Youth Organizing
For over 20 years, the NYCLU has been committed to empowering youth organizers, creating opportunities for young people across New York State to be at the forefront of current issues and drive the work of the NYCLU. We collaborate with youth organizers, ensuring they are informed about their rights, know how to access them, and learn how to effectively advocate for civil rights and civil liberties in their schools and communities. To meet the needs of New York youth and to build on our past success, the NYCLU has expanded our work in youth activism to include students from across New York State and continue to add new programs, campaigns, and initiatives for young people to be a part of.
Teen Activist Project
The Teen Activist Project (TAP) is the NYCLU’s statewide youth organizing program. What started as the Teen Health Initiative (THI) and focused on reproductive rights, has evolved into our youth programs today, where students drive statewide progress on issues like the school-to-prison pipeline, LGBTQ+ rights, students’ rights, immigrants’ rights, and policing. While in the program, TAP students learn how to deliver trainings, develop campaign strategies, engage in public speaking, organize protests or rallies, and advocate for policy changes that would improve the lives of young people.
