By Leah Mordehai and Nellie Fouksman

Slavic Voice 4 Ukraine is a youth-led media and advocacy organization founded in San Francisco
by first-generation Ukrainian American students Leah Mordehai and Nellie Fouksman.

The organization focuses on amplifying Ukrainian voices, preserving cultural identity and making education about Ukraine
accessible through journalism, podcasts and youth-led initiatives. Through its newspaper, podcast and
community projects, SV4U creates space for young people to share their stories, connect across borders,
and engage in civic conversations.

At the conference, we shared our work with Slavic Voice 4 Ukraine and how a youth-led platform can amplify voices that are often overlooked. But what stayed with us most was not presenting, it was listening. We heard stories from communities preserving their languages across generations, from educators fighting to keep cultural identity alive in classrooms, and from individuals navigating what it means to belong across countries and cultures. Each story carried something deeper than language. It
carried memory, displacement, resilience, and identity.

As we listened, we began to realize how many of these stories remain unheard. They exist in classrooms, in families, and in quiet conversations, but rarely in spaces where they are recognized or celebrated. That realization stayed with us long after the weekend ended, and it pushed us to think about what it means to not only share stories but to create space for them.

When we returned to San Francisco, we knew we wanted to build something that directly responded to what we experienced.

That is how our International Youth Easter Writing Contest began.

The contest is designed as a space for young people to reflect on culture, identity and tradition in a
changing world. Middle school students are invited to write creative stories exploring Ukrainian Easter
traditions, while high school students reflect on the role of tradition during times of change. All entries are
published, and top writers are recognized, reinforcing the idea that these stories matter.

This initiative is rooted in what we saw at UCLA. Culture is not something fixed. It is carried,
questioned, reshaped and passed on, and young people are already doing that work every day. Through
Slavic Voice 4 Ukraine, we have always believed that storytelling is one of the most powerful forms of
advocacy. It builds connection, challenges narratives and creates space for empathy.

The conference reminded us that this work is happening everywhere, across languages and communities, often without
recognition. Even as our work continues to grow beyond San Francisco, the Richmond District remains at
the center of it. It is where our first ideas took shape, where our first articles were read, and where we
learned what it means to build something from the ground up. Everything we create continues to come
back to that foundation.

We created this contest because we believe young people deserve to have their voices heard, not someday, but now. If you have a story to tell, a tradition that matters to you, or a perspective you want to share, we encourage you to be part of this.
Here is the link to submit for the International Youth Easter Writing Contest: https://forms.gle/ey8ct5e3RDuttFdVA