1. Teen Ink Magazine -- a teen literary magazine devoted to promulgating the voices of international youth. The magazine is published monthly and features short-stories, celebrity interviews, college articles, opinions, reviews, and art/photography. I wrote for Teen Ink during my high school years and loved it.
2. Scholastic Art and Writing Awards -- The Alliance is the most prestigious art and writing recognition and scholarship program for teenage writers and artists in the US. Former winners include Sylvia Plath, Robert Frost, Andy Warhol, and others. I won an award for a manuscript I submitted when I was sixteen and have been able to be part of a supportive arts community through the Gold Key Society since.
3. Kiva -- Loans that Change Lives -- Make a loan to an entrepreneur across the globe for as little as $25. "Kiva," which means "unity" in Swahili, is the world’s first online lending platform connecting people to alleviate poverty. With the money I won in a college essay-writing contest I joined the site and made my first loan to a wheat farmer in Kenya.
4. Back Bay Missions -- This is the group our church will be working with this summer in Biloxi, Mississippi. Back Bay is a community outreach ministry serving the poor and marginalized in the areas of emergency assistance and case management. It has proven to be a powerful model for community development.
5. AIM Abroad -- This is the group I will be working with this summer in Faridabad, India. It provides volunteering opportunities for people traveling in India who want to work with grassroots organizations. The program is new and currently expanding its impact to Nepal and Ghana, too.
6. AIM Abroad Blog -- This blog is written by the program coordinator, Kranti Sharma. She discusses a variety of experiences in the volunteering program.
7. FACES -- FACES is a mailing list connecting women who share an interest in media and communication arts. It is a resource through which women can share projects, exhibitions and critical opinions. Free membership, but a short bio and sample work are required.
8. Turn Your World Around -- TWYA was created by a friend I met through SAWA (see #2.) She created the site when she was thirteen years old to help other youth implement social-change initiatives and turn their passions into action. She's currently a student at Harvard University. She rocks. :)
9. Apne Aap -- Apne Aap, meaning "on one's own" in Hindi, is a network of support groups and shelters for victims of sex trafficking throughout India. You can make a donation or volunteer with the organization in-person.
