essay writing on youth

Essays About Youth: Top 5 Essay Examples Plus 10 Prompts

Discover our guide with creative writing prompts and examples for essays about youth to help you get started on your next great essay!

Youth is that cusp between childhood and adulthood — a period filled with zest, adventure, and impulsiveness. Our future depends on the youth of today. As such, we are well-advised to equip ourselves with sufficient skills and knowledge to resolve future problems effectively. We must also train them to develop a moral compass, incredible determination, and deep compassion for others to serve well as future leaders.

5 Essay Examples

1. youth in revolt: five powerful movements fueled by young activist by erin blakemore, 2. what you can learn from a young ceo by elaine pofeldt, 3. advice to the youth by mark twain , 4. us youth are in a mental health crisis—we must invest in their care by mitchell j. prinstein, 5. young people are leaving their jobs in record numbers—and not going back by raisa bruner, 1. effects of social media on youth self-esteem, 2. youth’s learning crisis, 3. addressing youth obesity, 4. encouraging stem careers for youth, 5. engaging youth in community building, 6. why youth engage in cybercrime, 7. love for today’s youth, 8. national youth day, 9. substance abuse prevention for youth , 10. benefits of sex education to youth.

“Youth who participated in the civil rights movement embraced what one-time SNCC chairman Representative John Lewis called “good trouble”—fearless agitation designed to provoke, challenge, and move progress forward.”

Youth have always driven impactful social and political movements in whatever era and whichever part of the globe they are. This essay recounts some of history’s most powerful and meaningful protests mobilized by youth. Check out these essays about life lessons .

“Whether we needed to select a blogging platform or figure out how to keep costs down, we invariably found that younger CEOs were great sources of ideas.”

Gone are the days when one would purely seek older people for wisdom in business. With the competition in the digital age, youth are proving to bring in a wealth of ideas that can effectively support business strategies.

“Build your character thoughtfully and painstakingly upon these precepts, and by and by, when you have got it built, you will be surprised and gratified to see how nicely and sharply it resembles everybody else’s. ”

The American writer shows his humor and sarcasm by teaching youth the art of lying and handling firearms carelessly. Ultimately, he tells those who would succeed that they would be no different than the rest of society. 

“We have an opportunity to make a serious commitment to youth mental health, just as we did 70 years ago to help adults. This is a chance for parents, teachers, and youth to stop whispering about their mental health needs and begin shouting for our country to invest in its future and end our children’s suffering.”

As youth suicides have increased over the years, data shows that it is now the second leading cause of death among 10- to 24-year-olds. The situation demands urgent action and a rethink of the overall mental health system.

“For some, it’s burnout. For others, the timing was ripe to refocus on side projects as the stresses of the pandemic started to wane. And for many, especially in a service sector dominated by “zillennials”… poor treatment and low wages became unsustainable.”

The pandemic burnout has driven the Great Resignation among youth, leaving over 10 million jobs in the US unoccupied. This triggers a sea change in the societal landscape, where young workers pursue their self-worth and can afford to do so.

10 Thought-Provoking Prompts On Essays About Youth

While we all tend to compare our qualities and achievements to those of others, social media has made this habit worse. To youth, the biggest market of social media platforms, this has resulted in lower self-esteem, especially for girls . In your essay, gather present research that studies the links between social media use and low confidence levels. Then, recommend ways for young readers to spend more time in the real world and rebuild their self-esteem.

In recent years, it has been recognized that the world is facing a learning crisis that even the wealthier G20 countries are not exempt from . But as the COVID-19 pandemic has halted face-to-face school interactions for prolonged periods, what does the future of education and skills-building look like for our youth? Answer this with the support of research studies and data, and surveys from reputed organizations and agencies. Finally, enumerate the best ways to invest in our youth’s education.

Many cases of obesity among youth are due to the lack of exercise. For this topic prompt, lay down the negative effects of obesity, such as the increased likelihood of diabetes, hypertension, lack of self-esteem, and depression. Then, with research on wellness experts’ advice, encourage readers to change their lifestyle one step at a time to address or prevent obesity. For example, walking for 10 minutes to take a break from work could be a powerful start in changing a routine. 

No industry gains as much from youth’s ingenuity as the innovation industry. First, elaborate on the importance of developing youth’s scientific and technical skills. Then, look at how schools incorporate science, technology, engineering, and math into the curriculum, starting with your school. To conclude your essay, look at how intensive your government’s programs are in unlocking the inner scientists of today’s youth. 

Youth have the vigor and passion for changing the world. Because of this, they are one of the best groups to tap into for building a better community. To start this essay, look at the ratio of young volunteers to the total number of volunteers in your community. You can check this ratio in other communities and see how active your youth are in volunteer community work compared to others. Then, enumerate interesting practices cities can adopt to attract youth to participate in their programs. 

The United Kingdom’s National Crime Agency has reported a 107% annual increase in police reports of young students engaging in cyberattacks in 2020. Dig deeper into this report and find out the main motivations why young offenders would join the dark side in cyberspace. Is it for the millions of bucks or the sense of validation in the hacking community? Then identify some best practices law enforcement authorities and schools are implementing to thwart cybercrime among youth.

Young love has always been defined by its wild passions and adventures. Does this hold today in this digital age? How have relationships evolved in the age of social media? Mull over these questions and look at other modern trends in young love. For example, many claims that internet relationships, where couples meet and interact purely online, constitute true love. 

Celebrated every August 12, International Youth Day (IYD) aims to raise awareness of youth’s pressing challenges. Your essay can revolve around the focus of the last or upcoming celebration theme. Then, reflect on the issue’s relevance and what actions you think society can take to ease the problem. For example, the 2022 IYD is themed “Intergenerational Solidarity: Creating a World for All Ages.” This expounds on fostering solidarity across generations to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Prevention is always better than cure. In this essay, search for data on youths reportedly battling drug abuse. Highlight an upward trend, if any. Then, highlight the risk factors that lead youth to drug or alcohol abuse and the consequences on health and overall well-being. You may also pay attention to the National Institute on Drug Abuse’s 16 key principles for determining the most suitable prevention programs. 

A research study has found that aside from preventing early pregnancy and the contraction of sexually transmitted diseases, comprehensive sex education helps youth feel safe and achieve success in the long term. Examine these benefits and cite the negative effects of a lack of sex education during youth. Finally, it underscores schools’ critical roles in integrating sex education and protecting students. 

If you need further guidance, check out our essay writing tips . Finally, don’t forget to proofread your essay using the best grammar checkers .

The Technology Influence on Youth Essay

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Today, the importance of technology makes many people prefer to scroll through the timeline rather than get a few hours of sleep. Teenagers who are deprived of controlling their free time or filtering information coming from social networks are especially susceptible to this. Absorbing all the information that the Internet introduces, teenagers tend to stop evaluating the acquired knowledge sensibly. This leads to a deterioration of mental state physical health and increases the risk of falling into the hands of fraudsters. Since the spread of the Internet provides easier access to extensive knowledge and carries hidden harm, research has been conducted to analyze the impact of the Internet on adolescents. These studies were aimed at identifying the dangers that teenagers face on the Internet, finding their causes and measures that can help overcome them. This paper examines some of the main effects of new technologies on adolescents and young people, including deterioration of the physical and mental condition, increased risk of becoming a victim of a fraudster, and the gradual loss of moral values in an entire generation.

The interest of young people in social networks has specific consequences in the form of mental and physical health problems. For example, sitting in a constantly uncomfortable posture while checking social networks leads to the deterioration of the neck and back, provoking chronic pain in these areas. Moreover, bright light contributes to the damage of vision and sleep disorders, such as lack of sleep or even insomnia. Online interactions affect a teen’s emotional state, which can never be restored when it comes to mental health. Adolescents have learned to interact with people while staying behind the curve, which disrupts communication abilities (Bibi et al. 480). This proves that when technology is used incorrectly, it harms comprehensively.

The use of social networks by young people also weakens the institution of moral education and disregard for moral values. Uncontrolled publications on the social network Instagram with a demonstration of tobacco or the smoking process lead to the popularization of smoking among teenagers. Another problem is the distribution of images with alcohol consumption in the same social network, which erases the boundaries of what is permissible for minors. In addition, the lack of filtering of images of aggression and cruelty also leads to an increase in the risks of immoral behavior among adolescents whose personality has not yet been fully formed (Krylova 498). Having a negative impact on teenagers’ vision of tobacco and alcohol, technologies, where not all information is filtered and suitable for children and adolescents, also harm moral values.

The growing popularity of technology among young people has also led to an increase in their involvement in the sex industry, leading to a rise in crime and the experience of traumatic experiences by adolescents. Viewing prohibited materials causes the appearance of curiosity, which means the risk of harmful sexual contact even with the right person is becoming possible. New technologies and poor awareness of teenagers have also led to an increased risk of sharing an intimate photo on the Internet with an unfamiliar person. The possibility of involving children in the porn industry is also greatly simplified, which sometimes happens by the voluntary consent of a teenager due to the influence of the availability of sexual content (Senadjki et al. 63). As a result, the number of sexual crimes, where the victims are teenagers, is increasing because of the lack of filtering information in social networks.

From all of the above, it follows that the Internet has a huge negative impact of unverified information on the still unformed personalities of teenagers. All this leads to the understanding that the quantity and quality of resources viewed by teenagers must be controlled. Moreover, it is worth raising awareness among young people about the dangers and risks that await them with excessive use of technology.

Works Cited

Bibi, Arifa, et al. “Effect of Latest Technology and Social Media on Interpersonal Communication on Youth of Balochistan.” Journal of Managerial Sciences , vol. 11, n. 3, 2018, pp. 475-490.

