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In 2021, the Office of Population Affairs (OPA) launched the Youth Create! call for content created by young people who participated in OPA's grantee programs. Youth Create! 2021 focused on young people's experiences of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Teen Pregnancy Prevention (TPP) program, and their overall health. Youth from TPP programs across the country responded to the prompts below.
- What has helped you and other youth get through the pandemic?
- How has being part of a TPP program impacted your life?
- What does a healthy future mean to you and others your age?
Explore their submissions in full in the sections below. See a sampling of the submissions in the compilation video.
All the submissions are largely in their original form to retain the youth's authentic voice. Only video background music was changed to adhere to copyright laws.
Videos and Multimedia
The Truth Untold
Claudine, Monica, and the OIC Teen Pregnancy Prevention Youth Leadership Council, Florida
YLC You and Me
Dorissa, Leriana, and the OIC Teen Pregnancy Prevention Youth Leadership Council, Florida
Poetry, Essays, and Written Works
Bloom and Doom
German, Project STIQ, New York
In a year,
where the gloom dominated the bloom,
for what felt like an eternal collapsible boom,
the youth pulled through this dark, dark doom.
Held at home as tight as a cocoon,
the nights going down as early as noon,
they went on their tools to view the long gone moon,
the youth pulled through this dark, dark doom.
Endless days led by an orange haired loon,
felt like a time travel back to the world of the goons,
the one where no deeds could possibly be seen any time soon,
the youth pulled through this dark, dark doom.
But what exactly did they do in this dark, dark doom,
to keep their sanity as platoons
in the quietest of the croons (times)?
Some became various gassoons (jobs as dishwashers)
and made their share of doubloons.
Some crushed poons (fools),
for their mischievous acts of buffoons.
Some put their minds on a balloon,
and set goals for their future honeymoons.
Others had troubles in this unfortunate cartoon,
where this setup wasn’t made for their type of toons.
Others filled their spoons,
with memories and macaroons.
Others depleted their tablespoons,
by letting themselves fall in a lagoon.
Regardless,
the case is that,
the youth pulled through this dark, dark doom.
Change
Hector, Project STIQ, New York
Many young people who didn’t use protection regret it and now they feel darkness within
Way too much youth who have yet to grin
Because mistakes make them feel darkness within
All of the kids feel something crawling on their skin
Because they feel darkness within
But now with the knowledge I acquired from Project STIQ
They can live their lives with their conscious clean
And since then youth have been able to leave the state of mind they were in
And finally now they can begin to say “I win”
To the darkness within
Now I can guide
Those who have cried
And help them leave their problems aside
Now that they know they can get help
They don’t feel the need to yelp
Now they are at peace
The worried feelings were finally ceased
Visual Art and Photos
You are Not Alone
Rubi, Campesinos Sin Fronteras, Arizona
Love Yourself
Angel, Campesinos Sin Fronteras, Arizona
