About YEPT
Youth Environmental Press team (YEPT) is an Indiana-based organization focused on elevating the voices of high school journalists writing about the environment and the climate crisis. YEPT is a program of Earth Charter Indiana, whose mission is intergenerational climate action.
As a team, YEPT members seek high school 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.
Once student content has been edited and refined, it is published on this website, on Indiana Environmental Reporter when it was in operation, and, occasionally, via Public News Service.
Adult advisors for this project include:
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.
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 Earth Charter Indiana, 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. We’re thrilled Veda stayed with ECI to work as an intern with the YEPT throughout the year!
We are grateful for support from Earth Rising 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.