Krylova, Palageya. “The Impact of the Social Networks Having Name Instagram on Values of Youth.” Culture and Education: Social Transformations and Multicultural Communication, 2019, pp. 494-501

Senadjki, Abdelhak, et al. “The Influence of Technology on Youth Sexual Prevalence: Evidences from Malaysia.” Malaysian Journal of Youth Studies, 2017, pp. 38-68.

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IvyPanda. (2023, January 11). The Technology Influence on Youth. https://ivypanda.com/essays/the-technology-influence-on-youth/

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IvyPanda . 2023. "The Technology Influence on Youth." January 11, 2023. https://ivypanda.com/essays/the-technology-influence-on-youth/.

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Essay on the Role of Youth in Nation-Building

• Updated on  
• Apr 8, 2024

Essay on the Role of Youth in Nation-Building: A country’s future depends on its youth. They represent the nation at all levels and are its future. In every aspect of a county’s development, its youth play a major role. To put it another way, the nation will succeed because of its intelligence and the hard work of its youth. The youth bear the same responsibility as every other citizen. They serve as a national foundation. 

Quick Read: How to Write an Essay in English?

Table of Contents

• 1.1 Understanding the Role of Youth
• 1.2 Methods for Helping the Youth
• 1.3 Conclusion
• 2 Paragraph on Nation Building in India

Essay on the Role of Youth in Nation-Building in 500 Words

In every country, young people are seen as a valuable resource. At every level, they represent their nation and are the representatives of future generations. Youth may play a crucial and frequently undervalued role in the development of a nation. The intelligence and efforts of the youth have made the country successful. The youth are the backbone of the nation’s advancement and development, and as such, they have responsibility. 

Did You Know: Mahatma Gandhi wanted the youth to engage in constructive work, educate the villagers and imbibe morally superior values.

Understanding the Role of Youth

Young people are crucial because they will shape our future. Even though they are currently our partners, they might eventually assume leadership positions. The youth are incredibly enthusiastic and full of energy. They can adapt to their environment and learn new skills. In a similar vein, they are prepared to pick up knowledge and apply it to further their objectives. 

Our youth have the power to transform society and bring about social reform. We cannot survive without a nation’s youth. In addition, their involvement is needed for the country to move forward and accomplish its objectives.

Similarly, we observe that youth involvement is essential to any nation’s development. Youth is necessary in all fields, whether we want to advance in the technical or sporting domains. It is up to us to assist the young people in carrying out this role appropriately. All young people need to be made aware of their potential and their part in fostering a stronger nation.

Quick Read: Essay on National Youth Day

Methods for Helping the Youth

There are numerous ways that we can support our nation’s youth in realising their full potential. To ensure that they can flourish without interference, the government must implement programmes that will aid in combating problems like unemployment, subpar educational institutions, and more. 

In a similar vein, it is the responsibility of citizens to push our children to excel in all areas. Our favourite people will lose their spark if we don’t believe in them and discourage them all the time. We should ensure that they have the wind beneath their wings to soar far, rather than pulling them down by guarding the links to their wings. 

Quick Read: World Health Day Speech: 07 April

Regardless of a person’s gender, caste, religion, colour, or any other attribute, they must all be granted equal opportunity. The nation’s true talent is being eroded by several nepotistic and favouritism problems. This needs to be eliminated right away. Every young person needs to have the opportunity to demonstrate their worth, and that opportunity needs to be extended equally to all of them. 

In other words, we have to give our youth the chance to build our country. They possess a perspective that the older generations do not, as they are the future. Their enthusiasm and passion need to be directed in the right direction to guarantee that a nation grows and prospers.

One cannot overstate the significance of youth in the process of building a nation. They actively promote change and advancement in addition to being the recipients of development benefits. Understanding the potential of youth can contribute to the growth of more creative, prosperous, cohesive societies. Governments, corporations, and communities must all make major investments in youth empowerment. They also need to create an atmosphere that supports their involvement by providing them with leadership, jobs, and educational opportunities. The only way for nations to prosper in the twenty-first century is to harness the energy, creativity, and idealism of youth.

Paragraph on Nation Building in India

Ans: They are an important resource that can help a country progress socially, economically, and musically. Young people are frequently the most engaged members of society and have the power to promote positive change through vocally opposing social injustice.

Ans: Innovation, employment, and income development are all driven by the need to innovate. The youth of India not only seek employment but also generate it.

Ans: To eliminate inequality, people must question outmoded behaviours, adopt new perspectives, and speak out against injustices (such as gender-based violence). 

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Essay on Role of Youths in Nation Building for Students and Children

500 words essay on role of youths in nation building.

It is a well-known fact that the youth of any country is a great asset. They are indeed the future of the country and represent it at every level. The role of youths in nation-building is more important than you might think. In other words, the intelligence and work of the youth will take the country on the pathway of success. As every citizen is equally responsible, the youth is too. They are the building blocks of a country.

Role of Youth

The youth is important because they will be our future. Today they might be our partners, tomorrow they will go on to become leaders. The youths are very energetic and enthusiastic. They have the ability to learn and adapt to the environment . Similarly, they are willing to learn and act on it as well to achieve their goals.

Our youth can bring social reform and improvement in society. We cannot make do without the youth of a country. Furthermore, the nation requires their participation to achieve the goals and help in taking the country towards progress.

Likewise, we see how the development of any country requires active participation from the youth. It does not matter which field we want to progress in, whether it is the technical field or sports field, youth is needed. It is up to us how to help the youth in playing this role properly. We must make all the youth aware of their power and the role they have to play in nation-building.

Ways to Help the Youth

There are many ways in which we can help the youth of our country to achieve their potential. For that, the government must introduce programs that will help in fighting off issues like unemployment, poor education institutes and more to help them prosper without any hindrance.

Similarly, citizens must make sure to encourage our youth to do better in every field. When we constantly discourage our youth and don’t believe in them, they will lose their spark. We all must make sure that they should be given the wind beneath their wings to fly high instead of bringing them down by tying chains to their wings.

Furthermore, equal opportunities must be provided for all irrespective of caste, creed, gender , race, religion and more. There are various issues of nepotism and favoritism that is eating away the actual talent of the country. This must be done away with as soon as possible. We must make sure that every youth has the chance to prove themselves worthy and that must be offered equally to all.

In short, our youth has the power to build a nation so we must give them the opportunity. They are the future and they have the perspective which the older generations lack. Their zeal and enthusiasm must be channelized properly to help a nation prosper and flourish.

FAQ on Essay on Role of Youths in Nation Building

Q.1 What role does youth play in nation-building?

A.1 The youth plays a great role in nation-building. It has the power to help a country develop and move towards progress. It also is responsible for bringing social reform within a country. The youth of a country determine the future of a nation.

Q.2 How can we help youth?

A.2 As well all know youth is facing too many problems nowadays. We need to give them equal opportunities in every field so they can succeed well. They must be given all the facilities and also encouraged to take the challenge to achieve success.

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The Institute for Youth in Policy International Essay Contest was launched to empower students to critically think about the issues that matter to them. By providing a platform for students to express their ideas and opinions, we aim to spotlight valuable insights and ideas from young people around the world. Ultimately, the Institute for Youth in Policy International Essay Contest may be seen as an opportunity for the Institute to invest in the future by supporting and uplifting the voices of young people, and by fostering a sense of civic engagement and social responsibility in the next generation.

We launched the Institute for Youth in Policy International Essay Contest as a way to engage and empower students to think critically about the issues that matter to them. By providing a platform for students to express their ideas and opinions, we aim to encourage the next generation of leaders to become more informed and civically engaged citizens. Additionally, the contest may serve as a way to spotlight valuable insights and ideas from young people around the world. By encouraging students to write about the issues that concern them, our competition may help a general audience to better understand the priorities and perspectives of students. Ultimately, the Institute for Youth in Policy International Essay Contest may be seen as an opportunity for the Institute to invest in the future by supporting and uplifting the voices of young people, and by fostering a sense of civic engagement and social responsibility in the next generation. ‍ Create innovative solutions to real-world problems Tell your story and your perspective Research issues important to you Get recognized for your writing Win prizes for your outstanding work Get published for your writing

You have been invited to speak at the United Nations Peace Conference. The following topics are recognized by the United Nations as pressing issues for current and future generations. Choose one of these issues below to speak on:

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Insight: Does the essay provide unique or interesting insights, analysis or perspectives on its subject matter? Impact: Is the significance or impact of the issue(s) being discussed, idea(s) being brought up, or point-of-views being communicated sufficiently captured in the essay? Clarity and organization : Is the essay easy to understand, with a clear and logical flow? Style: Is the essay engaging and well-written, with appropriate yet compelling tone, language and syntax for the subject matter?

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Any student, in any country, who is enrolled in an accredited high school or college/university at the time of submitting their essay is eligible to participate in the Institute for Youth in Policy International Essay Contest and compete for the prizes. Students taking academic gap years or semesters are also eligible. No current employees of the Institute for Youth in Policy, however, will be permitted to enter the contest.

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Essays can take the form of anything from an analytical research paper to a personal narrative to allegorical fiction. This means essays can be written in any citation style or with no citations at all if it is not a research-heavy paper. Word Limit: 1250 words All essays should be submitted as a .docx or a PDF document and should include your name as well as a title for your essay. Cover pages are acceptable but not necessary. Essays should be written in an easily readable font size (11 or 12 pt.) with a professional font style (Times New Roman, Arial, etc.).  

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Looking forward.

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• Role of Youth in Nation-Building Essay for Students

Long and Short Essay on the Role of Youth in Nation Building

The role of youth in nation-building or development is very important because the development of any nation lies in the future generation. The future of democracy, the economy, technology, and medical advancements depends on young people. Poverty, unemployment, global warming, and pollution of many types are the problems that the world is facing today. The answer to solving all these problems lies with the next generation.

History shows that the next generation has always solved future problems. As time moves on, it's essential to adapt and bring about change in society. The youth can drive this change. So, what role do young people play in creating a better future? What qualities are needed to bring about change in society? These questions are crucial, and all students should know their answers. This is why essays on the role of youth in nation-building are written.

