Learn about LookUp!
LookUp is a “by youth for youth” 501(c)(3) social venture dedicated to helping young people thrive in the digital world.
We’re on a mission to discover, empower, and mobilize courageous youth leaders who are speaking up and taking action to challenge the digital ecosystem and our unrealistic social norms so we can level the playing field and improve the mental health and well-being of young people for generations to come.
GenZ is the loneliest generation in America
— Cigna 2020 Loneliness Index
Young people are succumbing to the pressure of digital overload, 24/7 connectivity, and social media, which is fueling alarming rates of anxiety, depression, loneliness, and suicide.
Instead of having adults solve a problem they haven’t lived through, we get right to the source: by listening to and backing Gen Z, we can use personal experience as fuel for changing the way digital technologies are designed, regulated, and used.
LookUp is a “by youth for youth” 501(c)(3) social venture dedicated to discovering, empowering, and mobilizing youth leaders who are speaking up and taking action to address the youth mental health crisis through digital wellbeing and ethical technologies. Because youth agency is at the heart of our mission and programmatic DNA, we don’t tell them what to do. We ask them.
Since our launch in the fall of 2019, we have mobilized and reached more than 8,000 youth from 38 countries, invested in 70 social innovators and activists, and spawned LookUp India, UK, and Africa. By 2025, we aim to reach and mobilize 100,000 youth across the world by discovering and backing youth pioneers and risk-takers willing to challenge our digital ecosystems and social norms.
Your Brain on Social Media
Gen Z Activists and Allies Examine the Promise, Peril, and Future of Being Born Digital.
If technology’s promise to keep us more connected is real, then why is Gen Z considered the loneliest generation in America? Why is youth anxiety, stress, depression, and suicide increasing at alarming rates? What role did and should big digital media companies, governments, and schools play in reversing these trends?
Join Julia Hoppock (The Social Dilemma), Bob Wigley, (Born Digital), Jon Gedney (MTV News), and youth activists Lars Bjork (17), Maddie Freeman (19), Hannah Chung (17), and Aliza Kopans (18) for a lively and candid discussion about what this generation is doing to “mount a revolution against harms from technology and create the future that they deserve.”
As MTV News recently posted, “The quantification of popularity on social media exploits our natural tendency for social comparison to create addiction for profit. It can make you the perfect target for advertisers… at the expense of your mental health and free will.”
This is a Mental Health Awareness Month Event
We’re looking for a highly analytical candidate interested in the program and organizational impact. Framed around our theory of change, this internship will work closely with the executive director and an external program consultant to evaluate the effectiveness of our current StartUp program, ensure the correct metrics and indicators are being used to accurately monitor, evaluate, and communicate our impact. Following a human-centered design framework, you will research and benchmark other organizations, make recommendations to improve our framework.
How you will benefit:
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Gain experience using a human-centered design framework to evaluate and improve programs
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Learn how to use logic models and a theory of change to translate a social venture’s mission into high impact program activities and outcomes
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Gain knowledge and experience researching best practices for social impact monitoring, evaluation, and communication for multiple audiences
Preferred Qualifications
This is not your typical internship. We are definitely a “lean-startup” and intend on remaining so, which is why we rely on and follow the lead of our youth leaders and interns. If you want to do real work, be heard, be a part of strategic discussions, and be a part at the forefront of a youth-led movement, then we want to hear from you.
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Self-starter, outgoing, friendly, driven, personable, not afraid to talk to strangers
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Familiarity with Design Thinking and Human-Centered Design
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Able to work independently and part of a team
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Proven background in research and analytical skills
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Passion for youth mental health, digital wellbeing, and ethical technologies
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Enrolled in a higher-education degree program
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Strong desire to work in the social sector
Stipend: Varies by position
Approximate Hours/Week: 10-20 hours week, flexible schedule
Dates: June 8 – August 13th, 2021
Hiring Manager: Julie Barrett O’Brien
Learn about LookUp Social Innovators
One of 45 youth leaders awarded the LookUp StartUp Social Innovation Grant in 2021 for designing a ground-breaking solution to digital wellbeing and humane technology.
