Dear reader, - Weebly



Dear reader,

Every day, across the world, thousands of people are fighting for issues they care about — from supporting eco-friendly programs to campaigning against anti-gay bullying to protecting against animal testing. Every day, people are fighting for change.

Take a minute to think about what you want to change in the world. Do you want to find a sustainable solution for world hunger? Do you want to decrease your carbon footprint? Do you want to change the healthcare industry?

We, just like you, want to see the world move forward and become a better place.

Change Magazine is here to help you create your own vision for making a difference in your community and provide you with the resources to get it done.

Our online magazine focuses on many issues of social justice — including culture, design, education, environment, health, technology, homelessness, poverty, transportation and energy. You are bound to find a cause worth fighting for.

We’re here to educate and help individuals fight for change locally, regionally, nationally and globally. We want to inspire people just like you to stand for change. We hope you'll join us.

Sincerely,

The editors of Change Magazine

Jayna Barker, Editor-in-chief 

Ginny Walters, Editorial director

Courtney Myrick, Managing editor

Mission statement

Change Magazine is an online magazine (changemagazine.) that caters to a large, untapped market of 18- to 30-year-old readers who are committed to social thought and action —readers who want to see the world move forward and become a better place.

Change Magazine serves as a tool for individuals who want to read about people, places and issues that matter. We want to inspire our readers but also show them how to get things accomplished along the way.

Headline-grabbing problems like global warming and extreme poverty grab our readers’ attention, but we are never in short supply of new and innovative ways to tackle today’s problems.

Our readers believe that in order to be strong, a community must be constantly evolving, increasingly active and evermore diverse. Our magazine inspires and empowers a generation of doers: people who recognize the need for change, believe in their ability to get it done and then take action.

Audience profile

Our readers are intellectual, socially conscious individuals who are active consumers of must-know news. They are tapped into a culture beyond themselves and want to understand more than their own world. They are most receptive to new information and ideas. They are committed to change and optimism — thinking globally and acting locally.  

Our readers are thrifty and are constantly in search of ways to reuse in all aspects of their lives — furniture, clothing, etc. They are socially conscious about money and donating to the very stores where they shop. They’re gathering up clothing, shoes and socks, and jeans to send to the devastation in Japan and Alabama.

The majority of our audience ranges from approximately 18 to 30 years of age with at least some college education. They are the kind of people who are curious about everything and want to know more. They want to make an impact and aren’t afraid of a challenge. They are passionate and hold strong convictions about significant, worldly issues.

The readers of Change Magazine come from a wide variety of occupations, backgrounds and areas of interest.

● 59 percent of our readers are women; 41 percent are men

● 80 percent of our readers love living in their cities but are open to exploring new territory

● 30 percent have traveled internationally, while 90 percent would like to travel more

● 42 percent of college graduates volunteered through or for an organization at least once between September 2009 and September 2010 (US Bureau of Labor Statistics)

● 81 percent are worried about the environment, while 100 percent are concerned about the overall wellbeing of humankind

● Three times more likely to engage in fundraising for a community organization

● Four times more likely to be an officer of a club or organization

● 10 times more likely to have participated in environmental groups and causes

Supporting data for the 18- to 30-year-old age bracket

Financial Trends

● 63.5 percent of all 20-somethings are in debt (USA Today). Of that group, the average amount of debt is $20,000 (ABC) and rising

● Student loans account for most debt in this demographic.

● 75 percent donate to charities every year (ABC); 60 percent donate to charities routinely.

● The average income for young adults with a bachelor's degree is $41,000 (National Center for Educational Statistics 2008).

Lifestyle/Leisure Trends

● Before age 17, one in three of today´s 20-somethings saw their parents divorce (Quarterlife Crisis)

● Of the 20-24-year-old age bracket, 64 percent of men and 52 percent of women live with their parents

● 98 percent own cell phones, 70 percent of those use them primarily for texting (Ball State).

● 93 percent of our target audience own their own computer, 65 percent of those have a broadband connection

Education level

● 76 percent have attended college (Chronicle of Higher Education)

● 39 percent have an education level of at least a four-year college degree

Information/entertainment sources

● 43 percent of young adults engage in regular literary reading (National Endowment for the Arts).

● Our readers read an average of 18.3 magazine titles were read in the last six months (Mediaworks).