Below a long and short essay on the role of youths in nation-building and frequently asked questions on the essay about the role of the Youth in our society is given. Students can refer to these essays and understand the importance of Youth in the development of the country and make a speech on the role of youth in nation-building.

Long Essay on the Role of Youths in Nation-Building

Swami Vivekananda once said, 'My faith is in the younger generation, the modern generation and out of them will come to my workers. This quote describes the impact the Youth can have on society. More than 60% of the youth played a significant role in Germany's efforts during the First World War. The mission to make the first person to walk on the moon consisted of more than 80% of the Youth who helped in planning the whole mission. Likewise, Indian Youth also played an important role in making our country free from British rule. Youth has the power to change the world. When the Youth is united, we can make the world a better place to live, and when we are divided, we also have the power to destroy the world.

Youth is the most dynamic and important segment of the population in any country. Statistics show that developing countries which have a huge youth population could see tremendous growth in all the sectors of the countries provided they invest in young people's education, and health and protect and guarantee their rights. It is believed that today's young minds and tomorrow's leaders are creators, builders, and innovators.

For Youth to be good leaders, inventors and innovators, they must be supported and provided good health, training, and education to transform the future. There will be a boost in the economy of the country when the Youth is working and earning rather than being dependent on anyone.

As we all know that half of the world's population is now under the age of 25, and 1.8 billion people are between the age of 11-25. This is considered to be the largest youth generation to ever exist. Many countries such as Sweden, Japan, and Germany have already started gaining from the Youth by providing them with opportunities in different sectors. It has been more than 80 years since the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in Japan. Any country would be devastated by the loss of lives and the destruction that was caused during that time, but Japan did not stop, over the decades, the government of Japan has started investing in the Youth and the investment they made in the Youth during that time is giving them the profit now. More than 80% of Youth in Japan are responsible for the economic boost of the country. Industries such as Manga and Anime consist of 90% of young minds that are responsible for generating a revenue of 1.3 billion every year for the country. This is the impact that Youth can make on the country's growth. Here the role of Youth in the national development article is discussed.

Indian Youth- Confused or Confident? 

Let us talk about the Youth of India; Today, India is one of the youngest nations in the world, with more than 55% of the population below the age of 25, and more than 60% of the population is the working age, which is between 15 to 60 years. It is estimated that the average age of the population by the year 2023 would be 29 years old and in India, whereas, in Japan, it would be 47 years, and in the United States of America, it would be 40 years old. The presence of younger people in our country gives us an edge over the demographic dividend of other countries. The demographic dividend is the growth in the economy of the country due to the change in the age structure of the country. The Youth of our country today are increasingly becoming restless and trying their best to make a difference, but it has not been enough. More effort should be made if we all want to end unemployment, poverty, corruption, and violence in the country. Due to the presence of these diseases in our society, there has been a delay in the development of the country.

India is the biggest democracy in the world, and still, it lags in achieving economic and socio-political growth. The two things which our freedom fighters fought for were freedom and the growth of the country, and after all those years, we have failed to achieve both goals. For 72 years, we have failed to fight unemployment, poverty, corruption, illiteracy, and violence in our country. India's ranks in the various development index have barely grown in recent years. For example, India ranks 116 on the Human Capital Index, 126 on the World Happiness Index, 132 on the Human Development Index, and 108 on the Gender Development Index. This shows the state in which our country is. If India wants to improve all these indices, then it is the responsibility of the Youth to come forward and take responsibility to fight against the multiple inequalities and contribute to the development of the country.

Statistics show that India has the upper hand over other countries as 62 % of the population is the Youth. Young minds are known to be innovative and hard-working which will help in the development of the country. Youth can change the country only if proper opportunities in the various fields are given to them. In our society, we have been guided to pursue careers in either engineering or medical science. This could be because of the pressure from the family or the trend in society. This has become a major cause of the downfall of the Youth. A statistical report suggests that about 55% of engineering Youth are unemployed because they don't have the required skills to crack a job. The Youth can change society if they consider pursuing a career in different fields like arts and politics. If proper opportunities are given to the Youth to represent their ideas in fields such as politics, then we can expect a drastic change in the country's growth. Young minds should be motivated to take part in politics and occupy high positions such as education minister, finance minister, bureaucrats, and even the Prime minister.

Youth has the power to bring change. They have the power to demand justice. For example, a mass protest by the Youth against the CAA bill in Delhi or the mass protest by the Youth in Delhi for justice for the Nirbhaya cases are some of the examples of the strength of the Youth. TRO makes the Youth the ultimate power of the country, and educational programs should be developed that aim to teach the young people from the school level the importance and the impact they can have on the country. They should be taught about how the country works and how it can be a significant part of the development of the country. Youth should be motivated to consider different career options such as politics, which eventually helps in running the country.

Our nation has been facing a lot of problems, and Youth has the power to resolve most of them. All the Youth of today need is a chance to prove themselves. Through many protests against corruption, rape against women, we have witnessed that the Youth have the power to unite individuals from various ethnic groups. The world has been facing many problems such as Racism and Islamophobia. Everyone fights with each other because of the religion to which they belong or the complexion of their skin colour. These fights within the Youth are created by political leaders or the people with power because they know that the only way they can defeat the power of Youth is when we are divided. This is the reason why we need Youth in politics as youth leaders could convince other fellow men and women to live in peace and harmony. The differences and all these issues should not allow the Youth to be divided. Instead of focusing on these differences, youth leaders should lead the way and help the majority focus on the real issues that matter, such as poverty, crime against women, unemployment, and many more. The Youth has the ability to bring a change in the country.

To conclude, the role of the Youth is very important in the building of a nation. They can be a positive influence in society and can also solve problems by introducing innovative and impactful ideas that will only help in the betterment of the country. They have the ability to create an identity for themselves, which will help in creating an impact. All the youth need is the support of their family and friends, and I can assure you that they can make our country great. 

Short Essay on the Role of Youth in National Development

India is the world's largest democracy and the second largest populated country in the world.65% of the population comprises the Youth, and this is enough to show the importance of Youth and how big of an asset they are for the country.

The role of Youth in nation-building is very important. The work they do and the ideas they help to bring to the table will take the country on the path to success. In spite of being the largest democracy in the world, India is still lagging behind in achieving the economic success that will help to make a mark in the world. It has been 78 years since the freedom of our country, and throughout all these years, India has been infected by a few diseases such as corruption, unemployment, poverty, malnutrition, no proper healthcare services, and a crime against men and women. Indians are ranked 126 on the World Happiness Index, 108 on the gender development index, and 132 on the Human Development Index. India's rank in the various development indexes has not improved over a few years. The only way India can improve its ranks in all these indices is through empowering the Youth of the country. The Youth need to take charge and come forward to fight for a better tomorrow, and that can only be done if proper opportunities are provided to Youth in different fields.

If anyone wants to bring a change in the system, the only option is to study and get into it. The Indian Youth should consider joining politics and running for different roles such as the governor, bureaucrats, Home minister, and even Prime minister. Youth have the advantage of being a young mind and more connected to today's generation. A youth running the country will help in solving the problems that other Youth faces every day.

Youth has the ability to face any issue and solve it. There has been a rise in the cases of Racism and Islamophobia all across the world. Instead of focusing on important topics such as unemployment, poverty, and corruption, the Youth in our country is divided into a few not-so-important topics. This is because the majority of the Youth has been influenced t=by greedy political leaders who think all about themselves. This is why we need the Youth to be part of politics. Imagine a youth leader who unites every fellow Youth to focus and fight for what will matter for the future, and our country would be great.

To conclude, the Youth has the power to build a nation that will only help in its development. To do so, the Youth of our country should be supported by friends and family members. The Youth should be supported to pursue careers in various fields such as cinema, arts, and politics. The support which everyone will give today to the Youth will help in making our country great in the future. 

The important role of the youth in nation-building has been discussed here, and students can take an idea for writing an essay on my role as a youth in nation-building.

FAQs on Role of Youth in Nation-Building Essay for Students

1. Why is it important to build a nation?

A Nation is a group of people with a common language, beliefs, traditions and culture. Countries have been built from the basis of the shared interest, identity and aspirations of their people coming from different backgrounds. When you say you are Pakistani, Indian or American etc., what comes to your mind? Education, education and education. You have a common identity with all the people living in that particular country which is why you feel united in helping each other in times of need. A nation is a place where all the people live together with harmony and peace because they are united under one umbrella, which is the identity of that particular nation. Building a nation is important because a strong nation can only lead to a stronger economy, which in turn will bring about positive changes for the people living in that country and make their lives easier.

2. What are the traits of a good leader in nation building?

A good leader is a person who has vision and clarity about where he or she wants to take the country. He has complete knowledge about what needs to be done to achieve his goal, whether it's peaceful negotiations between countries at war or building roads within the country. He is a good motivator and knows how to bring out the best in people. He is honest and has high moral values. Last but not least, he is a true leader who can lead from the front and guide others to work for the common good. If a nation has a good leader, it can be possible to bring positive changes in every sector and make the country a better place to live in. With the help of a good leader, a nation can be built in a better way. A good leader can change the destiny of a nation.

3. What are the responsibilities of the youth in nation-building?

Youth has the responsibility to do their bit for nation-building, along with the common people like students, workers etc. Youth should make decisions after much thought and consideration because they hold the future of our generation in their hands. They should work together with all sections of society to bring about positive change in the country. They should also be involved in activities that promote national unity and solidarity. Youth should focus on their education and build a bright future for themselves and their country. They should join the army, civil services, police etc., to serve the nation in their respective capacities. The Youth play a very important role in Nation Building. They are the future of our country, and it is very important to groom them to become good leaders. Youth should be encouraged to take up sports and social work to strengthen our society. If a country has a responsible youth, then that Youth will definitely lead the country to a better future.

