YES! Article archive

Spring 2017: “Gender Pronouns” University Winner Avery Hunt

Read Avery's essay, "Existing Openly Is Half the Battle," about being the token nonbinary person at college while still learning about their own gender. Avery responded to the YES! article, "'They' and the Emotional Weight," by Cole, founder of the Brown Boi Project.

May 19, 2017

Spring 2017: “Gender Pronouns” Powerful Voice Winner Toby Greybear

Read Toby's essay, "The Thoughts and Struggle of a Two Spirit," about embracing a new gender identity—and rediscovering a tradition. This essay was in response to the YES! artricle, "'They' and The Emotional Weight of Words," by Cole of the Brown Boi Project.

May 19, 2017

Spring 2017: “Gender Pronouns” Powerful Voice Winner Madeleine Wise

Read Madeleine's essay, "The Right to Be a Little Bit Rude," about overcoming the discomfort of correcting people who use the wrong gender pronouns. Madeleine responded to the YES! article, "'They' and the Emotional Weight," by Cole, founder of the Brown Boi Project.

May 19, 2017

Spring 2017: “Gender Pronouns” Powerful Voice Winner Joanne Yang

Read Joanne's essay, "The Jintas of Conservative Korean Culture," about how words should never be allowed to limit who we are. Joanne responded to the YES! article, "'They' and the Emotional Weight," by Cole, founder of the Brown Boi Project.

May 19, 2017

Spring 2017: “Gender Pronouns” Literary Gems

“Matching the Outside with the In” —Cierra Mattos, grade 10, Westerly High School, Westerly, R.I. Sex is what you are born as. It is the identification on your driver’s license

May 18, 2017

Cole’s Response to “Gender Pronouns” Essay Winners

Cole, founder of the Brown Boi Project, responds to the winners of our Spring 2017 National Student Writing Competition.

May 17, 2017

Student activists with Bill Bigelow and Tim Swinehart.jpg

These Educators Bring Story, Truth, and Humanity to the Climate Crisis. They Want Your Students to Imagine How They Can Fight for Climate Justice.

Students get straight-up, comprehensive education on climate change and how to be climate change-makers

May 11, 2017

Syrian Journey: Choose Your Own Escape Route

BBC's virtual journey follows refugees' footsteps from Syria to Europe.

May 11, 2017

“Your Sacred Place” Student Writing Lesson

Describe how you would feel if a place that defines you was threatened to be destroyed or taken away. What would you do? Would you fight to save it?

Mar 18, 2017

Winter 2017 National Student Writing Competition: Your Sacred Place

Want a motivator to take your students' writing to a higher level? Here's an opportunity to write about something meaningful and for a bigger audience beyond the classroom.

Mar 10, 2017

Winter 2017: “Your Sacred Place” Middle School Winner Isabel Hardwig

Read Isabel's essay, "The Bullfighter," about querencias—and the trampoline where she draws strength.

Mar 10, 2017

Winter 2017: “Your Sacred Place” High School Winner Imogen Rain Cockrum

Read Imogen's essay, "Half of Who I Am," about her mother's war-torn, crayola-bright hometown in El Salvador.

Mar 10, 2017

Winter 2017: “Your Sacred Place” University Winner Valerie Hoffman

Read Valerie's essay, "My Dressing Room," about the office space at school that gives her the privacy and freedom to be herself.

Mar 10, 2017

Winter 2017: “Your Sacred Place” Powerful Voice Winner Saef-Aldeen Elbgal

Read Saef's essay, "Standing Up for My Mosque," about the precious guidance he receives from the Oakland Islamic Center—and his plans to protect it.

Mar 10, 2017

Winter 2017: “Your Sacred Place” Powerful Voice Winner Mara Peruzzi

Read Mara's essay, "Candelight," about how meditative drawing helps her cope with misophonia, a disorder that causes the hatred of specific sounds.

Mar 10, 2017

Winter 2017: “Your Sacred Place” Powerful Voice Winner Ella Vonada

Read Ella's essay, "Noni's House," about the scratchy records and soft chairs in her favorite house—where she'll always have someone to catch her if she falls down.

Mar 10, 2017

Winter 2017: “Your Sacred Place” Literary Gems

We received many outstanding essays for the Winter 2017 Writing Competition. Though not every participant can win the contest, we'd like to share some excerpts that caught our eye.

Mar 10, 2017

LaDonna Brave Bull Allard’s Response to “Your Sacred Place” Essay Winners

LaDonna Brave Bull Allard responds to the winners of our Winter 2017 National Student Writing Competition.

Mar 9, 2017

Random Acts of Kindness

Like any skill, kindness takes practice. Teach kindness and other social-emotional skills with these outstanding free resources, including an educators guide, from the Random Acts of Kindness Foundation.

Feb 2, 2017

How an Ethnic Studies Class Took to the Streets and the Internet to Support Standing Rock

When students in Carah Reed’s Ethnic Studies class realized that the mass media wasn’t sharing the truth about Standing Rock, they dug deeper to learn more. These inner-city high schoolers shared their findings on social media and took action to support the water protectors. This is Carah’s story.

Feb 2, 2017