Competition analysis

GOOD

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Average reader age: 31.0

Circulation: 65,000 (rate base), 250,000 (total estimated audience)

Female/male ratio: 48: 52

Average HHI: $100,000. Approximately

College degree: 78 percent

Good defines itself as “a platform for influentials and cultural creatives that engages them in thought and action around the ideas, people and businesses moving our world forward,” according to its media kit. Good readers spend an average of 95 minutes with each issue, and a whopping 97 percent of them believe that a corporation’s commitment to social responsibility matters to them. The editors present their content in various forms, including a website, a magazine, live events, inserts in newspapers (i.e. New York Times) and flyers distributed through corporations, primarily Starbucks. Companies and brands that have partnered with Good in the past include Whole Foods, Patagonia, Starbucks, Microsoft and BP.

Good has a very strong presence on the web as well. Their site, good.is/ gets approximately 3 million monthly visitors. They have more than 500,000 Twitter followers.

We are different from Good because we don’t just report on news stories. We are more focused on ways that everyone can become involved with service and their communities, rather than just the current state of issues. Good also gives its political stance on many issues, and we do not often do that.

ODE

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Circulation: 127,500

Average age: 18 to 65+ (35 percent between 44 and 55 years old, 3 percent between 18 and 25 years old)

Average HHI: $68,000 (26 percent more than $100,000)

Female/male ratio: 59:41

College degree: 75 percent

Graduate degree: 33 percent

Ode defines itself as “the magazine for intelligent optimists” and highlights “people, passion and possibilities.” Ode’s website says it stands for “positive social, environmental and economic change.” Ode’s media kit highlights some recent stories, including “How Green is my Audi?” and “Beyond Organic.” Ode focuses on a cleaner earth, both in terms of the environment and spiritually. There are many articles about how to achieve happiness and look at things more optimistically. There are also multiple articles about ecology and the environment.

We are different from Ode in a variety of ways. First, Ode offers their content both online and in print. We offer our content online only. Because our audience consists of people interested in social causes such as the environment, we feel that printing the magazine is counterproductive to that cause. Second, Ode tends to focus on people who are changing the world more than the issues that face the world and how we can all work together to fix these issues. Our magazine discusses how we can all work together to do things in the present and future rather than reporting on what other people are already doing. Third, we appeal to a much younger audience than Ode does. While there may be 40-or 50-year-olds who enjoy reading Ode magazine, there are also more than 3 percent of 18-25 year olds who would enjoy it as well. Change Magazine connects to that younger 3 percent by focusing on making a positive change in your community when you’re young and energetic, just getting out of college and ready to take on the world.

THE ECONOMIST

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Circulation: 1,443,083 worldwide

Average age: 47 years

Average HHI: $243,000

Female/male ratio: 13:87

College/graduate degree: Not available

An example of one of their readers would be someone who works for a market leading company, makes around $175,000 per year, has lived abroad for three months or more and frequently travels to foreign countries.

While it might seem strange that we consider The Economist to be a viable competitor, we chose to profile this magazine because the people who read it are intelligent people who actively seek to make a difference in the world. According to The Economist Group’s website, The Economist “is read by independently-minded people curious about the world around them. Readers are men and women, young and old, the successful and the aspiring, who are turned on by fresh ideas, innovations and opportunities.” These audience members are interested in some of the same things that Change Magazine’s readers want to read about. The Economist is a weekly magazine that is distributed globally, becoming available in most of the world’s major cities typically on Fridays.

The Economist is much more of a newspaper than we would ever be. The editors still refer to the magazine as a “newspaper” on their website because they cover main news events. In addition to that, the average age of The Economist’s reader is 47 years old. These are people who have already made a mark on the world and are looking for more ways to expand their initiatives and ideas. The average age of Change Magazine’s reader is 23 years old. Our readers are just looking to make change in the world and they want ideas for how to start doing that, as opposed building off goals they have already accomplished.

NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC

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Circulation: 8.5 million, more than 3 million internationally

Average age: 45. 6 years

Average HHI: $60,078

Female/male ratio: 44:56

College degree: 66 percent

Graduate degree: Not available

The National Geographic Society is one of the world's largest nonprofit scientific and educational organizations and has been “inspiring people to care about the planet since 1888.” Its interests include geography, archaeology and natural science, plus the promotion of environmental and historical conservation. In addition to its articles about current event and issues, National Geographic is also well known for its beautiful photography. It is home to the highest quality photojournalism in the world.

