While COVID-19 sentenced millions of teens around the country to their homes, fifteen year-old Maya Friedberg decided to combat quarantine boredom with the planning and launch of
The Rising Youth.
Focused on educating and engaging Gen Zers, The Rising Youth is a blog that raises awareness for social justice issues by posting articles on topics discussed at a national level as well as subjects not often talked about, but necessary to understand.
The Rising Youth is also taking action to support its community. Within a month of starting The Rising Youth, Maya brainstormed ways to help her hometown of Houston, Texas during COVID-19. For The Rising Youth’s first philanthropic endeavor, Maya made keychains to sell throughout Houston. She intends to donate the funds to No Kid Hungry, a non-profit organization created to end child hunger in America.
Maya’s passion for politics stemmed from her transition to a new school in the midst of the 2016 election, where both physical and verbal fights would break out over different viewpoints. This inspired Maya to learn more about the biggest issues dividing the nation, run for student government, and launch The Rising Youth.
Maya’s ability to translate her interests into a project aimed at helping her community and fellow Gen Zers through a troubling time is a textbook example of Gen Zers’ advocacy and adaptability.
Born in New York City and now a frequent visitor, Liv moved to Miami at a young age and is a student at Ransom Everglades School where she is a member of the Speech & Debate and Academic teams. Liv is fifteen years old and most passionate about politics and innovation in education systems. An aspiring political analyst, in Fall 2020, Liv is launching Phos, a YouTube series for high school students that shines a light on and dissects recurring issues in the news and current events from multiple perspectives. She is thrilled to contribute to Gen Z Identity Lab to help share diverse points of view that move peer conversations from thoughts to actions to change.