4. How can the youth be more involved in nation-building?

The Youth should take up jobs that benefit society. They can join the army, police or civil services to serve our nation. The Youth are our future and should be encouraged to take up sports and social work. Our Youth need to be educated because we cannot progress without them. We all must encourage our Youth to take part in nation-building activities so that together we can create a better future for everyone. With the help of our Youth, many problems can be solved. They should stop taking drugs and other harmful substances. Volunteering for community support activities is a very good way to give back to society while helping our Youth grow stronger in their personal life, health and well-being. If our Youth takes part in nation-building activities, then definitely our nation will be built in a better way.

5. What is the role of women in nation-building?

Women play a very important role in nation-building because they keep the family unit intact and pass on values to the young children. They must not neglect their household work and try to give equal importance to their traditional role while also training themselves to be good citizens. Women should strive for a healthy environment in society and join groups that work to bring about positive changes in their community. They can also involve themselves in nation-building activities like blood donation camps, tree plantation drives etc. There are many jobs women can take up, such as becoming police officers, nurses etc., to serve our nation. The role of Youth in Nation Building is very vital. A responsible youth can definitely lead the country to a better future. Youth should be encouraged to take up jobs that benefit society. Women contribute to nation-building in many ways like working with police, forest department etc. Women play a very important role in nation-building. Nowadays, women are given more freedom, and they play a vital role in society. Women involve themselves in nation-building activities like blood donation camps, tree plantation drives etc. women are taking up jobs in many fields like policewomen, nurses etc. So, women definitely play a very important role in nation-building, and they should be given more opportunities to serve our nation.

6. What is the role of students in building a nation?

Students play a crucial role in building a nation. They are the future leaders, innovators, and responsible citizens. By acquiring knowledge, skills, and values through education, students contribute to economic growth, social harmony, and technological advancement. They also promote cultural understanding and drive positive change in their communities, ensuring a brighter and more prosperous future for the nation.

7. How can the youth contribute to the development of the country?

Youth play a crucial role in a country's growth. By studying hard and learning new skills, they can find good jobs and create new ideas. Starting businesses helps create more jobs and grow the economy. Volunteering in communities and joining social causes can solve local problems and bring people together. Getting involved in politics can bring fresh ideas and changes. Using new technology, they can solve problems and make things better. Their energy and creativity are key to a country's success.

8. What is the importance of being young?

Being young is important because it comes with high energy levels, allowing young people to tackle challenges and achieve their goals. It's a crucial time for learning and gaining skills that will help in the future. Youth bring fresh ideas and creative solutions to problems, driving innovation. They are flexible and adapt easily to changes and new technologies. Additionally, young people often lead movements for positive social and political changes. These factors make youth essential for shaping a better future.

9. What are the 5 importance of youth empowerment?

Youth empowerment is important because it gives young people confidence and skills for better jobs, driving economic growth. It encourage innovation with fresh ideas, leading to progress. Empowered youth participate in community and politics, brings positive change. It reduces inequalities and promotes social inclusion, strengthening society. Lastly, it prepares the next generation for leadership, ensuring a sustainable future.

10. How is youth defined?

Youth is the time in a person's life between being a child and becoming an adult, usually from the teenage years to the early twenties. It is a period marked by growth, learning, and change.

Friday essay: girls have long been woefully underestimated – but now they’re roaring back

Associate Professor in Literary Studies, Monash University

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Teenage girls are typically the least powerful and most underestimated group within Western cultures – where adults are seen as superior to children, and men are privileged above women. Girls can also provoke cultural fears and anxieties because they occupy a transitional space between childhood and adulthood.

How old is a “girl”? The definition has shifted, along with things like the age of consent and marriage. The significance of marriage has tended to mean young women are called “girls” even into their early twenties. While female children are also understood as girls, a distinct girls’ culture begins, it’s generally thought, around the pre-teen years.

The separate stage of life we know as girlhood originated in the second half of the 19th century. It was brought into being by two major transformations: the raise of the age of marriage to the early twenties and girls working outside the home. In Britain and the United States, these changes created a time of independence for young women, between being under the control of parents and the confines of marriage, as literary historian Sally Mitchell has written .

The reality of girls having financial and personal freedom was a worrying prospect. As Mitchell writes , the way a girl is seen as both immature and occupying a liminal stage “gives her permission to behave in ways that might not be appropriate for a woman”.

Yet a separately designated period of girlhood also gave rise to a girls’ culture designed to cater to their unique interests, such as books, magazines and organisations. This “girl culture” would expand and become more visible in the 20th and 21st centuries.

Today’s girls enjoy a wide range of interests and pursuits, from Taylor Swift fandom to political action and elite sport. Yet their interests are often trivialised or dismissed.

Girls of substance

Girls are often framed as “ at risk ”, or as potential dangers to themselves via sex and drugs. At the same time, they are typically dismissed in terms of their political or cultural influence. A popular nursery rhyme suggests girls are made of “sugar and spice and all things nice”. This implies a pleasant, compliant nature, rather than challenging the status quo.

When girls have made a political impact and risen to international prominence, they have often been the target of significant hatred. For example, activist Greta Thunberg gained global notoriety as a 15-year-old when she began the School Strike for Climate movement in 2018.

She became a figure of online hate, especially after sailing to the US in 2019 to participate in climate talks. Thunberg was criticised for having political passion (“whining” and exhibiting “anger”), and for daring to speak up when she was only a “child”.

Even Nobel Prize winner Malala Yousafzai, who survived being shot by a Taliban gunman in Pakistan in 2012 and subsequently became an activist for girls’ education, has been the subject of waves of “ Malala hate ”. Her acceptance into Oxford University, her Nobel Peace Prize and high-profile interviews in magazines such as Vogue have only heightened the volume and vitriol of the disapproval.

Girls of substance, such as Thunberg and Yousafzai, defy feminine expectations by being assertive and refusing to accept social and political norms largely established by male leaders. The degree of irritation these outspoken girls have provoked illustrates how they disrupt the cultural expectations of girls as compliant and unimportant.

Boys vs girls in popular culture

Just as girls themselves have been dismissed when they have attempted to influence politics or culture, the interests and passions of girls have typically been derided as trivial in comparison with those of boys and men.

One of the first visible manifestations of female fandom was teenage girls’ early enthusiasm for The Beatles in the 1960s. As expert on media fandom Mark Duffett explains , the enthusiasm of girls and women for the band was distinguished as “feminized ‘hysterical’ affect” in contrast with “intellectually mature, artistic appreciation”.

The idea that the aspects of culture girls are attracted to are inferior or disposable is another way their interests have been belittled.

Words associated with the music girls primarily consume, such as “bubblegum” pop, signal its “sweetness” and lack of substance. In the 1980s and 1990s, girls’ fandom of “boy bands” such as New Kids on the Block and the Backstreet Boys was disparaged.

More recently, there is some animosity towards “Swifties” and dismissal of the musical quality and likely longevity of Taylor Swift’s music. However, her undeniably successful recent tour to Australia attracted reams of positive media coverage. Articles celebrated girls and their mothers wearing glitter and sequins and attending concerts together.

In the realm of cinema, superhero and comic films are big business today: the Marvel cinematic universe is the highest-grossing franchise in history. These films, with huge production and marketing budgets, are derived from publications and toys typically associated with boys. Though some of these fictional universes include female characters, they are less commonly at the forefront.

In contrast, girls’ interests and hobbies have been so derided and marginalised that Greta Gerwig’s Barbie (2023) was one of the first films to elevate a girls’ toy to major cinema prominence.

Unlike the seven-film Transformers franchise , which has grossed over $5 billion , Barbie exhibits a high-degree of self-awareness and irony about the toy and how girls play with it. Barbie, which has grossed 1.45 billion US dollars at the box office, was widely dissected as a measure of contemporary feminism.

While a predominantly male viewership can uncritically watch action films about robots that change form for entertainment, a story about an iconic fashion doll for girls carried many other expectations – because of its rarity and the sense that girls’ toys and interests are frivolous.

From dismissal to lucrative market share

In the 1870s, in both Britain and the United States, doctors argued against the value of girls’ education by suggesting girls entering puberty required the limited supply of energy available within their bodies to prepare their reproductive systems for womanhood. If girls undertook rigorous academic study, their ability to have healthy children and to retain “their natural grace and gentility” might have been compromised, writes historian Kathleen E. McCrone.

These historical opinions highlight two perceptions of girls: first, that they were physically “weaker” beings who were not capable of the same physical and intellectual activities as boys; and second, that their primary purpose was to bear children.

Things have changed a great deal since. Teenage girls, for instance, are participating in the Olympics in notable numbers as peak athletes. Skateboarding in particular features girls such as 14-year-old Australian skateboarder Arisa Trew , who became the youngest ever Australian Olympic gold medallist this week. (She also became the first woman to land a 720 – two full rotations while mid-air – in competition.)

Girls now have a different kind of cachet: market power in a capitalist economy. In 2000, a Disney executive observed the number of girls dressed in generic princess costumes for live Disney on Ice performances. In response, he initiated the Disney Princess line of merchandise. These toys, costumes, books and accessories reached annual sales in the billions in the early 2000s .

In 2023, Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour, which appealed largely to girls and young women, became the highest-grossing tour of all time .

Nevertheless, Swift attracts criticism that her performances are as not as legitimate as those of male bands who cater to an older fanbase (which includes more men). In a direct reference to the Eras Tour, the Foo Fighters’ Dave Grohl, for example, joked with a live audience that his band was undertaking the “Errors Tour”, “because we actually play live”.

One cultural arena where girls dominate is reading. The 2024 Report of the Australian Teen Reading in the Digital Era project shows twice as many girls are “fiction fanatics” (avid readers) as boys. And boys are far more likely than girls to abstain from reading altogether.

