StudentNation

StudentNation is a program of the Nation Fund for Independent Journalism and is made possible through generous funding from the Puffin Foundation. StudentNation focuses on first-person accounts from student activists, organizers, and journalists and has helped launch the careers of contributors to The New York TimesVoxBusiness InsiderTeen Vogue, the Guardian, and more. If you’re a student and you have an article idea, please send pitches and questions to [email protected]

Students attend a rally to protest ICE in lower Manhattan

An Uncertain Future for NYC Student Activism An Uncertain Future for NYC Student Activism

A controversial bill is proposing that NYPD create a plan for instituting anti-protest buffer zones around many NYC schools.

Jun 3, 2026 / StudentNation / Ilana Cohen

Pamela Colloff, author of the book “Catch the Devil,” on a panel

How America’s Courts Fell for a Con Man How America’s Courts Fell for a Con Man

In her new book, Catch the Devil, reporter Pamela Colloff traces the life and crimes of a mendacious jailhouse informant and exposes the systems that allowed him to walk free.

May 29, 2026 / StudentNation / Henry Fernandez

Young Bryce Crawford fans posing in his “I Love Jesus” Waffle House merch.

Why Gen Z Is Turning to Christian Influencers Why Gen Z Is Turning to Christian Influencers

Bryce Crawford, a tattooed Evangelical influencer, built a devoted young following out of algorithms, TikTok despair, and generational loneliness.

May 22, 2026 / StudentNation / Jax Preyer

Gen Z Women Are Moving Left. Young Men Aren’t.

Gen Z Women Are Moving Left. Young Men Aren’t. Gen Z Women Are Moving Left. Young Men Aren’t.

The gendered political divide is transforming how young Americans are organizing, voting, and relating to one another.

May 21, 2026 / StudentNation / Alice Scott

Different types of birth control on display at the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists Museum

How Students Are Fighting for Birth Control Access How Students Are Fighting for Birth Control Access

As reproductive rights shrink nationwide, university students are building grassroots networks to get contraception to their peers.

May 15, 2026 / StudentNation / Nikole Rajgor

Undocumented third grader Yanela Sanchez practices math at her family's apartment

How Trump’s Deportation Regime Is Reshaping Schools How Trump’s Deportation Regime Is Reshaping Schools

Across the US, students are missing school, falling behind academically, and carrying the trauma of detention and family separation into school each day.

May 8, 2026 / StudentNation / Lajward Zahra

Columbia University’s Remedy Project chapter celebrates filing 500 administrative remedies.

How Students Are Pushing for Justice in US Prisons How Students Are Pushing for Justice in US Prisons

The Remedy Project trains students to help incarcerated people file grievances, expose abuse, and, in some cases, secure release.

May 6, 2026 / StudentNation / Charlie Bloomer

How Eating on Camera Is Helping College Girls Pay Tuition

How Eating on Camera Is Helping College Girls Pay Tuition How Eating on Camera Is Helping College Girls Pay Tuition

Mukbang videos have become a lifeline for university-age women, whose content pays college fees, supports their families, and supplants traditional career paths.

Apr 27, 2026 / StudentNation / Grey Battle

California students campaign for the Polluters Pay Climate Superfund Act.

How California’s Kids Are Taking On Big Oil How California’s Kids Are Taking On Big Oil

After last year’s devastating wildfires, young Californians are spearheading a growing movement to force polluters—not taxpayers—to pay for the damage.

Apr 22, 2026 / StudentNation / Padma Balaji

Demonstrators protest against GardaWorld after the security company was awarded over $100 million in ICE contracts.

Meet ICE’s Secret Canadian Partner Meet ICE’s Secret Canadian Partner

The Canadian security company GardaWorld is manning detention facilities like Alligator Alcatraz. It is far from the only Canadian-based firm in bed with ICE

Apr 17, 2026 / StudentNation / Sena Ho

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