National Geographic has environmental stories such as “Population 7 Billion,” which takes a look at how many people the earth can actually handle since its population will soon reach 7 billion. They also have historical pieces such as a feature on Gobekli Tepe, the world’s first temple.

While our magazine does focus on some environmental issues, a similarity to National Geographic, we do not spotlight their main interests. National Geographic focuses on the environment above all other issues, whereas Change Magazine focuses on many issues, including poverty, immigration, education and animal rights, equally. Also, National Geographic is distributed in print form and online, while our publication will solely be an online-only magazine. We believe that if you truly care about the environment, you should not be killing trees and distributing to the waste humans create by publishing 8.5 million copies of a magazine every month; rather, you should be an online publication that is committed to decreasing that carbon footprint.

TIME

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Total audience: 19,000

Female/male: 47:53

Median age: 48.0

Median HHI: $77,462

Grad College: 8,454

Time is a news magazine that “separates the crucial from the trivial, converts information into knowledge, and transforms confusion into clarity through exceptional writing, first-hand reporting and stunning photography.” Story examples include ways for the United States to be a more innovative country and why we need to do that as well as an in-depth look at new graduates and how they’re finding jobs in the poor economy.

Time takes a very in-depth and investigative approach to current events in this country and around the world. They often do special reports on events such as the death of Osama bin Laden, Pakistan and the healthcare debate.

We are different from Time, as we will cover news topics, but more in the social cause/justice world. Time does not often focus on social causes; rather, they take news events and investigate them, ultimately reporting them in greater detail. We will not take this approach with our articles. We will also not be in print like Time, but we will be online and update on a weekly- to- monthly basis.

MOTHER JONES

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Circulation: 215, 999

Average age: 45 years old

Average HHI: $66,263

Female/male ratio: 48:52

College/graduate degree: Not available

Mother Jones is a non-profit news organization that has both a bimonthly print magazine and a 24/7 online publishing. The writers of this magazine specialize in in-depth investigative reporting on the environment, culture and politics.

Mother Jones and Change can be compared to each other because they have some similar articles. They both report on social justice causes; for example, Mother Jones currently has an article about climate change litigation in Europe and how to figure out whether or not there are toxins in your compost. These are important issues that our readers would be interested in as well.

Change differentiates from Mother Jones in several different ways. Mother Jones is an extremely liberal magazine. They pointedly take a side and usually speak negatively about conservative views. While Change is liberal in the sense that we advocate for social justice issues and are a proponent of equality for all, we do not chastise the opposing view. Mother Jones is a very politically motivated and oriented magazine, which is something Change is definitely not.

Also, the demographics for each magazine steer in two different directions. Although Mother Jones readership is very diverse, more than 50 percent of their readership comes from people that are very wealthy and cultured and 50 years of older. Change appeals to a much younger audience who perhaps doesn’t have as much money or experience as Mother Jones’ readers, but who are still actively looking to make an impact on the world.

SMITHSONIAN

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Circulation: 12,000, 7,500 subscribers

Average age:

Average HHI:

Female/male ratio:

College degree:

Graduate degree:

Smithsonian is a monthly publication that is geared toward modern and diverse issues in art, politics, culture, travel, science and history. It is connected to the Smithsonian Institute, which makes it an organization magazine. The Smithsonian Institute is very much involved in history. They run multiple museums, including the African American History and Culture Museum, the American History Museum and the National Zoo. The magazine was born out of this institute so that people who were interested in history could read about it as well as visit the Smithsonian’s museums.

Smithsonian has articles that would typically be of interest to museum-goers, articles that revolve around arts and culture, history, science and nature, and other topics of that sort. They have articles that explore history such as “Ask an Expert: What Did Abraham Lincoln’s Voice Sound Like?” and more modern, in-depth pieces such as “Inside the ER at Mt. Everest.”

Change Magazine has a social justice angle that Smithsonian does not. While we may attract similar readers in terms of psychographics and demographics such as education, the readers would be looking for very different things in the magazines. When reading Smithsonian, they would look for information and history in the past. When reading Change, they would look for a more pro-active response to current events and social justice issues as well as how to become a part of that response. People read Smithsonian, put it down and go on with their lives. It is impossible for readers to do that with Change.

