1. About
  2. News
  3. Email Updates
  4. Explore Creative Submissions From Youth in TPP Programs Across the Country

Explore Creative Submissions From Youth in TPP Programs Across the Country

Published December 2022

Explore Youth Create! 2022 Submissions: Importance of Youth Being Heard

In 2021, as part of its youth engagement efforts, OPA launched Youth Create!, an initiative to amplify youth voice. OPA invited young people ages 13 to 21 who have participated in OPA’s Teen Pregnancy Prevention (TPP) programs to share their experiences and respond to a series of prompts each year. Youth shared their responses creatively in videos, poems, stories, art, photos, and voice recordings.

This year marked the second time Youth Create! invited creative submissions from youth who participated in OPA’s TPP programs. In 2022, the themes for Youth Create! focused on the importance of being heard and how adults can support them. Youth across the country responded to the following prompts:

  • One thing I wish adults listened to me and my friends about is…
  • What is a time you really felt heard and it made a difference in your life and/or the lives of others your age?
  • Who or what has helped you feel able to speak up for yourself or on behalf of others your age?

A new gallery shares young people’s responses, including original poems, essays, artwork, performance art, spoken word recordings, and story-telling videos. In responding to the prompts, youth from across the country talked about their mental health, their experiences in school and at home, self-discovery, healing the planet for future generations, and effecting community change. They also discussed how participating in TPP programs has affected their lives.

OPA would like to congratulate and thank all of the young people who submitted to Youth Create! 2022. Hearing their perspectives is critical for efforts to support positive youth development and sustain a healthy adolescence.

Explore Youth Create! 2022 gallery

Spread the word with these posts

  • Young people from @HHSPopAffairs’ Teen Pregnancy Prevention programs shared videos, poetry, essays, art, and more on the importance of being heard and how adults can support them. https://opa.hhs.gov/youth-create-2022 #OPAYouthCreate 
  • Youth engagement benefits both youth and youth-serving programs. It provides adolescents with opportunities for growth and self-expression, and it can help programs meet the needs of youth more effectively. Explore @HHSPopAffairs’ #OPAYouthCreate https://opa.hhs.gov/youth-create-2022