Most young adult fiction is written by women , for an audience of primarily girls and young women. Girls are highly influential on the book industry, by sharing their opinions about books on BookTok and exerting pressure on publishers through social media to increase the diversity of published authors .

The gendered nature of teen reading is commonly framed as a “problem”, with campaigns for more fiction to be published that will directly appeal to boys , to improve their rates of literacy. However, research has repeatedly found male characters have been historically overrepresented in children’s literature. This continues to be the case, despite modest improvements in recent years.

Until comparatively recently, girls have been expected to identify vicariously with male protagonists in fiction and film. Yet it is typically presumed that boys are not willing to read or view stories about girls or written by women, just as men largely refuse to read books written by women . Author of the Harry Potter series, Joanne Rowling, famously adopted the pen-name “J.K” because of her publisher’s assumption that boys would not read a book written by a woman .

The women of tomorrow

In 2024, young women comprise around 60 per cent of Australian university students , reflecting women’s entry into numerous professions. Meanwhile Kamala Harris is a serious contender to become the first female US president, showing girls they can aspire to almost any role in life.

Yet despite movements towards equality for girls and women, sexism continues to permeate many institutions and girls continue to experience sexual assault at double the rate of boys .

Girls are the women of tomorrow. To improve the future for women, it is important to reevaluate attitudes towards girls’ culture and interests. We need to consider why they are often dismissed, compared to the hobbies and passions of boys.

For parents, there is a vital role to play in counteracting stereotypes about girls. Adults can also improve their engagement with girls to prepare them to face a sometimes hostile world.

Chelsey Goodan’s Underestimated: The Wisdom and Power of Teenage Girls , for instance, talks about the need to trust girls to make their own choices, the importance of discussing complex issues, such as sexuality, with them honestly, and why we need to listen to them in ways that allow them to reveal difficult emotions, such as shame and fear.

As Goodan suggests, by dismissing girls with labels like “hormonal”, “crazy” and “dramatic”, our culture “minimizes their voice until it’s silent”.

Most importantly, we can empower girls to speak up. We can also improve our level of respect for them and what they have to say. Devaluing the period of youth for half of the population contributes to attitudes that diminish the contributions, achievements and interests of women, too.

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The False Narrative of a Youth Crime Surge: What Educators Should Know

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There’s a prevailing narrative in the United States that crime has been on the rise, including violence among young people.

But the available data paint a more complicated picture—that of a decades-long decline in youth violence and crime that nonetheless was interrupted by a short-term spike earlier in the COVID-19 pandemic.

Still, educators every day notice the effects of a long-term worsening of adolescents’ mental health and an increase in bad behavior since school buildings reopened following pandemic closures. They also report an uptick in threats of and actual physical and verbal aggression from students .

The complicated reality points to a need for educators, health care providers, those in the criminal justice system, and others who work with young people to focus more sharply on addressing the root causes of youth crime and boosting the available mental health services that can help adolescents work through them.

That’s according to Josh Weber, director of the juvenile justice program at the Council of State Governments, who laid out three key considerations on youth crime during a July 29 webinar that could provide an important backdrop for educators as they try to address their students’ needs and foster a safe school climate where all students can learn.

“There was a moment in time during the pandemic and post-pandemic where violence spiked, but evidence suggests that that is subsiding, and so rather than overreacting to a relatively short-term data blip in violence, it’s important to really try to understand some of the root causes of that violence, and address those,” he said.

Mental health problems among young people are rising

Adolescents are increasingly struggling with their mental health and experiencing trauma in and out of their homes, Weber said. And mental health care providers and the juvenile justice system, often the destination for adolescents and teenagers with the most severe challenges, are struggling to hire and retain staff to meet the demand.

Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Youth Risk Behavior Survey in 2021—the first iteration since the start of the pandemic— showed 42 percent of high school students felt sad or hopeless on a regular basis in 2021 , up from 26 percent in 2009. The proportion of high school students who seriously considered attempting suicide was about 22 percent in 2021, compared to about 14 percent in 2009.

The CDC survey also showed that more than half of respondents, 55 percent, reported experiencing emotional abuse by an adult in their home, and 12 percent reported physical abuse. One in 5 high school students said they had seen someone get physically attacked, stabbed, or shot in their neighborhood. More than a third reported experiencing racism.

To add to that picture, newly released data from the National Institute of Mental Health show that the rate of actual suicides among preteens , those ages 8 to 12, steadily increased each year from 2008 to 2022 , bringing suicide to the fifth leading cause of death for the age group. It was the 11th leading cause from 2001 to 2007. Though boys are still more likely to die by suicide, the increase in that time was particularly pronounced among girls.

At the same time as children’s needs have risen, the systems that are supposed to support them are increasingly grappling with hiring and retention challenges, Weber said, citing a survey of juvenile corrections and probation agencies across the country conducted by the Council of State Governments Justice Center, a nonprofit and nonpartisan research organization, and others.

Eighty-five percent of respondents to that survey reported moderate to severe challenges in hiring and retaining staff, and about half said those problems have worsened in the past decade. Less than 10 percent felt their state had a plan to address the problem.

Youth arrests for violent offenses remain low

Despite more media and public attention on youth violence, arrest rates for violent offenses for children remain at or near historical lows, Weber said. Arrests of young people for offenses like assault, rape, and robbery have been at or near their lowest points in decades, Weber said, citing FBI data.

Nationally, the violent offense rate among adolescents ages 12 to 17 was 5 crimes per 1,000 juveniles in 2021, according to federal data . That wasn’t much different from 2019 and 2020. But it was 70 percent lower than the 2005 rate of 17 crimes for every 1,000 juveniles.

“Overall, this narrative that youth violence has exploded, that young people are kind of going crazy around the country in terms of violence, is not actually true,” he said.

In recent years, however, there has been a spike in homicide and weapons-related offenses among young people, he said.

He acknowledged the available data “lagged,” with the most recent report from 2022. He also acknowledged that gun-related injuries have become the leading cause of death among children .

Many children have been “pushed into the juvenile justice system, not because they’re a public safety risk,” but rather as a way to receive mental health services they wouldn’t otherwise be able to access, Weber said.

Perceptions of youth violence are influenced by local and national media coverage

It’s important for community leaders to understand that perceptions of youth violence and crime are influenced by more than high-level national data, Weber said.

Not all crimes in the community are reported, so national and local data won’t fully reflect many people’s experiences. Plus, available data are typically a few years old.

The public is also influenced by local and national media coverage and political narratives, and there has been much attention on “outlier cases with the highest-risk youth that don’t reflect the vast majority of youth,” he said.

An exaggerated emphasis on violence in news coverage can make community members feel less safe, he said.

And politicians tend to hold up “extreme cases as examples, even when they don’t represent the majority,” Weber said.

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Essays on Youth

Youth homelessness remains a major issue in the 21st century in the United Kingdom due to its adverse long-term consequences. Homelessness among the young people increases the risk of developing mental illnesses by threefold since they lack the required social support system and at the same time are exposed to...

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Essay on “The Role of Youth in India” Complete Essay for Class 10, Class 12 and Graduation and other classes.

The Role of Youth in India

Essay No. 01

Youth  is  the  backbone  of  a  country.  Youth  can  play  an  important role  in  building  a   strong  and  united  India.  Unfortunately, for decades, since independence, youth  have  felt  neglected, disillusioned  and  rudderless.  They need  a  sense  of  direction, involvement  and  responsibility.  The  youth  power  should  be harnessed  to  tackle  the  age-old  social  evils  and  other  problems facing  the  country.  Now  that  the  voting  age  has  been  lowered to  18,  youth  can  play  a  critical  role  in  the  coming  years  to transform  the  hopes  and  aspirations  of  the  nation  into  a  reality. They  should  act  judiciously.  They  should  not  become  pawns  in the  hands  of  politicians.  Thus  in   India  of  tomorrow,  youth  is assured  of  a  decisive  role  in  the  task  of  nation-building  even though  indirectly.

Youth  in  any  country  form  its  backbone.  It  is  on  youths  shoulders  that the  responsibility  for  change,  progress  and  innovations  lies.  Youth  are  starry eyed,  full  of  idealism  and  bubbling  with  energy  to  honestly  fight  for  a cause.  Every  age  suffers  from  the  conservation  of  its  elders.  It  is  the  youth only  who  have  the  necessary  courage  and  initiative  to  break  out  the  taboos and  crippling  practices.  Mao-tse  Tung  of  China  realised  this  latent  power and  dedication  of  the  youth  of  his  country.  He,  therefore,  entrusted  them with  the  Cultural  Revolution—a  movement  intended   to  weed  out  the deadwood  in  the  party,  who  stood  for  status  quo.  Again  in  our  own. country,  our  youth  played  a  significant  role  in  the  freedom   struggle  and made  considerable  sacrifices.

But,  unfortunately,  since  the  attainment  of  Independence,  the  youth  in  the country  have  been going  adrift. They have  not  been  associated  with the contemporary  national  problems.  They have  not  been  assimilated  in  the mainstream  of  national  life.  The  youth   feel  alienated  and,  therefore to  a certain  extent,  frustrated.  Unless  there  are  worthy  causes  or  challenging problems  to  give  our  youth  a  chance  to  show  their  mettle,  there   is  bound to  be  a  sense  of  directionlessness  and  dissatisfaction.  And  the  youth India  for  decades  has  felt  neglected.  Consequently  their  energies  and  stamina are  getting  misdirected  into  negative  thinking  and  destructive  activities. Partly  the  leadership  of  the  country  is  responsible  for  this  state  of  affairs vis-a-vis  the  youth.