Potential advertisers

LIFESTYLE

U.S. Army

Peace Corps

National Guard

Americorps

Red Cross

FOOD/BEVERAGE

Brita

Ice Mountain

Kashi

Dasani

Fiji Water

SoBe

ELECTRONICS

Apple

Dell

Hewlett Packard

Android

Canon

Kodak

Nikon

Sony

Xbox

Playstation

Sega

CABLE NETWORKS

National Geographic Channel

History Channel

Discovery Channel

HGTV

Animal Planet

TLC

CLOTHING/SHOES

Toms

Patagonia

Land’s End

LL Bean

Moondrop

HOUSEHOLD

Ikea

PERSONAL

Bare Minerals

Crest

Colgate

SUPPLIES

New Leaf Paper

Domtar

Greenworks

Climate Master

AUTO

Toyota

Honda

Ford

Chevrolet

TRAVEL

Expedia

Orbitz

Student Universe

Hotwire

Priceline

ORGANIZATIONS

Qatar Foundation

Goldman Sachs

Siemens

General Electric

United Healthcare

Concern Worldwide

SmileTrain

Cleft Palette Foundation

Overview of the Content

Our content is going to focus on many issues of social justice, including culture, design, education, environment, health, technology, homelessness, poverty, transportation and energy.

Feature articles will cover the above issues as well as any other issue that may come up that we feel has a social justice component. Our content will not only discuss these issues but, more important, it will notify readers of events that are taking place that can help ameliorate these issues. The content will also include ways for readers to get involved in these or other social justice issues within their communities. Our website will have articles as well as tools that our readers can use to plan and promote events in their communities. These tools will include press release kits, checklists of things to consider and do when planning an event and important national and international organizations people can contact for more information on an issue.

Our reporting style will be a cross between investigative and service-oriented. We will alert people to what is going on in the world (investigative) as well as give them information and resources for how they can help (service). Some articles will encompass both of these aspects, while others will be focused on one or the other. We have chosen to take this approach because our audience demographics show that our readers are active within their communities. They will not want to just sit and read about an issue, put down the magazine and go on with their daily lives; rather, they will want to help and do something about the problem.

List of the magazine’s departments and columns

News

● News updates: These would obviously change quite often, based on what was going on in the nation and world.

● Top 20: Social justice events that are going on around the world.

● Infographic: A visual representation of a social justice issue.

● Today in history: Something related to social justice that happened on this day in history

● Best voted: The best of something (environmentally conscious clothing store, food pantry, literacy initiative, etc.)

The other departments are:

Arts and education

Health — fitness, HIV/AIDS, gender and sexuality

Environment — sustainability, disaster relief/response

International — human rights/slavery, war, peace, politics

Youth — violence, bullying, social services

Poverty and homelessness

Animal welfare

Under each department, we will have the following columns:

● Feature: A feature related to this department

● OATH (Organizations Always Thoughtfully Helping): Little blurbs and/or spotlights of organizations from across the nation who are giving back to the community and/or environment in their own unique way. These organizations vary from nationally known to local elementary school groups.

● “Do Something” : How you can get involved in something related to whatever the department is in your community, the nation and around the world.

● Outstanding activist: Someone who is making a great change in the world in an area related to this department.

Photos/video

Sketch of magazine’s content

Change Magazine will be an online magazine. Since we are committed to social change and advocate for different causes, we view it as hypocritical to publish information on how to be “green” and protect the planet by using tons of paper. If we do publish anything, such as promotional materials, we will use recycled, non-bleached paper.

As far as the online set up goes, all of our departments will be displayed on the screen, and the columns will appear once people click on each department. This way, people will be able to read about the issues they want to read about, and not have to sift through other causes that may not be as important to them. The only exception to this will be the “News” section, which will be our main page. It will be updated constantly and it has information that most of our readers would be interested in, even if it’s not related to one of their personal causes.

As far as visuals are concerned, we will have photos and videos posted throughout the website, as well as on the main page. There will also be infographics depicting various things. Examples of these are within the editorial calendar.

Detailed Inventory of Specific Content

Summer Issue

News

News Updates - Examples: Secretary of Education Arnie Duncan meets with administrators and principals to plan for the upcoming school year; countries sign new global initiative to decrease carbon emissions.

Top 20 - Top-20 outdoor family activities that will help teach your children about the environment.

