A main component of UP’s mission is to amplify youth voices, and one of the transferable skills youth develop within their UP work is how to use their voices in different settings. With UP that can happen through school-based groups hosting community dialogues to share their team’s work. UP youth also work on a district-wide team (read more about Maple Run and Lamoille North) or on a state level (read more about The Vermont Vision for Youth Success Symposium and the Governor’s School Safety Conference). In an effort to provide opportunities to hear all voices, UP also offers Trailblazers, a student-driven e-magazine for those who express themselves through written word or art. 

Founded by Anya Smith Roman, Abigail Emerson, and Kaylyn Winters, the first issue was published in 2017. They started Trailblazers while in high school to highlight the “learner-centered, equitable, and impact-driven paradigm” and to move the Education Transformation Movement forward. Trailblazers’ mission is to To amplify young learner voices in education.” UP had been a long term partner with this mission-aligned group, so when the founders were graduating from college in 2021, it seemed logical for UP to help youth take Trailblazers into its next stage. 

Trailblazers’ goals remain those of the founders:

  • Build connections with and maintain a network of youth passionate about teaching, learning, and leadership
  • Amplify young learner stories, opinions, and ideas
  • Develop skills applicable to the real world
  • Create a platform for young learners around the world to share their voices on education collectively

UP youth have put their own spin on the content and organization of the magazine. The last two issues have been created by a virtual youth staff with support from UP. A majority of the staff attend or attended Farmington High School (FHS) in Connecticut where UP had an existing connection with FHS’s Coordinator of Extended Learning Opportunities. This year’s editors seniors Jiayi Liu and Selina Shi stepped into the role having been graphic designers for a previous issue. 

As the founders wrote about why they created the magazine: “In the transformed education paradigm the purpose of school should be: to make the world a better place by engaging young learners in opportunities to be active change makers in society…[and] where students get to pursue passions, work with experts in different fields, and create real impact.”

This year’s theme reflects the passions and interests of the editorial staff.  The theme is STEM, and all students are invited to submit an original essay, poem, cartoon, photography, or artwork related to STEM innovation, technology, or inspiration. Submissions for Issue 12 are due February 15 (click here for more information). Final publication date is April 1, 2025. 

UP is proud to support “young learners, with big voices, paving new paths; [sharing their] stories.”