About YEPT
The mission of Youth Environmental Press team (YEPT) is to elevate the voices of middle school, high school, and college journalists writing about the environment and the climate crisis, across the country. YEPT is a program of Earth Charter Indiana, whose mission is intergenerational climate action.
YEPT team members seek young journalists who cover environmental and climate crisis stories to help them build their skills as journalists. Being a member of YEPT means developing a network of support for fellow journalists as they learn and grow together as writers, leaders, teammates, and advocates.
To find out more about this program, contact adult advisor Jim Poyser at Jim@earthcharterindiana.org.
Current interns:
Raina Maiga: Raina Maiga is a high school senior at Purdue Polytechnic High School in Indianapolis and the Executive Director of Confront the Climate Crisis, a youth-led climate policy organization in Indiana. She has co-authored multiple environmental bills and led statewide efforts to mobilize young people to engage with elected officials on climate issues. Raina serves on the Indiana Legislative Youth Advisory Council, where she advises lawmakers on issues impacting youth. In 2024, Raina was awarded the Brower Youth Award, North America’s top recognition for youth environmental leadership. This fall, Raina will attend Cornell University, where she will major in Environment and Sustainability to continue her work in environmental policy.
Dania Razaq: Dania Razaq is a first year student studying International Relations at the University of Indianapolis. Her intended career is international development, where she hopes to work on long term, environmentally sustainable projects abroad in order to improve the standard of living in developing countries. As part of YEPT, she particularly enjoys writing about everyday consumerism to bring awareness to the general public. Outside of her work for YEPT, she is involved in various activities on UIndy’s campus, such as the Forensics Speech and Debate Team.
Veda Thangudu: Raised in Fishers, IN, Veda is currently studying Biology at Purdue University and part of the John Martinson Honors College. Her long term goal is to work in the research field. She has been passionate about combating the climate crisis and uplifting young voices since high school, and served as one of the directors for Youth Environmental Press Team. In addition to her work with YEPT, she’s involved in various student organizations and research on Purdue’s campus. In her free time, Veda enjoys painting, photography and having fun with friends and family.
Adult advisor:
Jim Poyser: Jim is Director of Advancement for Earth Charter Indiana and over his journalism career served as an editor at numerous publications, including The Bloomington Voice, Breeze Magazine, Indiana Living Green and NUVO Newsweekly. His essays were published throughout the alternative newsweekly circuit and beyond. For many years, he was a member of the Society of Environmental Journalists.
We are grateful for support from Earth Rising Foundation, Glick Philanthropies, and the Netherleigh Foundation, in growing this program.
In 2021/2022 we worked closely with five transmedia storytelling graduate students from Ball State University, led by Dr. Kevin Moloney to further develop this program (including this website!). Thanks to John Becker, Toria Callow, Gwyn Hultquist, Brook Kemp and Jean Trevino.
Meet our high school journalists here.