Keith Hefner is the founder and executive director of

Youth Communication Youth Communication is a New York City nonprofit youth media organization that promotes youth literacy and civic engagement through youth-led media. It is a 501(c)(3). History The organization was founded in 1980 by youth rights pioneer Keith ...

, an influential

nonprofit organization A nonprofit organization (NPO), also known as a nonbusiness entity, nonprofit institution, not-for-profit organization, or simply a nonprofit, is a non-governmental (private) legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public, or so ...

publishing magazines and books by and for youth. The magazines are ''YCteen'' (formerly known as New Youth Connections), written by New York City teens, and ''Represent'' (formerly known as ''Foster Care Youth United'' or ''FCYU''), by and for foster youth. He is also a founder of

Youth Liberation of Ann Arbor Youth Liberation of Ann Arbor was an organization based in Ann Arbor, Michigan. It existed from 1970 to 1979, and is often cited in more recent academic literature as one of the leading forerunners of several youth movements in the United States, ...

, a

youth rights The youth rights movement (also known as youth liberation) seeks to grant the rights to Youth, young people that are traditionally reserved for adults. This is closely akin to the notion of evolving capacities within the children's rights mov ...

organization in

Michigan Michigan ( ) is a peninsular U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest, Upper Midwestern United States. It shares water and land boundaries with Minnesota to the northwest, Wisconsin to the west, ...

Biography

After growing up in Ann Arbor, in eleventh grade Hefner was inspired to become involved in the

youth-led media Youth-led media is any effort created, planned, implemented, and reflected upon by young people in the form of Mass media, media, including websites, newspapers, television shows and publications. Originating in the 20th century alongside youth act ...

field after seeing a

high school A secondary school, high school, or senior school, is an institution that provides secondary education. Some secondary schools provide both ''lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper secondary education'' (ages 14 to 18), i.e., ...

principal Principal may refer to: Title or rank * Principal (academia), the chief executive of a university ** Principal (education), the head of a school * Principal (civil service) or principal officer, the senior management level in the UK Civil Ser ...

censor the

school newspaper A student publication is a media outlet such as a newspaper, magazine, television show, or radio station Graduate student journal, produced by students at an educational institution. These publications typically cover local and school-related new ...

. Soon after he started a magazine for local

youth activists Youth is the time of life when one is young. The word, youth, can also mean the time between childhood and adulthood ( maturity), but it can also refer to one's peak, in terms of health or the period of life known as being a young adult. Youth ...

called ''FPS''. From 1971 to 1979 Hefner ran Youth Liberation, a youth-led organization that became a national publisher for the youth rights movement. Youth Liberation Press published several of his publications, including ''How to Start a High School Underground Newspaper'', ''Students and Youth Organizing'', and other books about youth rights. In 1979 Hefner moved to

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

, and after gaining inspiration from a new youth-driven newspaper in

Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...

, founded

Recognition

Hefner has received a great deal of recognition for his work in the fields of

youth development Positive youth development (PYD) programs are designed to optimize youth developmental progress. This is sought through a positivistic approach that emphasizes the inherent potential, strengths, and capabilities youth hold. PYD differs from other ...

foster care Foster care is a system in which a minor has been placed into a ward, group home ( residential child care community or treatment centre), or private home of a state- certified caregiver, referred to as a "foster parent", or with a family mem ...

and

. He won a

MacArthur Fellowship The MacArthur Fellows Program, also known as the MacArthur Fellowship and colloquially called the "Genius Grant", is a prize awarded annually by the MacArthur Foundation, John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation to typically between 20 and ...

in 1989. In 1986 he was a Charles H. Revson Fellow on the Future of New York City at

Columbia University Columbia University in the City of New York, commonly referred to as Columbia University, is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Churc ...

. In 1997 he received the Luther P. Jackson Award for Educational Excellence from the New York Association of Black Journalists.(nd
Youth Communications Staff
YouthComm.Org website. Retrieved May 8, 2007.

References

Living people American nonprofit executives American children's rights activists Youth rights people American activists People from Ann Arbor, Michigan History of youth MacArthur Fellows Year of birth missing (living people) 20th-century American people {{US-activist-stub

Biography

Recognition

See also

References