Infographic - This infographic will be a line graph to show the increase/decrease of wildfires in the west.

Today in History - June 17, 1885: The Statue of Liberty arrived in New York City aboard the French ship Isere. June 17, 1963: US Supreme Court ruled that no locality may require recitation of Lord’s Prayer or Bible verses in public schools.

Best Voted - The best inexpensive vacation spot; the best plants for a garden for dog owners; the best outdoor yoga instructors.

Arts & Education

Feature - This article will focus on trends regarding summer school, including how many students are required to take it this year as opposed to previous years. We plan to interview the superintendents and principals of urban, suburban and rural public schools in order to gauge these trends. We would also like to interview teachers, parents and students regarding their opinions of these trends.

OATH - A 500-word article about the Reds Community Fund, an organization through the Cincinnati Reds that has made a commitment to revamping playgrounds in urban neighborhoods so that urban students have a place to play.

Do Something - Three to five steps on how to become a tutor at your local elementary, middle and/or high school.

Outstanding Activist - Q&A with Michelle Rhee, specifically regarding her new organization, Students First, whose mission is “to build a national movement to defend the interests of children in public education and pursue transformative reform, so that America has the best education system in the world” ()

Environment -- Sustainability, Disaster Relief/Response

Feature - This article takes an investigative approach toward the current state of New Orleans and what organizations and people in general are doing to continue to rebuild the community after Katrina. We will speak with the heads of organizations that are trying to help as well as people who have returned to their homes.

OATH - A 500-word article about an Heifer International, a non-profit organization that works to end world hunger.

Do Something - Three to five ways to donate to crisis survivors.

Outstanding Activist - A Q&A with Pastor Billy Graham, who headed a rapid response team to help Alabama tornado victims ().

Health -- Fitness, HIV/AIDS, Sexuality

Feature - This feature is a profile on a young adult who was born with HIV/AIDS and her daily struggles, from medication costs to being an outcast among peers. We will speak with her as well as her friends and family who help her cope with her disease. We will also interview doctors who specialize in treatment of teens who have HIV/AIDS.

OATH - A 500-word article on Planned Parenthood and the treatments they provide.

Do Something - Three to five ways to set up your own outdoor fitness class.

Outstanding Activist - A Q&A with Gary Carleton, Shpresa Perlleshi and Roger Wittenberns, founders of Teen Fitness International, a national organization that provides free summertime fitness memberships for teens ().

International -- Human Rights/Slavery, War, Peace, Politics

Feature - An in-depth look at racial tension and how it is developing and being dealt with in cities across the US (LA, Chicago, Cincinnati, St. Louis, NYC). We will speak to city leadership as well as members of different ethnic communities. We’ll also speak to community activists to analyze how different cities are dealing with the same issue(s).

OATH - A 500-word article on AFS with CPS: How international students studying at Lincoln Park High School in Chicago develop their talents at a top-rated performing arts school in one of the nation’s most popular cities. We’ll speak to students, parents and teachers about the positives and negatives of this type of educational opportunity. We will also speak with administrators about how they recruit and retain these international students.

Do Something - Three to five ways to become involved in mentoring young girls who have been saved from human trafficking.

Outstanding Activist - A Q&A with the children and grandchildren of Ralph Bunche, a civil rights activist and winner of the 1950 Nobel Peace Prize. We’ll talk to them about Bunche’s story and how they follow in his footsteps ().

Youth -- Violence, Bullying , Social Services

Feature - This feature, titled “Bullying Has No Shade or Color,” will examine how the youth of different cultures and races are bullied. We will focus on how they are bullied within and outside of school, and whether or not their race is often a target. We’ll speak to youth of multiple races and socioeconomic statuses in order to gauge any potential trends. We’ll also talk to parents and other relatives of these students who are bullied. Of course, we will keep students’ true identities a secret for their safety and peace of mind.

OATH - A 500-word article on “Krumpers of Cali.” Krumpin(g) is a street dance that has become popular in cities around the nation. It’s characterized by energetic movements of the arms, legs, chest and feet. This article will discuss how this dance form has become an escape from gangs and violence for those who participate.

Do Something - Three to five steps on how to use as a guide to hold open forums for local youth.

Outstanding Activist - A Q&A with University of Tennessee students who, after watching “Children of the Mountains,” an ABC news special, visited rural Appalachia and helped rebuild houses through the Christian Appalachian Project ( and ).

