Student Spotlight: JSA President, Zoe Schack '24, Civics Unplugged Project

"Last winter, through my involvement in Junior State of America (JSA), I was introduced to a youth civics organization called Civics Unplugged," said Zoe. "In January, I applied for and was accepted to the group's Civic Innovators Fellowship. For three months, I took part in sessions on how to apply the principle of civic innovation across different disciplines. Civics Unplugged also offers grants for students who complete the fellowship to pursue their own community initiatives."

 

She continued, "This past summer, I submitted a proposal to the organization for my planned initiative: "Project Well-Z," a nonprofit that makes mental health resources more accessible to teens, especially underprivileged youth. I brainstormed with others, including Taryn Murphy '23 (also a Civics Unplugged fellow) and Zoe Daly '24, who have collaborated with me on the project and helped craft the proposal."

 

"This week, Civics Unplugged granted us $725," shared Zoe. "This will cover the costs of nonprofit registration, fund the creation of our website, (which will feature an interactive map of youth mental health centers) and pay for our social media advertising."