If  one  surveys  the  national  scene  today  and  studies  the  structure—social, economic  and  religious—of  Indian  society,  one  can  easily  earmark  the fields  and  problems  which  need  youths  dynamism  and  dedication. Mahatma  Gandhi  and  Jawaharlal  Nehru  dreamt  of  a  beautiful,  united and  strong  India.  The  youth  of  today.  can  play   a  sterling  role  in  the realization  of  this  dream.  Not  only  will  the  youth  lend  a  helping  hand  in tackling  the  ills  affecting  the  country,  but  also  they  will  not  feel  bitter and  alienated,

We  are  well  aware  of  the  extensive  damage  that  is  being  done  to  the fabric  of  our  national  structure  by  parochial  thinking  along  caste  and communal  lines.  It  is  time,  we  shed  our  partisan  prejudices  and  worked jointly  for  the  progress  of  the  county.  It  is  time  a  concerted  effort  was made  to  rid  our  national  life  of  caste  and  communal  strife,  so  that  there could  be  a  homogeneous,  peaceful  and  progressive India.  And  no  other section  of  society  is  more  suited  for  this  onerous  task  than  the  youth. ,They  can,  with  their  liberal  outlook,  decide  to shed  casteism  and  communal  bias  and  propagate  this  thinking  among.  others  also.  They  can  go  in  for inter-caste  and  inter-community  marriages  and  thus  create  fellow-feeling among  different  sets  of  people.  They  can  also  decide  to  drop  their  caste-reflecting  surnames.  This  will  enable  them  to  carve  out  their  own  individual identities  rather  than  falling  hack  upon  the  goodwill  of  the  caste.

Another  important  task  that  the  youth  can  successfully  undertake  is  to eliminate  the  curse  of  dowry.  Dowry  is  responsible  for  a  large  number  of  deaths  of  innocent  married  girls  and  harassment  of  the  parents  of  the marriageable  daughters.  The  birth  of  a  daughter  in  Indian  society  is  an unwelcome  event.  It  generates  gloom  and  despair  among  the  parents  simply because  of  the  large  dowry  which  will  be required  for   marrying  the  girl. The  youth—both  boys  and  girls—can  take  a  pledge  not  to  give  and  accept dowry.  Also  they  can  force  their  parents  to  stop  this  desirable  practice.  This  problem  directly  concerns  the  youth  themselves.  Therefore,  they  can easily  tight  it  and  save  lives  from  being  lost.  The  youth  in  the  cities  can get  in  touch  with  the  youth  in  the  rural,  areas  and  educate them with a view  to  creating  a  mass  movement  for the  abolition  of  dowry. Where legal  sanctions  against  dowry   have  nearly  failed,  this  social  movement  by the  youth  will  prove  effective.

Another  nagging  problem  that  India  faces  today  is  that of population explosion. According to the 1991  census,  India’s  population  was 84.63 crores.  In  a  country,  where  every  minute  a  child  is  born,  all planning  is bound  to  come  to  nought.  All  economic  progress  is  certain  to  be  nullified by  the  increase  in  the population.  With  ever  increasing  mouths  to  feed, the  government’s  efforts  to  strengthen  the  economic  situation  have  yielded poor  results.  Inflation has become  a  chrome  feature.  The  masses  of  pool people  have  been  reeling  under  the  impact  of  rising  prices.  Government has  no  doubt  initiated  several  measures  to  curb  population.  However,  this again  is  a:problem  which  requires  mass-education  about  the.  ill-effects  of large  families  on  the  nation,  on  the  family  as  a  unit,  and  even  on  the health  of  the  mother  and  on  the  future  of  children.  It  is  again  the  youth  of the  country  who  can  be  of  tremendous  help  in  solving  this  nearly unsurmountabl  problem.  First,  they  themselves  should  resolve  to  limit their  own  families  when  they  get  married.  The  youth  can  organise  camps in  the  rural  areas  with  a  view  to  educating  them  about  the  benefits  of small  families.  The  village  folk  are  generally  suspicious  of  government officials,  nurses  and  doctors.  If  a  ground  has  been  prepared,  then  the  family planning  officials  will  meet  with  better  success,  as  they  will  get  the villagers  Cooperation.

Our  is  a  developing  nation.  Our  resources  are  limited.  Crores  of  rupees  are being  spent  by  the government  on  literacy  programmes ,  like  adult  education. Still the literacy  rate  remains  pretty  low.  The  educated  youth,  particularly the  students,  should  come  forward  during  the  holidays,  and  visit  villages to  teach  the  villagers.  They  can  teach  them  elementary  reading  and  writing They  can  also  educate  them  about  the  laws  of  hygiene  and  need  for cleanliness,  and  harmful  effects  of  drinking  and  tobacco  chewing.

Widespread  corruption  is  another  problem  which  can  be  tackled  by  the youth.  They  should  organize  themselves  and  form  anti-corruption  cells (independent  of  government  control)  and  take  up  particular  cases. corruption  and  expose  the  guilty both  politicians  and  public  servants.  They, have  the  required  boldness .They  have  the  sincerity  of  purpose  to  unravel Corrupt  deals  and  officials  and  put  them  to  shame.  This  will  prevent  people from indulging  in  corrupt  practices.

Of  late,  the  government  has  become  conscious  of  the  need  to  tap  the youth-power  The  youth  are  being  associated  with  the  political  and  social, activities  more  actively.  It  is  essential  that  the  Young  and  dynamic  youth should  be  given  ample  -opportunities  to  participate  in  the  task  of  nation building. The  should  follow  the  footsteps  of  youth  leaders  like  late  Sanjay Gandhi  and  Rajiv  Gandhi  who  started  their  political  career  with  Indian Youth  Congress (IYC).

With  the  lowering  Of  the  voting  age  to  18,  the  young  have  suddenly  become political important.  The new voters can decisively tilt the political scales at a general election. Realising this, all the political parties are trying to involve more youth in their political agenda. It depends on the youth not to become pawn in the hands of politicians, but to be judicious. The youth should cast their vote after weighing all the pros and cons. Undoubtedly, in the India of tomorrow the young are going to play a decisive role in choosing their leaders. It is a big responsibility and it will involve the in the task of national reconstruction. Hence, the youth is going to play a crucial role in the coming years to translate the hopes and aspirations of the nations into reality.

Youth  is  the  most  vital  human  resource  of  the  nation  on  whom  the present  and  future  of  the  country  depend.  The  Department  of  Youth Affairs  and  Sports  is  implementing  a  number  of  schemes  of  youth development.  Several  initiatives  taken  in  the  past  have  given  a  new thrust  to  the  youth  programmes  for  channelising  the  abundant  energy of  the  youth  into  constructive  activities.  The  National  Youth  Policy also  seeks  to  provide  the  youth  with  new  opportunities  to  participate  in nation-building  activities.

Essay No. 02

Role of Youth

Youth are the valuable human resource of every country. They constitute about one-third. of the total population of India. During the freedom struggle, the youth of our country played a significant role. But after independence,’ they have become inactive. There is a generation gap between the old -and the young. Most of the youth are misdirected. They should be guided and their energies should be utilized for the progress of the nation. India today is burdened with many social, political and economic problems. The youth can-come forward and check them, and work for the betterment of the nation. The youth can also provide relief to afflicted persons during natural calamities. By performing a constructive role, the youth can make India preposterous in every field.

Youth constitute about 34% of the total population of India. The youth today have often been misunderstood by the elders. There has always been a struggle between tradition and modernity. The elders consider the youth to be immature and inexperienced. The widening generation gap has made them feel alienated. The growing population has complicated the problem of unemployment. Reservations and nepotism have further complicated the problems of unemployment. Schools and colleges do not groom them for a bright future. All these factors have frustrated the youth.

Students constitute majority of the youth. They indulge in acts of indiscipline in different schools, colleges and universities. Thus, their energies are being misused for destructive purposes. They hold rallies and resort to strikes, etc. They go to the extent of taking law into their own hands. They lack proper guidance and good leadership. They should be guided so that they use their energies for concrete purposes.

The students alone cannot be blamed for this. Political leaders exploit student power for their own political ends. If there is good leadership, students’ power can be utilized for bringing about social, economic and political reforms.

India today is facing many problems in the social and economic sphere. Corruptions, increasing population, illiteracy rate, social evils etc. are some of the burning problems. The youth should take an active part to solve these problems, which have delayed the progress of the country.

The population of India has crossed the one billion mark. This has hindered the progress of the country. Though various programmes and reforms have been implemented yet they didn’t bring any positive effects. Family planning programmes have not been totally accepted by the people. Youth organisations should take up the responsibility of educating the poor about the benefits of family planning. Illiteracy is another burning problem in our country. The youth should encourage the illiterate parents to send their children to school. They should initiate steps to teach the illiterate people. They could give them elementary education. They should also educate them about the need for cleanliness.

One of the worst social problems faced by India is the evil of dowry. The youth should come forward and fight against this practice. They should not come under the pressure of their parents to demand, give or accept dowry.

Services of youth can he taken for national integration. The youth should fight against communalism, casteism, linguism, regionalism, etc. The youth should play a responsible role for the betterment of the country. By performing a constructive role, the youth can bring prosperity in India.

Essay No. 03

Indian Youth

India’s population is more than 100 crores, out of which 40% are in the age group of 15 and 30. They form a huge reservoir of energy and cream of the country. Wisdom and discretion are not the monopoly of the elders alone. The young men and women are also intelligent and wise and much of a nation’s progress and future depend upon them. According to Samuel Johnson, “Young men have more virtue than old men; they have more generous sentiments in every respect.” And in the words of Lord Byron:

The days of our youth are the days

of our glory;

And the myrtle and ivy of sweet

two and twenty

Are worth all our laurels, though

ever so plenty.

