Youth Voices

As part of It Gets Better’s mission is to uplift, empower, and connect LGBTQ+ youth around the globe, we equip LGBTQ+ youth with the skills to embrace and pursue their greatest potential by nurturing their confidence and providing critical resources to better navigate the world. We ensure that LGBTQ+ youth know and believe there is a future out there for them – and that their options are limitless.

This is the core focus of our Youth Voices program. Youth Voices is a cohort of exceptional young people ages 14-18 who team up with our organization to offer their unique stories and words of advice to other LGBTQ+ youth around the globe. They are students, artists, and activists who are working to change their communities for the better and who have a passion for empowering their LGBTQ+ peers. Since its inception in 2020, we have had 38 trailblazers from across the U.S. participate in this year-long leadership development program.

Our Youth Voices have accomplished many incredible and inspiring feats.

• Leading workshops to audiences of educators from across the country at SXSW EDU in 2022, 2023, and 2025.
• Speaking on panels and at conferences including It Gets Better’s Español Summit, Time to Thrive: Deep South, Teach for America, New York Pride’s Human Rights Conference, and ILGA World Pride.
• Interviews with countless news outlets, podcasts, and more, including Seventeen, Freeform, Teen Vogue, and USA Today.
• Conversations with celebrities and iconic LGBTQ+ activists like Zaya Wade and Amy Schneider, Blair Imani, Jojo Siwa, and X Ari.
• Taking part in impactful social media campaigns like AAPI&, Black&, Hispanic&, Jewish and LGBTQ+, LGBTQ+ History Month, and Transgender Day of Visibility.
• Creating countless collaborative, digital zines and curating It Gets Better’s first book by and for LGBTQ+ youth, Queerbook
• Creating the first Youth Voice Alumni integrated project, Trans Youth Deserve Better and the first TikToks videos conceptualized, created, and edited by Youth Voices for Trans Awareness Week.

And this is just some of what these amazing young people have been able to accomplish with our support. To explore more of the incredible opportunities our Youth Voices have been involved in, check out the blogs for 2024, 2023, and 2022.

Youth Voices commit to:

• 5 Months of Participation (August-December or February-June)
• Weekly Meetings (Wednesdays, 4:30p – 5:30p PT / 7:30-8:30p ET)
• Seasonal Fundraising and Advocacy Campaigns
• Ambassador Responsibilities – Although all Youth Voices will have an opportunity and a hand in every program available, the program includes five specialized ambassador roles, ensuring each participant contributes strategically to organizational programs: imi, Changemakers, Español Initiatives, Storytelling, Nonprofit operations. 
• Participate in It Gets Better’s impactful storytelling efforts – through spoken activism, written activism, social media activism, and art-ivism – across our social media channels, in email newsletters, during key efforts like Pride and LGBTQ+ History Month, and so much more.
• Develop experiences, skills, and relationships that will shape your development as future leaders of the LGBTQ+ movement and as powerful advocates for social justice.
• Contribute to strategic planning efforts that help craft future It Gets Better EDU and other organizational programming that directly engage and involve LGBTQ+ youth.
• Timely Communication
• Additional Support

Youth Voices receive:

• A $500 stipend (delivered at program completion).
• A media kit (based on individual tech needs).
• Digital training, assessments, and 1:1 mentorship.
• Opportunities to connect and work with guest speakers & community partners.
• Close mentorship, strong engagement, and intentional peer relationships
• A certificate of completion.
• Ongoing endorsement and recommendation opportunities.