Sonia Chajet Wides

Brooklyn, NY | 16

2020 Award Recipient

After the 2016 presidential election, Sonia Chajet Wides was inspired to find a way for teenagers to stay educated and active in current global issues. What began as a shared Google Doc with notable organizations and phone numbers to reach legislators quickly evolved into Teens Resist, a youth-run website dedicated to making activism and politics more accessible to young people. Teens Resist publishes step-by-step guides and teaches in-person workshops to educate teens about current political issues and how to get involved. The organization addresses issues such as sexual violence, criminal justice reform, environmental justice, foreign policy, institutional racism, and immigration. To date, Teens Resist has published 59 action lists and articles, received over 30,000 visits to its website, and recruited a staff of over 20 teens from around the country. Teens Resist is preparing for 2020 local and national elections by teaching teens to phone bank, canvass, and campaign for elected officials.

(photo by Zack Schulman)