Poverty and Homelessness

Feature - This feature focuses on Art Communities for the Homeless in multiple big cities, one of which is Oklahoma City. We’ll follow Steve Brown, a homeless man who is benefiting from his art skills, around for a day and figure out why art is so powerful and helpful to him. We’ll also talk to people who have used art as a catalyst for getting out of the cycle of homelessness and how that’s possible. ()

OATH - A 500-word article on Artists Helping the Homeless, a non-profit organization that reduces the cost of homeless care in a variety of ways, from providing transportation to serving meals. ()

Do Something - Three to five items homeless shelters need the most.

Outstanding Activist - Q&A with the founder of CARE, a global humanitarian organization that focuses on helping women rise out of poverty. Their idea is that women have the capability to help save entire families and communities if they themselves can manage to escape poverty. Included in this article will be a service sidebar on how you can build your own CARE package for a woman in need. ()

Animal Welfare

Feature - A profile on Dian Fossey, the Gorilla Woman. She has made a living working and living with gorillas in their natural habitat. We will interview her family and friends as well as Dian herself to identify how she made the journey from being interested in gorillas to devoting her life’s work to them. We will also ask her about her books, Gorillas in the Mist and Gorilla Dreams: The Legacy of Dian Fossey.

OATH - A 500-word article on a Therapy Dog Team, which makes hospital and nursing home visits with their trained dogs. These teams are present all over the nation, but we will just focus on the work of one in Chicago, with the potential of expanding this into a feature article in a later issue.

Do Something - Three to five steps you can take to make your home suitable for pets.

Outstanding Activist - A Q&A with farmers of Limpopo, South Africa, who helped South African police catch poachers killing endangered rhino.

Photos/Videos - There will be photos and video accompanying all the above articles as well as other stand-alone pieces with captions.

Fall Issue

News

News updates - Examples: New species added to “endangered” list. Homelessness and poverty are consistently on the rise in many major US cities.

Top 20 - The top 20 alternative high schools in the country (ex: Fenster Boarding School in Tucson, AZ; Next Wave Alternative Junior High and Full Circle Alternative High School in Somerville MA; Mountainview Alternative High School in Rathdrum, ID)

Infographic — This infographic will be a series of line graphs depicting literacy rates over time. One will focus on middle school students, one on high school students and one on adults.

Today in history - September 29, 1895: French chemist Louis Pasteur died. September 29, 1988: The space shuttle Discovery was launched, the first American staffed space flight since the Challenger disaster.

Best voted — The most eco-friendly college campuses (ex: Arizona State University at Tempe, Georgia Institute of Technology, Northeastern University and University of California at Berkeley).

Arts and education

Feature — This feature will be an in-depth look at the Common Core State Standards Initiative and what it means for teaching candidates and teachers already in the field. We will speak with members of those communities in addition to state education departments, the federal education department and professors of education at different universities around the nation. ()

OATH — A 500-word article on Crayons to Computers, a free store for teachers of underprivileged students in Cincinnati.

“Do Something” — The three to five most needed school supplies for urban students.

Outstanding activist — Q&A with founder of Urban Students Empowered, which is based in Chicago. This nonprofit works to “identify and train highly effective teachers to lead underperforming high school students in low-income communities to enroll in and graduate from college” ().

Environment — sustainability, disaster relief/response

Feature — An in-depth look at how Americans are contributing to landfills/waste and the effect(s) those contributions are having on the environment. We will speak to environmentalists and scientists and examine conservation efforts to help combat and prevent the negative effect(s).

OATH — A 500-word article on the ebay Rethink Initiative, which “provides information, tools and solutions that make it easy to find new users for idle computers and electronics, and responsibly recycle unwanted products” ().

“Do Something” — Three to five ways to decrease your carbon footprint

Outstanding activist — Q&A with Beth Beloff, head of BRIDGES to Sustainability in Houston, which works with universities, businesses and communities in order to create sustainable buildings and businesses. ( and )

Health — fitness, HIV/AIDS, sexuality

Feature — An in-depth look at LGBTQ organizations on college campuses and what they do to help LGBTQ people gain rights. We will speak to administrators and members of the LGBTQ community, as well as a variety of students around campus to see how well the LGBTQ organization’s presence is known and what they can do to increase that presence.

