After attending the 2020 Dallas Women’s March, founder of New/Gen, Sheena Kwon, wanted to become more involved in womxn’s rights and advocacy. However, Sheena says "I found that it was difficult for me to find opportunities for students to become advocates and I was unsure of how I could create change within my community." So, she founded New/Gen as a way for her to give back to her community and for students like her to get involved in the fight for women's rights!
STAY TUNED FOR OUR INTERVIEW ON NEW/GEN'S "GEN TALKS" PODCAST ON SPOTIFY!
New/Gen is a youth-led organization whose goal is to provide the resources, education, and support necessary for students to become advocates for the causes they believe in.
Kids Inspire Difference Interview with New/Gen:
KID: How can everyone become a better advocate for women’s rights?
New/Gen: "Education is key. I think the first step to becoming an advocate for a cause is to be the most well-informed and educated on that cause.
KID: What advice would you give to a teen that is just starting a new organization/platform or club at their school?
N/G: "Use your community to create change. I would say that starting an organization with the mindset that you will do it alone is flawed — you should rely on and uplift the people around you as well."
KID: You have recently started the Purple Project, a webinar series aimed at engaging students in becoming more politically active and you also have a podcast called Gen Talks where you discuss the obstacles Sheena
our society is facing. Could you tell us more about the
important conversations that have been started through
both the podcast and webinar?
New/Gen: "Through the podcast, we’ve been able to talk about becoming an advocate for BLM, LGBTQ+ rights, and feminism. We’ve not only been able to do in-depth research on these topics but we have also been able to talk about these different subjects to each other, which has allowed us to create healthy discussions on solutions, problems, and personal experiences. Our first Purple Project event centered around getting involved in politics and we were able to address how polarization and miscommunication in politics between clashing ideological beliefs can lead to inaction and mistrust." Kaylee
KID: How has New/Gen allowed you to become a
better leader in your community?
Sheena (CEO/Project Manager): "I have been able to take
on difficult tasks and manage a large team which has taught
me how to be the best leader I can. I’ve become a more
confident person as a result."
Kaylee (Director of Production): "It has made me more aware of everything that is going on around the world. It constantly forces me to ask myself questions on why I believe what I believe while simultaneously having an open mind and listen to other ideas and opinions."
Adina (Co-Director of Communications): "Since I am one of the leaders of the social media team I have learned to stay Adina
up to date on women's rights not only in America but all around
the world."
Drewv (Co-Director of Communications): "New/Gen has allowed me to become a better leader because it shows that boys can be feminists too. I help run the social media page so by doing that I learned better communication skills."
KID: Why do you think youth activism is so important right now?
N/G: "The youth are the future and being as active as one can be is important because we can create change. Regardless of how young someone is, we have a measurable impact on the community around us." Drewv
Go Support New/Gen:
Follow New/Gen on Instagram: @newgen0
Check out their podcast: Gen Talks on Spotify
Learn more about the New/Gen on our Instagram @kidsinspiredifference