I'd like to send a donation to "The Beat Within," a writing, art, and conversation program for youth in juvenile detention centers. "The Beat Within," over a hundred pages published weekly, gives incarcerated teens a place to share their voices. Here, they get to speak for themselves rather than letting other people's prejudices and fears speak for them.

Through my work with New Moon: The Magazine for Girls and Their Dreams, I've learned that one of the most important things we can give youth is a safe place where they can raise their voice. "The Beat Within" is just that kind of safe place for incarcerated youth, all of whom have stories the world needs to hear.

In return for the $50 donation, I'll be requesting that a  subscription of "The Beat Within" be sent to a local teen shelter, so that the teens there might also find ways to share their voices with one another and the world.