Creative Spark Fund
Step into a realm where inspiration sparks and imagination flows. From murals that speak to collective values to thought-provoking podcasts, these projects embody the voices of youth leaders making an impact.
This showcase is a celebration of their stories. Explore. Listen. Watch. Experience how these young changemakers are turning their ideas into legacies.
Uplifting Lynnfield's Youth Voice June 16, 2025 Lynnfield, Massachusetts This portable mural will be on display at various town events and locations. The physical structure was built by a Lynnfield High School (LHS) student. LHS students designed and painted the mural. The mural shows a young person raising her voice with actual phrases submitted by students on how they choose to raise their voices.
Sailing Towards a Nicotine Free World June 14, 2025 Belchertown, Massachusetts The Helping Hands student group of Belchertown High School collaborated on creating this design to support youth nicotine prevention and awareness in a creative manner. It will reach many community members as several local families, caregivers, and youth attend the town beach during the summer months.
Mental Health Matters May 30, 2025 Natick, Massachusetts Kennedy Middle School's Making Healthy Choices club sponsored a school-wide door decorating contest to raise awareness about the importance of mental health. Provided with supplies, homerooms were then invited to make the most creative and mental health positive doors. Over 30 homerooms participated in the month-long contest and at the end of May students in the club used a rubric to select the best door in each grade. The whole school was very into the contest!
Breath Life In June 12, 2025 Stoneham, Massachusetts Stoneham Teen Center youth involved, mural depicts a set of healthy lungs with a road map to street.
Piecing Together Healthy Habits June 10th, 2025 Winthrop, Massachusetts CASA's Youth Advisory Board of 14 high school students and 360 middle school students were involved in the creation of this mural. It stands for all the youth dedicating their summer to healthy habits and learning about the effects of social media on their decisions to vape and use unhealthy substances. Three murals will be gifted to the local health department, middle school and superintendent's office.
Teens vs Tobacco Podcast Easton, Massachusetts This a series of 4 podcast episodes titled: Media Interpretation/Influence, Teen Brain Health and Tobacco, Mental Health and Tobacco, Use and Refusal Skills. The Easton Middle School 97 Health Club is a youth led club that strives to support the health of their EMS peers.
Safe Vape Disposal Project May 17, 2025 Needham, Massachusetts 20 Needham High School students participated in this project. They researched the issue, identified an opportunity and they found a way to safely dispose of flammable e-cigarettes in Needham.
Keep Going, Keep Growing! June 28, 2025 Brighton, Massachusetts Joan Aylward designed and painted our mural in order to bring our ideas and work to life! The mural depicts our theme of social and emotional growth throughout the youth and teen years.
Tobacco Talk Short Film Roxbury, Massachusetts Youth, Purpose, and Partnership youth ages 14-18 speak on the direct and indirect effect of tobacco use with focus on vaping. They bring awareness to this topic as a way to enlighten youth that their choices matter, and to encourage them to always seeks alternative opportunities.
Drop It Arlington, Massachusetts Sixteen Arlington Students About Prevention (or ASAP for short) decided to build five lock boxes for the purpose of collecting discarded vaping materials from neighborhood woods and playgrounds. They will be painted and installed this fall. The ASAP students hope that other students and citizens vaping will consider quitting, be connected to helpful resources and that litter in the community will be reduced.
The World We Want to Live In Brockton, Massachusetts This is a collaborative portfolio of the work Educational Divide Reform students have done representing the world they want to make for themselves and others.
Talk to Hoops, Mental Health Podcast Framingham, Massachusetts Host: Samiya Hicks Guest: Makayla Sidney Teens at Hoops and Homework talk about mental health and how it affects their lives.
Stay Away (Stay Awake) Boston, Massachusetts This song finds a vocalist, Taylah, singing to her peers warning them about the tobacco industries destructive nature. Jerome then raps about the industry's nature from the perspective of the industry itself. Nate then follows up with a verse inspiring hope and dismantling the games the industry is running in their community. This is a demo and the video is being shot currently. The beat was produced by 3 of Teen Empowerment Studios' Youth Artists.
Teens in Print Spring Magazine Boston, Massachusetts Offering year-long wraparound services tailored to improve educational outcomes for working-class, immigrant, and multilingual students, Teens in Print hosts free and stipended after-school for teen journalists in Boston. Teens in Print centers and is driven by the perspectives of our students. Our Spring Magazine features the work of our most recent student cohort, including a comic strip that draws inspiration from the 84 Movement’s mission.
New North Citizens Council Youth Creative Spark Podcast Springfield, Massachusetts
Creative Spark Commercial Beverly, Massachusetts The Cabot in Focus students show you their life, free from smoking and vaping.
