By Adrienne Markey, University of Colorado 2025 Graduate  When I started my honors thesis at the University of Colorado Boulder, I had no idea how much it would change the way I saw myself—and the world. As a double major in English and Spanish, I knew I wanted to explore the connection between language and […]

Boulder has long been a pioneer in environmental innovation, youth leadership and global collaboration. So when your local youth‑design hub co‑hosts a global streaming event with voices from over 50 countries—it’s both a homecoming and a launch-pad. On November 22, 2025 at 11:11 a.m. PST, the Origin Broadcast will go live, streaming from the heart of climate action at […]

Have you ever seen a child hesitate to talk about the future? Maybe they’ve asked questions like: “What’s going to happen to the Earth?” or “Will animals still be around when I’m older?” These quiet worries are more common than we think — especially in young kids who are starting to notice the world around […]

By Kalyahn Varanasi, 11th Grade, Boulder CO As you may have read in a previous EmpowerGEN article; Gen Z: Rising Up for Climate Action and a Sustainable Future  “Many Gen Zers have lost faith in our ability to solve problems as a nation – leading them to believe that humanity is doomed and there is […]

For this EmpowerGen article, I am proud to highlight the story of Emma Kraft, a 20-year-old Boulder native and Berkeley student, who cheered herself up during covid by innovating a revolutionary, patent-pending sunscreen to regenerate the coral reefs. In the heart of Boulder, a city renowned for its blend of innovation and natural beauty, we […]

May 9, 2024: On “Mental Breakthroughs” on the Mental Health TV Network, host Patricia Wu is joined by guest Heidi Cuppari who shares her passion for empowering young people to create change. Watch here: Empowering Youth: How Young People Can Change the World – MHTN Key points: Find Your Passion Helping young people discover what brings […]

January is Mental Wellness Month, a time to raise awareness and take action to improve the mental health of children, adolescents, and young adults. According to the U.S. Surgeon General, the Covid-19 pandemic has worsened the existing mental health crisis among America’s youth, with increased rates of depression, anxiety, and suicide. On top of that, […]

  For this issue of EmpowerGen, we asked Athena Sapourn, a 17-year-old Senior in Boulder, who is aspiring to study child psychology, to write about something she felt was important to discuss when it comes to her generation.  She settled on Social Media, its impact on teen girls, and what we can do to understand […]

For the next issue of the EmpowerGen Column, I invited Rachel DeStigter to write an article about something she’s passionate about. Rachel is a young leader and dedicated international studies graduate who is seeking to earn a Ph.D. in sociology and perform innovative research on the sociology of neurodiversity. Rachel worked closely with me at […]

As a parent of a first-year student at CU, I have experienced both the joy and the pain of sending my child into the world. (Please refer to the last article, Sending Your 18 Year Old Into The World). My daughter, Summer, has always been my sunshine, and I was proud of her for choosing […]