ABOUT US
Helping NY students find their civic voice
We started YCI as a small group of NYC public high school students when we saw that students were taking to the streets, but didn't know how to “Take the Next Step” to get engaged in a sustained way. We wanted to find a way to connect our peers to the youth-led organizations leading the sustained fight for justice.
Our goal is to connect students to long-lasting civic opportunities at the frontlines of the youth activist movement that are otherwise difficult to find.
We are building out a platform with our website, social media and newsletter, to bring together the events, workshops, and internship/fellowship opportunities for students to discover the multitude of options to make a difference in climate change, education, racial justice, and more.
Executive Board
Jason Bohner
Founder/Executive Director
Jason Bohner is an 18-year-old graduate of the Bronx High School of Science. Jason founded YCI after seeing a lack of sustained civic engagement amongst his peers. He wanted to create an accessible platform to connect young people to the youth-led organizations fighting each and every day for our futures. Jason understands the power of young people to collectivize and advocate for progress. He hopes to encourage enduring engagement by opening the door for young people to find opportunities for empowerment.
Ariana Tzanos
Content Director
Ariana (she/hers) is a junior in high school at the Academy of American Studies. She is passionate about politics and civic engagement. She enjoys painting, listening to podcasts and coding.
Lillian Kim-Mallow
Social Media Department Director
Lillian Kim-Mallow is a sophomore at Eleanor Roosevelt High School. She is a Movement Correspondent for the YCI. She plans to major in Political Science.
Meet The Team
Farisa Rahman
Print Manager
Farisa attends a CTE Highschool and is in the 11th grade. She is a movement correspondent and is excited to learn about new organizations. She was raised in NYC (Queens) and has learned a lot about the importance of diversity. Her passions/hobbies include learning new languages (attempted 7 so far) , reading about architectural designing, attending virtual OR sessions, shopping for Japanese stationary and watching interior design shows.
Cam Padalino
Movement Correspondent
Coming soon
Heather Mooney
Movement Correspondent
Coming soon
Samantha Gormly
Movement Correspondent
Coming soon
Maryam Oguntola
Print Manager
Maryam is a sophomore at John Jay College of Criminal Justice with a major in law and society. She works as a movement correspondent for NYYCI. She immigrated from Nigeria in 2013 and now lives in New York City. She is very passionate about social justice, immigration laws, and ways to reduce Islamophobia in her community. She loves to read books and write during her free time.
Alexander Trauben
Movement Correspondent
Coming soon
Bridget E Frawley
Movement Correspondent
Coming soon
Sophene Avedissian
Movement Correspondent
Coming soon
Maryfer Flores
Movement Correspondent
Maryfer is a junior at New Utrecht High School. As a current Movement Correspondent at NYYCI, Maryfer plans on majoring in Law Enforcement or Criminal Justice. She's passionate about racial equality, drawing, listening to music, and collecting random knick knacks.
Zahra Basil
Movement Correspondent
Coming soon
Brynne O’Hare
Movement Correspondent
Coming soon
Shreya Saravanan
Movement Correspondent
Coming soon