OATH — A 500-word article about What’s in a Doctor’s Bag?, a college organization that helps elementary students get over their fear of visiting the doctor.

“Do Something” — Three to five teen-friendly group fitness classes at your local YMCA that will help teens become active and fight the obesity trend in that age group.

Outstanding activist — A Q&A with Victoria Brooks, executive director of AIDS Volunteers of Cincinnati (AVOC), who has helped create a successful annual AIDS Walk in Cincinnati.

International — human rights/slavery, war, peace, politics

Feature — An in-depth look at the life of a child after she was freed from a lifetime of slavery. We will speak to her and her family as well as the organization that enabled her to be free from slavery.

OATH — A 500-word article about Burma Burma Projects, an organization that gives relief to refugees who escape and cross the Burma-Thailand border.

“Do Something” — Three to five ways to donate money to raise funds and awareness for international human rights

Outstanding activist — A Q&A with Eva Longoria-Parker, a celebrity and advocate for the rights of young farm workers who is campaigning for the the reform of child labor laws.

Youth — violence, bullying, social services

Feature —An in-depth look at the Youth Violence Project, a statistics registry of all violence in schools in the United States over time. We will look at how the statistics have changed, and what the future might look like for violence among high schoolers.

OATH — A 500-word article about Eyes on Bullying, an afterschool program based in Newton, MA committed to keeping children and teenagers safe from bullying and violence.

“Do Something” — Three to five ways to recognize bullying and how to prevent it from happening.

Outstanding activist — A Q&A with Jim Toy, a gay rights activist who campaigns for anti-LGBTQ bullying in high schools and on college campuses.

Poverty and homelessness

Feature — An in-depth look at the life of Kevin Barbieux, a man who become homeless through a medical misfortune but continues to blog every day from his local library and assist with patients of Asperger’s Syndrome.

OATH — A 500-word article about The Faces of Hunger (hunger), a contest that called for young filmmakers under 25 to create a video depicting homelessness in their community.

“Do Something” — Three to five ways to donate to organizations focused on sanitation and villages in Africa.

Outstanding activist — A Q&A with Ann Martin Frey, a former homeless woman and founder of Homeless to Independence, an organization based in Atlanta, GA that advocates for those struck by homelessness and poverty.

Animal welfare

Feature — An in-depth look at circus animal abuse and cruelty, which involves unnecessary bounding and electroshock.

OATH — A 500-word article about Friends of Animals, an organization that campaigns for anti-poaching efforts in Africa.

“Do Something” — Three to five ways to campaign with PETA to prevent animal testing.

Outstanding activist — A Q&A with actress Olivia Munn, who is an activist for freeing captive elephants and campaigning against circus animal cruelty.

Photos/video- There will be photos and video accompanying all the above articles as well as other stand-alone pieces with captions.

Winter Issue

News

News updates -- Examples: President meets with other world leaders about human trafficking; Secretary of Education proposes a revamping of the education system.

Top 20 -- Top 20 social justice events around the nation during the winter (ex: homeless shelter immersion program, coat drives, food shelter collections)

Infographic -- This infographic will be a line graph depicting average homeless shelter occupancy in the nation and major cities (NYC, St. Louis, Chicago, LA) throughout the winter months

Today in history -- January 18, 1923: First radio telegraph message from Netherlands to Dutch East Indies; January 18, 1945: Warsaw freed by Soviet army.

Best voted -- The best homeless outreach program; the best coat drive; the best food pantry.

Arts and education

Feature -- This article will be a somewhat investigative piece describing the number of homeless children in public schools and how that affects their learning. We’ll focus on homeless children in urban, suburban and rural schools. We will interview children, parents, teachers and administrators.

OATH -- A 500-word article about a public school that has turned from a failing school to a high achieving school (i.e. Taft High School). We’ll ask teachers and administrators how they achieved this goal and what they’re doing to keep their school in the high achieving category.

“Do Something” -- This is three-five ways to get involved with an art organization in your area, even if you’re the worst artist in the world.

Outstanding activist -- A Q&A with the Founder of Elementz (Cincinnati) and/or The Center for Recording Arts (St. Louis - education/) , urban cultural hip hop centers that give urban kids a place to go during the winter months if they don’t want to go home or hang out on the streets.

