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in support of free expression
The information presented here by the National
Coalition Against Censorship (NCAC) may be freely redistributed in its entirety,
provided that readers are informed that the information was obtained from
NCAC's World Wide Web site and that credit is given to the appropriate source
of whatever information is used. Permission is expressly granted for the information
obtained to be made available for file transfer from installations offering
unrestricted anonymous file transfer on the Internet. Information found here
may not be sold for profit or incorporated in commercial documents without
the written permission from the National Coalition Against Censorship.
©Copyright 2005 NCAC
WEB DESIGN
Jeanne Criscola Criscola Design
Youth Free Expression Network
The Youth Free Expression Network is a national coalition of teens and adults committed to defending the free expression rights of youth. Faced with Internet filters, "abstinence-only" sex education, and other restrictions on young people's access to ideas, YFEN's goal is to empower youth to advocate on their own behalf. In the process, YFEN aims to educate the public that censorial measures enacted in the presumed interest of "protecting" youth not only prevent minors from learning, thinking, and exploring; they deprive them of critical information on subjects ranging from human rights and feminism to drugs and safer sex. YFEN was founded by the Free Expression Policy Project in 2002 and is now a program of the National Coalition Against Censorship.
Announcing the 2008 Film Contest: My Vote For Free Speech!
Click the button for details and to download entry forms!
YFEN Speakers Attend NYCLU's "BILL OF RIGHTS DAY"
Also at Bill of Rights Day, Jacqueline P. Grand Pre, a junior at Bronxville High School and winner of the NYCLU's Bill of Rights Poetry Contest, read her winning poem Bill of Wrongs online
at our Express Yourself! page.
2007 FILM CONTEST WINNERS ANNOUNCED
Shelley Rubin surprises Helen Gebregiorgis with a scholarship to a New York Film Academy workshop in digital filmmaking.
"How Does Censorship Affect Me?"
Young filmmakers respond with short films for the chance to win up to $1000 and a free trip to NYC for an awards gala. This year's judges include Morgan Spurlock, Lucila Moctezuma, Dread Scott, Nina Felshin, Dan Polin and last year's second place winner Andy Musser.
This year's winners include Helen Grebregiorgis (above), Jamie Li, Sean Brekke-Miesner and Nam Pham. Click here for more information about NCAC's annual youth film contest.
Buy FREE SPEECH MATTERS: a new DVD of the Past Winning Films
|
Free Speech Matters: Prize-Winning Shorts by Teen Filmmakers is a collection of the top three films - for each of the past three years - in NCAC's annual Youth Free Expression Network film contest. Collected here for the first time are an incredible array of voices, talents, and perspectives on free speech in America, and a reassuring glimpse at what the future holds. (Click the cover at left to purchase) |
Questions? Contact ckarpen@ncac.org
View winners from past contests by visiting our Film Contest page.
Express Yourself!
View New Op-Eds and Youth Artwork: Express Yourself!
Students respond
to censorship issues in the news in the form of op-eds, artwork and videos. Check it out and submit something of your own!
"We Must Save The Children" by Zane Scheuerlein
Featured Youth Censorship
» Middle School Play about Bullying Censored in Sherwood, OR (March 4, 2008) A middle school play about bullying is canceled in Sherwood, OR because the principal claims its “content exceeds the maturity of many of [Sherwood Middle School] students.” NCAC discovered this decision was also made in response to parental complaints about homosexual themes in the play. NCAC's Letter letter to the Principal and Superintendent, related articles, and the play itself to see what you think.
»Student Newspaper Censored Because of Article on Hookahs in Globe, AZ (February 28, 2008) 700 copies of The Papoose, a student-run newspaper at Globe High School in Globe, AZ were quickly confiscated by school officials because of an article about the dangers of smoking tobacco from a hookah. The school claims it objected to the picture of a hookah, references in the article to how a hookah works, and quotes from students who have used it. Read NCAC's Letter letter to the Superintendent and Board of Ed.
» Student Newspaper Censored Because of Articles on VDAY and Picture of Vagina - NCAC and SPLC Respond (February 2008) In Grover Cleveland High School, in CA, a student-run newspaper Le Sabre was confiscated because it featured a detailed diagram of a vagina and accompanying articles about VDay, a national movement to raise awareness about violence to women. Soon after, students came to school wearing tshirts that read "My Vagina is Obscene" to protest the administration's decision to censor the paper. Those who refused to remove the shirts were suspended. Read NCAC and SPLC's joint letter to the Principal and Superintendent.
» NCAC Helps Youth Win Right to Wear T-Shirt Promoting Industrial Hemp (November, 2007) Brian Simpson, a senior at Oak Mountain High School in Birmingham, AL, was prohibited from wearing tshirts promoting the use of industrial hemp as an environmentally friendly alternative in the production of paper, fiber, fuel and food products. (It is sometimes confused with marijuana because both are from the genus cannabis, but hemp has no psychoactive properties.) Read NCAC's Letter and Brian Simpson's letter to the Superintendent and Board of Ed.
Check out our Youth page to see what some recent censorship incidents have occurred.
Featured youth Organizations
Seen & Heard: National Student Expression Contest |
LA YOUTH http://www.layouth.com L.A. Youth, the nation's largest independent teen-written newspaper, has been providing teens in Los Angeles with the highest level of journalism education, civic literacy and job skills for nearly 20 years. We strengthen and build relationships with teachers to bring relevant issues into the classroom and improve the quality of education. We reach out to the community to better educate policy makers about teen issues and create a more positive image of teens in the mainstream media. |
» About YFEN
ยป Express Yourself! Youth Op-Eds, Poetry and Art
» Film Contest
» Youth Advisory Board
» Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
» Focal Issues
» Speakers Bureau
» Workshops
» Know Your Rights!
» Become a Part of YFEN
YFEN Links:Defending Your Rights | Media/Arts Projects | Online Communities
Claire Karpen
The Youth Free Expression Network
c/o The National Coalition Against Censorship
275 Seventh Avenue, 15th Floor
New York, New York 10001
Telephone: 212.807.6222 x 22
Fax: 212.807.6245
Email: ckarpen@ncac.org
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