How it works
The video below walks you through how you can get your organization on Youthward. Once someone chooses your organization, we'll set up an interview with you and your prospective volunteer.
The video below walks through how you can find the organization you're interested in. Once you choose an organization, we'll set up an interview with you and your prospective organization.
Our Team
Get to know a little about us!
Preston Lieu
Founder
Preston is a senior at Meridian High School. He owns Dialogue & Discourse, a publication on Medium with 13,000 followers that reports news and ideas worthy of discourse from bipartisan perspectives. Preston loves debating, playing soccer, and Korean food.
Adrian Park
Vice President
Adrian is a senior at Albemarle High School. He is the founder of Charlottesville Smile Tutors, a student-run nonprofit tutoring organization that offers need-based sessions throughout the community, donating $1,200+ to the Childhood Education International. In his free time, Adrian enjoys fashion, playing soccer, and listening to music.
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Ama Rajabov
Chief Operating officer
Akhmadjon (Ama) is a senior at Meridian High School. He is the head of recruiting and managing for Youthward. Ama excels in football, tennis, and community service. A fun fact about Ama is that he can bench press 225 pounds.
Ben Beloe
Chief information officer
Ben is a senior at Meridian High School. He has a diverse international background, having lived in India, the Philippines, China, and the U.S. over the past 10 years. His time abroad has given him a deep appreciation for different cultures and perspectives. As an active member of his community, Ben leads various clubs and commits to service in his free time. A fun fact about Ben is that he led his team to a state championship in his sophomore year, scoring 25 goals and recording 13 assists.
In the news
How it started
We created Newsian, an informational newsletter introducing teenagers to politics, back in the summer of my freshman year. With hopes of impacting as many lives as possible, we spent hours each day churning out weekly articles to guide America's future voters through the complex political process. Although we had an important idea, constructed an appealing website, and advertised my project through social media on a daily basis, we found ourselves struggling to receive substantial readership and build an effective audience. We ended up closing the project after a year.
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Though it seemed like a failure in the moment, our struggles with Newsian taught us that the hardest part about crafting a sustainable and impactful enterprise comes from finding enough people to foster a community around the issues one cares about. Many of our friends who were founders of nonprofits and other organizations agreed that the main roadblock in their work was garnering enough support to enact effective change. Intrigued, we consulted with the other side: the members. We were surprised to find that many teenagers wanted to be involved in a cause, but the opportunities were limited.
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A few months later, Youthward was born.
Awards/Recognition
2023 - 2024
Prudential Emerging Visionaries
These 25 exceptional young people from across the country are being recognized for leading innovative projects to address financial or societal challenges in their communities and their work to create meaningful change. You can read more about the Prudential Emerging Visionaries in the press release here.