Stop Vaping! Vaping Awareness at National Public Health Week Brookline, Massachusetts Several Brookline High School peer leaders worked on a poster board and presentation on the dangers of vaping during the town of Brookline's annual celebration of National Public Health Week! They created an accompanying pamphlet that they shared to their peers. The pamphlet goes into the harms of vaping, the tactics used by the industry to hook youth, and how someone can seek help if they are vaping.
Young Men With Powers, June 15, 2025, Boston, Massachusetts A group of 8th graders gathered and discussed super powers, both natural (kindness, humor, empathy) and supernatural (teleporting, flying, etc.) and created superheroes based around the conversation that was had. The focus was on empowerment.
iBlossom Lawn Signs, Dorchester, Massachusetts Students at iBlossom are in the processing of drafting lawn signs they will place around Dorchester-Mattapan.
Pieces of Us, Hands can Help or Hands can Hinder June 19, 2025 Brighton, Massachusetts Allston Brighton Youth Coalition youth and students from local schools in Allston and Brighton collaborated with Lauren Minihane McGrath to create this mural.
Cycles
East Boston & Revere
Pablo Giraldo Jaramillo; Director, Angelica Muñoz; Project Manager/ Writer, Eleanor Klauder; Primary writer, Eoin Godfrey; Producer, Tomás Labrador; Music Director, Gabriel Arias; Bassist, Charley Belaney; Ideator
The youth combined 175 hours of creative energy, led with curiosity and explored with honesty. The video depicts the stresses and expectations of a youth who begins to feel isolated from their community and friends. The lyrical narrative within this context conveys a recurring desire for relief that cycles back into isolation, deepening the craving for further relief. The tension builds within the character and only breaks when they experience a full, felt sensation of being held and wanted. This piece was crafted with empathy in the driver’s seat—it neither blames nor others the character facing addiction. Instead, it highlights how community, a sense of belonging, and a strong felt(physical and present) connection to a caregiver can be a step toward healing—and how that healing truly breaks the cycle. They hope to release this as a YouTube video with a release party at ZUMiX
Still Targeting Us
Lynn, Massachusetts
The documentary was written, firmed and produced by 6 teens from Girls Inc. They are addressing the unjust tobacco practices in Lynn and how, despite education and increased awareness, the nicotine industry still targets minority communities.
Sueños Self-Portraits
Lawrence, Massachusetts
Sueños self-portraits were created by 9 of our middle school youth to participate in a series of facilitations around their identity, where they grew up and connect these memories together through art. Over the course of multiple sessions, student explored in conversation and activities geared towards understanding and sharing their identities- the parts of themselves they are proud of, they ways in which they are perceived by their loved ones and strangers, and how their own journeys of where they grew up have played an impact on their lives thus far. This is important because youth often do not have the opportunity to explore and share their thoughts on the neighborhoods they grew up in and the impact it has on them. It also allowed them a space to get to know themselves and one another on a deeper level- outside of the basketball court and being able to relate on a deeper level with their teammates.
This isn't a Trend; It's a Choice
Boston, Massachusetts
Professionally filmed by BD LLC Photography and Videography
This video features scenes from interactive sessions, campaign preparation, and footage submitted by the youth themselves. The participants speak candidly about the dangers of vaping and the importance of staying informed and making healthy choices. This video is a vital tool in raising awareness within often-overlooked communities, especially African immigrant and undocumented youth who face language, access, and cultural barriers in receiving accurate public health information. By centering their voices, the campaign not only spreads knowledge but also empowers young people to take ownership of their health and future.
Teens Against Tobacco
New Bedford, Massachusetts
Filmed by Dream Out Loud students and staff.
We’re proud to present Teens Against Tobacco, a youth-led project showcased during our Spring Showcase at the Dream Out Loud Center for the Arts. This initiative highlights the creative work and powerful voices of our youth as they take a stand against the vaping and tobacco industry — an industry that continues to target young people. Featuring student-designed t-shirts, posters, and comics, this video captures how our teens used art and storytelling to raise awareness and advocate for a healthier, tobacco-free future.
Got Vapes?
New Bedford, Massachusetts
Filmed by Patty Spillane and Ella Charron.
This short reel filmed by and acted by members of TEAMC Youth Group shows two older high school students approaching three friends who are middle school students to ask them to buy vapes. This is important because it shows just how easy it is for young people to obtain vapes and tabaco products. The older students entice the girls by declaring the fun flavors and that they will even give them discount in hopes they will get addicted and become repeat costumers. It shows it is not hard to obtain tobacco products at any age even when there are restrictions.
Digital Interview
Roxbury, Massachusetts
Featuring Cadence and Cheyenne from After School Arts Program
Cadence and Cheyenne are interested in discussing The 84 Movement from a youth perspective. During their research, they discovered the D.A.R.E campaign, and came up with a few questions in this 1:1 style interview.
New Bedford Youth Parks and Recreation
New Bedford, Massachusetts
Fernando leads a discussion with Givel F. who is a collegiate athlete and shares interesting experience with tobacco, heart break, and reasons for tobacco use.