The next episode of the Inspiration for You[th] podcast is here! Changemakers Cloud and Jazmine dive into the importance of the youth voting bloc, how to mobilize voters, and voter engagement in the Midwest and Jazmine’s home state of Kansas. This episode highlights different factors that impact voter engagement like representation and accessibility. Jazmine and Cloud uplift the sacrifices that were made for underrepresented groups to have voting rights in the U.S. and the forms of resistance we can all participate in—including exercising your right to vote.  Are you registered to vote? Check out vote.org [http://vote.org] to find voter registration information in your area for you, your friends and your family!

Reimagining Mental Health Care for All

In this special Mental Health Awareness Month episode, we're delving into the topic of mental health care access and dreaming big about what changes we want to see happen to make mental health more equitable for everyone. In this episode, host Cloud Benn joins ND4Y Changemakers Marz Brown and Fabian Mondejar to discuss their personal experiences and the broader challenges faced by marginalized communities. They explore topics ranging from the issues queer and trans people cope with when accessing the care they need, healing and well-being [https://newdealforyouth.org/our-issues/], stigmas that people of color face both in and out of health spaces, and more. The episode serves as a powerful conversation about barriers faced by youth of color and how we can envision and work toward a world where our mental health care system works for everyone.

Beyond Survival: The Fight for the Child Tax Credit

As the Child Tax Credit faces uncertainty in Congress, it's more important than ever to understand the real stories behind the statistics. In this episode, we sit down with Joseph Yusuf, a New Deal for Youth Changemaker, to discuss the critical importance of the Child Tax Credit for working families. Joseph, a father himself, shares his raw and honest experience about the direct impact this credit has had on his family's life. This episode sheds light on the struggles of working families and the difference between merely surviving and truly living. We delve into the role of government support during times of crisis and the collective responsibility we share in building a society that uplifts every member, especially the youngest among us.

Season 2 Finale: Week of Action

This episode, we’re hear firsthand from Changemakers about the New Deal for Youth Week of Action. Our second Week of Action took place in November. Changemakers joined forces in D.C. and engaged with policymakers, built community, shared the importance of our demands, and—last but not least—had fun! While everyone was together, Changemaker Joseph Yusuf took a moment to interview other Changemakers about their experience in D.C. This episode, we’ll listen in to their firsthand accounts of what it was like to work together and build community in person.

Youth-Led Legislation: How to Put Youth in Power

In June, New Deal for Youth organized a hill briefing on youth-led legislation titled “How to Put Youth in Power.” On this episode of the podcast, we discussed highlights from the event, how youth-led legislation connects to New Deal for Youth’s policy platform, and how youth-driven policy connects to the work ahead of us.