Young people are full of abundant energy, courage, spirit for adventure, imagination, hope and ambition. These can be very well used in constructive and developmental activities. These should not be allowed either to go waste or used for destructive purposes. The young men and women of India should be fully involved in the creative work of nation-building and reconstruction. The younger generation, which is more generous, flexible, sensitive and dynamic, can do wonders if properly guided and motivated. It is with the help of the young men and women of China that Mao Tsetung, the chairman of the People’s Republic of China (1949-59) and of the Chinese Communist Party, effected the great Cultural Revolution which transformed the whole of China into one of the great political and military powers of the world. Mao was well aware of the power, exuberance, spontaneity, ebullience and unlimited energy of the youth and used these to great advantage for himself and China. Besides China, there are many other countries like France and Indonesia, etc. where the youth has helped in changing the course of history in more ways than one.

It is easy to blame the youth of India for impatience, indiscipline, irreverence for the elders, authority and social customs. But all these reflect one-sidedness and lack of proper understanding on the part of the eiders and grown-ups. No doubt the youth of modern India has its own limitations and problems, etc. but these can be removed or decreased to a great extent by sympathy, understanding and appreciation. If the youth of India have any shortcomings and faults, the elders are to blame because the former mirror the latter.

Proper orientation and positive steps are needed to engage the youth of the country in nation-building activities. Their zeal, enthusiasm and energy need to be channelised in developmental activities and social reconstruction. The Indian youth, full of inexhaustible power, is always eager to do something positive, constructive and appreciable for the society and the nation.

In order to harness the youth-power of the country, a National Youth Policy has been framed to instill in the youth a deep awareness of national ideals of secularism, non-violence, integration and our ancient historical and cultural heritage. It also aims at developing qualities of discipline, self-reliance, leadership, justice, fair play, sporting spirit and scientific temper so as to enable them to combat superstitions, obscurantism and other numerous social ills and evils.

With the above objectives in view, adventure institutions, cultural centres, Yuvak Kendras, and sports centres, etc. have been established in various important cities and towns of the country. For example, Indian Mountaineering Foundation, New Delhi and National Adventure Foundation are two important institutions for promotion of adventure. These provide training facilities and financial assistance for undertaking mountaineering, biking, trekking, expeditions, explorations, cycle-tours, etc. to promote a feeling of oneness and unity. The young men and women from one part of the country exchange visits with their counterparts from other parts. It helps them to familiarize themselves with different environments, lifestyles and social customs.

Then there is the National Service Scheme (NSS). Its main objective is to involve the college and +2 level students on a voluntary and selective basis in the programme of social service and national development. Started in 1969, now it is being implemented in all the states and union territories and covers over 5,000 colleges. Under this scheme, rural and slum reconstruction, repair of roads and school-buildings, village ponds, tanks, tree plantation, conservation of environment, health and family welfare, and adult and women education, etc. are undertaken. NSS students also help local authorities in implementing various relief and rehabilitation programmes. At times of natural calamities, like floods, droughts, famines and earthquakes, NSS students and volunteers play a very important, positive and constructive role.

There are special schemes for the tribal youth to give them vocational training and to update their skills to help them in self-employment. There are youth hostels strewn all over the country to promote travel among young men and women, by providing cheap accommodation when on educational tours and excursions to historical and cultural places. The Nehru YuvakKendras, about 446 in number and spread all over the country, serve non-students and rural youth to improve their personality and employment capability. Under the international scouting and guiding movement, the Bharat Scouts and Guides and All India Boys Scouts Association are inculcating in the Indian youth a spirit of loyalty, patriotism and thoughtfulness for others.

But still more and vigorous efforts are needed to solve the problems of the youth. They are a frustrated lot for want of proper employment opportunities. Our education system does not take note of their requirements and, therefore, fails to prepare them well for life and career. The red-tapism, nepotism, caste considerations and favouritism further add to their problems and frustration. For want of proper leadership and ideals, they suffer from lack of direction, purpose and decisiveness. The task of tackling these and other problems of the youth is difficult and challenging but not impossible. It is the duty of the government, voluntary agencies, corporate world and the society to see that youth-power is properly harnessed, that young men and women are properly educated and trained and subsequently satisfactorily employed. The advanced and developed countries have been investing heavily for the last many decades in schemes and programmes related to the training, education, orientation and welfare of their youth.

With the passage of time, the number of young people in India is likely to increase and so it becomes imperative that more effective ways and means are found to use their vast energy in economic reconstruction and social regeneration activities. Perhaps, one of the best ways can be their greater involvement in welfare schemes, community development programmes and nation-building activities so as to generate in them a sense of purpose, pride, self-confidence and relevance. It is only by such means and efforts that the young people in India can be given the much needed self-confidence and a sense of fulfillment and belonging. They can be inspired to work in the slums, villages and hamlets in their spare time. They can be urged to adopt families, villages or clusters of houses to improve sanitation, education, social awareness, economic condition and skills of the people residing in them.

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good one ….

Thanks for help. These essays are very nice

Thank you so much today in class I have to represent the same speech

i am ayush raj

I read many paragraphs but these 3 paragraph I found very interesting it is amazing and thank you so much for posting this paragraph. Surly I will represent this speech.

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Nathan Hammerschmitt Le Gal

Hi there! I'm Nathan, from Lynn, MA (basically Boston). At the moment, I'm studying Engineering and Biology, though I hope to explore courses across the Humanities and Social Sciences. I'm an aspiring naturalist who loves writing, drawing, and photography. My time outside the classroom is spent running trails, reading random wikipedia articles, or speaking French with Francophone friends. Explore my posts for an inside perspective of everything Dartmouth has to offer!

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Make the Most of Summer Essay Writing

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I took this class to explore the Biology Department and it ended up defining my freshman Fall. I grew close with other biology-minded students and together we delved deep into cellular mechanisms and processes in a fast-paced environment. The labs were long but rewarding and everything about this class made me a better scientist—Professor Bezanilla is an amazing teacher! I would recommend this class to anyone with a passion for biology and research.

Winter Hanover, NH

“Who do I want to be?” is a question that I frequently ask myself as an undergraduate (and I’m sure you will as well). A good place to begin answering this question, however, is “Who am I ?” Taking Investigative Memoir as my first-year Seminar allowed me to explore this question via personal reflection and expressive writing—something that has helped me frame my identity at Dartmouth with the rest of my life. College can be a surreal experience, but Professor Sharlet’s introduction to the world of creative nonfiction has given me the ability to transform my own perceptions into tangible, recorded stories.

Spring Hanover, NH

As a kid I drew a lot; I was inspired by architectural books like “Pyramid” and “Castle” and fascinated by illustrations in “The Way Things Work.” All of these books are by the author David Macaulay—and I had the opportunity to take this very class with him! I completed weekly sketchbook exercises, worked on visually communicating inventions, and was able to receive personal feedback. The theme of visual illustration as a tool in engineering resonated strongly with me, inspiring my interest in an engineering major modified with studio art. Given my long relationship with his work, this class was truly a dream come true.

I hope you enjoyed the Mushroom cover image. I could have kept walking down the sidewalk on the way to—you guessed it—writing things like this blog post, but I stopped to capture the moment.

If you're anything like me, sometimes you go weeks without writing anything. Sometimes you stop and take pictures of mushrooms to delay the inevitable (okay, maybe that's on another level). Regardless, you've probably struggled at some point when it actually came time to write something. If you're a rising junior or senior right now, you might be receiving a lot of advice about getting an early start on your college essays. I thought it might be helpful to share my experience and highlight the idea that it's quite possible to begin the writing process earlier—without necessarily putting your fingertips to the keyboard. 

When I was applying to schools, I went down a rabbit hole of essay writing strategies and devoured examples of "successful" essays. I read a few books and probably listened to a full work week's worth of podcasts. Maybe this was my method of coping with the fact that I had essays to write that I didn't want to start yet—but I still found it very valuable. The more related information I was able to take in, the more I could begin to see how I might approach writing my own essays. I started the reflection process early and my ideas were able to marinate.

All this is to say that the actual, deep work that was required for me to end up with essays I was proud of came from the process of not writing. I was intentionally keeping track of ideas through notes, but I was also subconsciously processing how I could present myself in my essays. When it came time to actually write, the task became to convey my thoughts in the most effective way possible—and that simply came through grammar, vocabulary, and some storytelling strategies.

I also knew the methods of expressing my marinated ideas, so to speak, were important, but I came across an insight. You can take my word with a grain of salt, but from my own college essay journey, I found that it can be easy to get caught up in flowery language, complex syntax, and experimental writing structures.. It would have been easy to deem the way I was telling my story into the 'content' of the story, but I realized a focus on the content itself and working backwards yielded a more authentic representation of myself. 

Anyways, I hope this alleviated some pressure to have your college essays fully fleshed out by the end of summer. Have ideas and be constantly thinking about who you are, who you've been, and who you want to be. The writing will come.

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Essay on The Role of Youth Today

Students are often asked to write an essay on The Role of Youth Today in their schools and colleges. And if you’re also looking for the same, we have created 100-word, 250-word, and 500-word essays on the topic.

Let’s take a look…

100 Words Essay on The Role of Youth Today

The importance of youth.

Youth is the foundation of a society. They are the future leaders, innovators, and change-makers. Their role is crucial for societal development.

Education and Youth

Education empowers the youth. It gives them the knowledge and skills to contribute positively to society.

Youth and Technology

Youth today are tech-savvy. They use technology to learn, communicate, and solve problems, which is beneficial for the modern world.

Youth and Social Change

Youth are often at the forefront of social change. They challenge old norms and fight for equality and justice.

250 Words Essay on The Role of Youth Today

The catalysts of change.

Youth today are not just the leaders of tomorrow, but also the partners of today. They represent a dynamic, energetic, and innovative segment of the population. Their role in society is not confined to self-development and securing a future, but extends to shaping the present.

The Power of Innovation

The digital native generation is at the forefront of technological innovation. They are not just consumers, but creators, harnessing the power of technology to develop new solutions to old problems. From climate change to social justice, the youth are using their digital prowess to drive change.

