Youth International

About Us

We envision a world where young people rise with confidence—grounded in dignity, strengthened by human rights, and empowered to shape the global narrative. A world where youth confront injustice with courage, uplift their communities with compassion, and spark change that echoes from their neighborhoods to international halls of power.

Youth International empowers young people to lead with courage, creating space to claim their rights and influence global change. Through youth‑led human rights work and UN‑focused advocacy, we elevate youth perspectives where they matter most.

Meet the Team

An image of Arseny Acosta, director and founder of Youth International. She has long, straight brown hair and wears a geometric patterned white, orange and black blouse.

Arseny Acosta

Director/Founder

Arseny (she/her) is the director and founder of Youth International, and a senior at the University of Illinois Chicago, majoring in Political Science and Criminology.

She advocates for youth voices and systemic change due to her experience of switching high schools because of limited resources in her community.

An image of Edie Danielle, Co-founder of Youth International. They have short, curly red hair and wear a green shirt under a brown jacket, adorned with various pin buttons.

Edie Danielle

Co-founder

Edie (they/them) is a queer and trans community organizer and co-founder of Youth International, specializing in curriculum building, outreach, leadership, and project development.

Edie graduated with two degrees: Women’s and Gender Studies and Peace, Conflict, and Justice Studies. They are active in various community spaces.

A selfie of Marian Dones, Organizational Designer of Youth International. They have long, straight brown hair and wear a ribbed black tank top and layered necklaces.

Marian Dones

Organizational Designer

Marian (any pronouns) is the organizational designer at Youth International. Mari fosters collaborative environments and seeks positive change by representing youth voices in Youth International.

Mari is currently fulfilling their Bachelor’s in Chemical Engineering to contribute to the scientific advancement of cosmetics and healthcare in society.

An image of Crista Noel, Founder of WAPB and mentor to Youth International's team. She has long, curly black hair and wears a black WAPB cap, dark sunglasses and a Northwestern University Wildcats jersey.

Crista Noel

Founder of WAPB/Mentor

Crista Noel (she/her) is the founder of Women’s All Points Bulletin, the WAPB Joints of Azucar Negra, and Youth International. She is interested in introducing human rights culture to the youth, led by the youth.

She has highlighted how the voices of women and children are often overlooked in UN shadow reports. She hopes YI will continue uplifting youth
voices.