Environment — sustainability, disaster relief/response

Feature -- “Are hybrid cars really sustainable?” This feature article explores the question of sustainable hybrid cars. We plan to interview a variety of manufacturers and owners of hybrid cars, examining this issue from both a consumer standpoint as well as an engineering one. We will also speak with environmentalists to discuss what effect hybrid cars will have on the earth over five, 10, 15+ years.

OATH -- A 500-word article about a large company that has a reputation for being green (i.e. GE, Apple). We will ask CEOs and engineers/designers about what sustainable products they make and how they make them.

“Do Something” -- Three to five steps on how to get involved with your local chapter of the Red Cross.

Outstanding activist -- A Q&A with founder and owner of Verde Kids, an eco-minded children’s store in St. Louis ().

Health — fitness, HIV/AIDS, sexuality

Feature -- A feature article on childhood obesity, examining the reasons why it is on the rise. We’ll speak to dietitians and food manufacturers to discover what kids should be eating versus what they actually are eating. We also plan to speak with physicians about the effect that this obesity can have on children over their lifetime.

OATH -- A 500-word article about The Trevor Project, a national organization that runs the Trevor Lifeline, a 24/7 national crisis and suicide prevention hotline for gay and questioning teens.

“Do Something” - Three to five steps on how to raise awareness about HIV/AIDS in your community.

Outstanding activist -- A Q&A with Michelle Obama about her Let’s Move! campaign.

International — human rights/slavery, war, peace, politics

Feature -- A feature article on human trafficking in the U.S. and abroad, which will examine the trends in human trafficking and why it is so popular. We will talk to government organizations that work to combat human trafficking, such as The Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons through the U.S. Department of State.

OATH -- A 500-word article about Love146, an orgnization that works to end child slavery and exploitation ()

“Do Something” -- Three to five steps on how to get involved in human rights organizations in your community.

Outstanding activist -- A Q&A with Conor Grennan, author of Little Princes: One Man’s Promise to Bring Home the Lost Children of Nepal and founder of Next Generation Nepal (NGN), which reconnects families with children who were victims of child trafficking during the civil war in Nepal from 1996-2006.

Youth — violence, bullying, social services

Feature - A feature article about how the government is stepping in to combat bullying, especially with their new website, . We’ll talk to people from the Department of Health and Human Services, the Department of Education and the Department of Justice, which run the website. We’ll find out what the trends of bullying are and how people are working to stop those trends from rising.

OATH -- A 500-word article about the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN), an organization that works to “assure each member of every school community is valued and respected regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity/expression” ().

“Do Something” -- Three to five steps on how to confront bullying in a constructive way

Outstanding activist -- Kevin Epling, father of Matt Epling, who committed suicide right before he began high school after being bullied. Kevin began pushing for “Matt’s Safe School Law” in his home state of Michigan, which will require every school district in Michigan to have an anti-bullying policy. ( and )

Poverty and homelessness

Feature - This feature article will be a first-person account of day in the life of a homeless person in the middle of the winter. We will interview activists within the homeless community of St. Louis, as well as people who were once homeless and now are not. We will examine the issue of chronic versus temporary homelessness and how it affects communities.

OATH -- A 500-word article about Boys Hope/ Girls Hope, a national organization that provides impoverished children with a safe home, care and shelter as well as academic, financial and spiritual support throughout college.

“Do Something” -- How to get involved in your local chapter of Boys Hope/Girls Hope.

Outstanding activist -- A Q&A with Kristen Lodal and Brian Kreiter, founders of LIFT-Chicago, an organization that works to find jobs and secure housing for those who are impoverished. There are currently LIFT offices in Boston, Chicago, New York, Philadelphia and Washington, DC.

Animal welfare

Feature -- A feature article examining endangered animals. We will work to answer questions such as: What does “endangered” really mean in today’s society? How does an animal become endangered? What precautions need to be taken with endangered animals? We will speak with people from the World Wildlife Fund and other environmental organizations to answer these and other questions.

OATH -- A 500-word article about the Animal Welfare Institute (AWI), which was founded in 1951 to decrease the amount of suffering humans inflict on animals.

“Do Something” -- Three to five steps on how to get involved in your local chapter of SPCA.

Outstanding activist -- A Q&A with Paul McCartney regarding why he chooses to support PETA.

Photos/video: There will be photos and video accompanying all the above articles as well as other stand-alone pieces with captions.

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