Lift Up Student Voices

Lift Up Student Voices is an online journal for youth (2nd–8th grade) with all the content written by youth.


The mission of this journal is for students to cultivate a love for writing and storytelling and to experience writing for a public audience.


The theme of our first journal is The Past We’ve Experienced and the Future We Hope to See.

Calling All Writers!

Creative Fiction/ Story

Write a story about a future you want to see.

Poetry

We accept any type of creative poetry (we encourage you to follow the theme of the future you would like to see).

Illustrations

Create an art piece that shows your creativity! We accept pieces that use collage, paint, pencil, marker, and other mediums that help you best express yourself.

Creative Nonfiction Story

Write about a favorite memory or past experience (i.e. vacation, visit to an amusement park, or restaurant).

Book Reviews

Pick any book you have read and write a review. This review could include a recap of the story, and your thoughts about it.

Teacher Shoutout

Choose a teacher (The one you currently have or one you have had in the past) and write about why you would like to highlight this teacher.

Testimonials

WC

“Thank you for being a GREAT professor! You’ve really helped me realize that passion is so important,” wrote another student nominator. A third student wrote, “Thanks for getting me out of my ‘shell’ and helping me see that what I have to say is as important as anyone else’s opinions”

08/01/2023
Whittier College Statement Upon Receipt of Nerhood Award for Excellence in Teaching (2022)
WC

“Thank you for being a GREAT professor! You’ve really helped me realize that passion is so important,” wrote another student nominator. A third student wrote, “Thanks for getting me out of my ‘shell’ and helping me see that what I have to say is as important as anyone else’s opinions”

08/01/2023
Whittier College Statement Upon Receipt of Nerhood Award for Excellence in Teaching (2022)
WC

“Dr. Stanton was fun, cheerful, and engaging, she made the material interesting and helped me understand many complex theories and ideas”

08/01/2023
Whittier College Student
WC

“Dr. Stanton was fun, cheerful, and engaging, she made the material interesting and helped me understand many complex theories and ideas”

08/01/2023
Whittier College Student

Submission Guidelines

Submit stories you have written in class or at home. Submission doesn’t guarantee publication in the reader. Editors will review all submissions and choose a select number to publish. All entries will be reviewed for creativity, content & ideas, style and voice, organization, and grammar. If selected, you will be invited to revise and resubmit before publication.

Guidelines

  • Typed or image of their writing (scanned)
  • Typed – 1- 3 pages
  • Double-spaced
  • Use your creativity
  • It must be your story

Content Guidelines

  • Address the theme (Creative fiction/story, poetry, illustrations)
  • Should be positive (i.e. not include gun violence, bad words, etc.)

Lift Up Student Voices Editors

Taylor Richter - Senior Editor of Lift Up Student Voices

Taylor is the senior editor of Lift Up Student Voices. She graduated from Whittier College with a bachelor’s degree in child development and a minor in education. During this time, she volunteered with the Whittier Area Literacy Council, working with students to build their literacy skills.


Taylor started volunteering in the field of education during her senior year of high school, where she worked in a 1st-grade classroom and decided she wanted to work in the realm of education. Her passion for reading began at a young age and has transformed into a desire to help others find their voices and power through reading and writing.

Joseph Whittaker - Lift Up Student Voices High School Intern Editor, 3rd-5th Grade Journal

Joseph Whittaker is a junior at Whitney High School. He has enjoyed reading books and creative writing ever since he was in elementary school. Presently, he plays basketball, runs cross country, and also does theater, in addition to being an honor roll student.


He’s appreciative of the opportunity to be an intern at Lift Up Publishing. And is very excited to work with young writers and help prepare a great journal for readers.