About Us
Spirit of Youth, Anchorage Youth Vote, the Alaska Department of Health, and other community partners are working together to build inclusive environments free from bullying in Alaska.
The Spirit of Youth Coalition
Spirit of Youth is dedicated to creating, promoting and recognizing youth involvement in communities across Alaska. Anchorage Youth Vote works to amplify youth voice and create opportunities for meaningful youth engagement in Anchorage. Together, with other partners in the Spirit of Youth Coalition, we work to ensure that all Alaska’s youth are included, heard, and empowered.
Partners
EndBullying AK is funded through support from a Comprehensive Behavioral Health Prevention and Early Intervention grant from Alaska Department of Health received by Spirit of Youth.
The Spirit of Youth Coalition was created to decrease the risk factor of bullying and to promote protective factors and mattering among Anchorage youth.
Youth Involved
Anchorage Youth Vote members past and present create and curate the content for this site. They also serve as the grant selection team for Spirit of Youth.
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Fortune
Fortune is a senior at Robert Service High School. She likes to cook, dance, and learn new things. Fortune is working on bullying prevention because bullying has devastating effects on children and families such as school avoidance, loss of self-esteem, increased anxiety, and depression. Bullying can occur in multiple ways, and nobody should have to go through that.
Mika
Mika Bell is a sophomore at Service High School. He loves running, math, and fashion! Mika is a member of Anchorage Youth Vote because it is important that youth realize their voice matters. Mika wants to help his peers learn about the democratic process and what they can do to speak up for what they believe in.
Ava
Ava is a sophomore at Northwestern University, where she is a student athlete on the cross country running and track teams. She is a singer/songwriter and has performed all over the country! Ava is a South High graduate and is dedicated to helping other youth feel like they make a difference in our society. She also thinks Youth Vote has made big steps getting adults to recognize and listen to youth voice.
Joshua
Joshua is in the 10th grade at Polaris K-12. A Nordic-skiing enthusiast, Joshua enjoys winter sports. He also loves advocating for youth voice in policy and decision making. Joshua hopes to inspire other youth to communicate the needs and
changes they want to see in our world. He also believes that leadership opportunities for young people are critical, and he joined Youth Vote to find more confidence in his own voice.
Lila
Lila is a sophomore at Robert Service High School. She plays competitive hockey, and loves writing, traveling, and refereeing. Lila believes that bullying is one of the most important issues that affect youth right now. Bullying affects millions of kids
over every demographic, and has negative effects on one’s life both in the moment and years later. Lila works with Youth Vote because experience in leadership as a youth can set a path for success in life.
Sarah
Sarah is in her first year at Gonzaga after graduating from Eagle River High School. Sarah was a member of the State Champion Academic WorldQuest team and traveled to Washington DC to compete. She enjoys tennis, playing the harp, and spending time with her adorable dogs. Sarah is very invested in making the world a better place.
Edison
Edi is a sophomore at West High School who is very active in her school's theatre program and loves making podcasts with Alaska Teen Media Institute. Edi believes things are changing in a noticeable way, and that young people are speaking up and taking charge of cultural norms and demanding change. That's why
she is an active member of
Anchorage Youth Vote.
Zoe
Zoe is a sophomore at South Anchorage High School. She swims competitively, enjoys cooking, and loves bowling. Zoe is working with Anchorage Youth Vote because she thinks it’s so important to have youth voice heard. Youth Vote gives students an opportunity to speak up and share their opinions. Providing resources to show students how their voices impact decisions about their future is really important to Zoe.
Taylor
Taylor is a journalism student at UAA, a reporter for The Northern Light, and a Dimond High School graduate. She has been civically engaged for many years and loves working on bullying prevention. Taylor's time in Youth Vote has helped her realize how many amazing, dedicated, insightful youth are out there who know what they want their future to look like.
Our Co-Conspirators
Co-Conspirators are caring adults who work with youth as equals. They understand that young people have the ability to make positive change in our community, and they work to support youth-led efforts.
Karen Zeman
Karen has been the Executive Director at Spirit of Youth since 2008 and thoroughly enjoys working with our fabulous teens, staff, board and community partners. Karen grew up in Wisconsin and attended Portland State University where she fell in love with the Pacific Northwest and Youth Development. Karen has worked with teens for more than 20 years and says she is constantly amazed by their dedication, creativity and caring.
Jontue Hollingsworth
Originally from The Bahamas, Jontue now makes a living in Alaska as an independent designer focused on creating a clear message through bold expression. It is his mission to be brave, thoughtful, and open-minded. A firm believer in using his powers for good, he uses art and design to explore ways to support important causes and ideas. Jontue's work has received numerous statewide awards and has been recognized nationally.
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Tuan Graziano
Tuan is a former Youth Vote member and a Dimond High graduate. He will graduate from UAA spring of 2023 with a degree in economics. Tuan also served as UAA Student Body Presidents and Secretary General for Anchorage's Model UN. In his downtime, you can catch Tuan on the slopes skiing or the single tracks biking. Tuan is invested as a youth ally because youth will have to solve the problems of today, and address the challenges of tomorrow.
Cari Zawodny
Cari is the Program Director for Anchorage Youth Vote, the Spirit of Youth Teen Advisory Council facilitator, and Alaska Youth Orchestras' youth leadership team facilitator. Her work with these programs helps ensure that Alaska’s young people are included, heard, and empowered. Talk with her about getting involved in the community, about youth voice, and why young people are so important.
Jasmine Carter
Jasmine is a former Youth Vote member and UAA graduate with a degree in political science. She currently works for the Alaska Center where she is often working to amplify youth voice. Jasmine has been involved in various civics groups throughout her life, but credits Anchorage Youth Vote with having the most influence. She feels she wouldn't have the job she has today without the skills Youth Vote helped her acquire.