Agents of Social Transformation

Youth today play a pivotal role in social transformation. They challenge traditional norms, advocate for equality, and strive for a more inclusive society. Their voices are loud and clear in movements against racial discrimination, gender inequality, and environmental degradation.

Driving Political Change

The role of youth in politics is increasingly significant. They are not just voters, but active participants, influencing policy and demanding accountability. The youth’s engagement in politics is redefining democracy, making it more participatory and representative.

The Challenges Ahead

However, the youth face numerous challenges, including unemployment, mental health issues, and a lack of access to quality education and healthcare. Addressing these challenges is crucial for harnessing the full potential of the youth.

500 Words Essay on The Role of Youth Today

The significance of youth in the contemporary world.

In today’s rapidly evolving society, the role of youth is more critical than ever. They are the torchbearers of change and progress, acting as catalysts in the transformation of society. They are the ones who question, challenge, and break the rigid structures of the past to pave the way for a more progressive future.

The Youth as Agents of Change

The youth of today are not just the leaders of tomorrow – they are also the leaders of today. They are at the forefront of social, political, and environmental movements, driving change in their communities and countries. From climate change activists like Greta Thunberg to social justice advocates like Malala Yousafzai, young people are making their voices heard on the global stage.

The Youth as Innovators

In addition to being change-makers, the youth are also innovators. They are the ones pushing the boundaries of technology, science, and art, creating new possibilities for the future. They are not afraid to take risks and experiment, and this spirit of innovation is what drives societal progress.

Young entrepreneurs are disrupting traditional industries with innovative business models and technologies. They are creating jobs, driving economic growth, and contributing to societal development. Their innovations are not just about profit – they are also about solving pressing social and environmental problems.

The Youth as Builders of Peace

In conflict-ridden societies, the youth can play a crucial role in reconciliation and healing. They can promote dialogue and understanding, helping to mend the social fabric and pave the way for a peaceful future.

The Challenges Facing the Youth

Despite their potential, the youth face numerous challenges. They are often marginalized and excluded from decision-making processes, their voices unheard and their needs unmet. They also face numerous socio-economic challenges, including unemployment, lack of access to quality education and healthcare, and discrimination.

These challenges are not insurmountable. With the right support and opportunities, the youth can overcome these obstacles and fulfill their potential as agents of change, innovators, and builders of peace.

In conclusion, the role of youth today is multifaceted and crucial. They are the agents of change, the innovators, and the peacebuilders. Their energy, creativity, and resilience make them a powerful force for progress. It is therefore essential that we recognize their potential, address their challenges, and provide them with the opportunities they need to thrive. After all, the future of our society depends on them.

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Essay on National Youth Day

National Youth Day, or Swami Vivekananda Jayanti, is celebrated on January 12 of every year. The Indian Government, in 1984, decided to celebrate the birthday of Vivekananda as National Youth Day. An essay on National Youth Day explains the purpose and significance of celebrating and dedicating this day to Swami Vivekananda and his principles.

National Youth Day is a special day dedicated to the youth. The day intends to promote understanding, appreciation and responsibility for young people . It promotes social engagement and supports education through activities, events, and celebrations. National Youth Day is observed every year across schools and colleges. Processions, youth conventions, speeches, music, seminars and other events mark National Youth Day on 12 January. Moreover, the role of youth in nation building plays an important role in the country’s development.

In his address at the inauguration of four-year-long celebrations of Swami Vivekananda’s 150th birth anniversary, former Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh noted: “The philosophy of Swamiji and the ideals for which he lived and worked could be a great source of inspiration for the Indian Youth Day.”

Purpose of National Youth Day

Swami Vivekananda urged the youth to use their energies and time to develop their country positively. India celebrates National Youth Day to remember Swami Vivekananda’s birth, opening opportunities for youths to make impactful decisions.

National Youth Day is an annual day to celebrate youth. This celebration also includes speeches and gatherings in various cities across the country. This short essay on National Youth Day allows the little learners to understand how important they are to nation-building.

It allows celebrating and raising awareness about the importance of their role in society and how they can help shape it. The day also provides young people with a platform to express themselves and achieve their goals, which is why it is such a popular event for parents to take their children out for this day.

Significance of National Youth Day

To honour Swami Vivekananda and the ideals he believed in, i.e., the future hope of India- the youth, January 12 is a day of celebration in India. According to the 2021 census in the country, millions of people were between the age of 15 and 29. This has had an incredible impact on social norms and development.

Essay writing plays a vital role in helping children improve their vocabulary. BYJU’S essay on national youth day helps them to explore the topic in-depth.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the purpose of national youth day.

National Youth Day is an annual day to celebrate youth. This celebration also includes speeches and gatherings in various cities across the country. It allows celebrating and raising awareness about the importance of their role in society and how they can help shape it. The day also provides young people with a platform to express themselves and achieve their goals,

What is the significance of National Youth Day?

To honour Swami Vivekananda and the ideals he believed in, i.e. the future hope of India – the youth, January 12 is celebrated as National Youth Day in India

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THE QUEEN'S COMMONWEALTH ESSAY COMPETITION

Since 1883, we have delivered The Queen's Commonwealth Essay Competition, the world's oldest international schools' writing competition. Today, we work to expand its reach, providing life-changing opportunities for young people around the world.

The Queen’s Commonwealth Essay Competition 2024 is now closed for entries

Find out more about this year’s theme

'Our Common Wealth'.

140 years of The Queen’s Commonwealth Essay Competition

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ABOUT THE COMPETITION 

An opportunity for young Commonwealth citizens to share their thoughts, ideas and experiences on key global issues and have their hard work and achievement celebrated internationally.

Frequently Asked Questions for the Competition. Before contacting us please read these.

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Youth of George Washington

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The youth of George Washington (1732-1799), the first President of the United States, remains the least understood chapter of his life, shrouded in folklore and myths. Yet the experiences of his youth, and the bond he felt toward his older half-brother Lawrence, shaped the man he was to become and helped put him on the path toward revolution and the presidency.

This article examines what is known about the lineage and youth of George Washington, from the first time his great-grandfather set foot on the shores of Virginia in 1657 until George's own coming of age in 1753, a year before the shots fired at the Battle of Fort Necessity changed the trajectory of his own life and, it can be argued, of world history.

Tall, strong, and somewhat physically awkward, the young George Washington grew up on a plantation just outside of Fredericksburg, Virginia, and moved to Mount Vernon as his brother's ward shortly after the death of their father. He became a land surveyor at the age of 16, measuring over 60,000 acres of land along the unmapped western frontier of Virginia. When Lawrence contracted a fatal case of tuberculosis, George accompanied him to Barbados, the only time he ever left the boundaries of the future United States; while there, he had a short but painful bout with smallpox, and for the first time came face to face with the military might of Great Britain . He had experienced much by his 21st birthday in 1753, although nothing could have prepared him for what was still to come.

Family & Parentage

The story of the Washington family in Virginia begins with a shipwreck. On 28 February 1657, the merchant vessel Seahorse of London ran aground on the shoals of the Potomac River during a storm; laden with precious tobacco, the ship had just embarked on its return voyage to England . Among its crew was a young Englishman named John Washington (b. 1633), who had taken to a life at sea after his father, an Anglican rector, had had his properties confiscated for his support of the Royalists during the English Civil Wars (1642-1651). As the crewmen went to work repairing the Seahorse of London , John Washington befriended several locals including Anne Pope, the daughter of a wealthy Maryland planter. It was perhaps out of love for Anne – or perhaps because he spied more opportunity in America than on the open seas – that induced John to stay behind after the crewmen sailed the repaired vessel back to England. John Washington married Anne Pope in late 1658, with the marriage ultimately producing five children.

Before his death in August 1677, John Washington made quite an impression on his adoptive home of Virginia. He had purchased or inherited upwards of 5,000 acres of land, upon which tobacco was planted and harvested by both enslaved Africans and white indentured servants. John's eldest son, Lawrence (b. 1659) was therefore left with a decent inheritance and was perfectly poised to enter public service. Before the age of 25, he served as both the Justice of the Peace and in the House of Burgesses , cementing the place of the Washington family among the colony's landed gentry. Around 1686, he married Mildred Warner, the daughter of the Speaker of the House of Burgesses, with whom he would have three children: John (1692-1746), Augustine (1694-1743), and Mildred (1698-1747). Lawrence died an early death in 1698, after which his widow remarried to an English merchant, George Gale, and moved her children to Whitehaven, England, before she died in 1701. Gale took care of the orphaned Washington children, enrolling the boys in the nearby grammar school at Appleby.

Augustine Washington, the middle child of Lawrence and Mildred, returned to Virginia sometime before he came of age in 1715 to claim his inheritance. Called 'Gus' by family and friends, he was tall, blond, and muscular, and was said to have been as gentle as he was strong. Upon his 21st birthday, he inherited 1,000 acres of land as well as six enslaved people; his marriage to Jane Butler that same year added another 1,700 acres to his already considerable amount of property. The couple settled on Gus' main plot of land at Pope's Creek in Westmoreland County, Virginia, where construction soon began on a home called Wakefield. It was here that Jane gave birth to three surviving children: Lawrence (1718-1752), Augustine, Jr. (1720-1762), and Jane (1722-1735).

Like his own father, Augustine entered public life, serving as Justice of the Peace and sheriff for Westmoreland County. He also continued buying up properties, including a tract of land near Accokeek Creek, 8 miles (13 km) northeast of Fredericksburg. It was on this land that rich deposits of iron were discovered in the late 1720s; looking to capitalize on this, Augustine began negotiating with the Principio Company, an association of British ironmasters and merchants, to construct an ironworks on the land. In 1729, Augustine went to England to finalize negotiations with his new business partners only to discover upon his return that his wife Jane had died. Distraught though he was, it was not customary for Virginian widowers to stay single for long, and, on 6 March 1731, Augustine Washington was remarried to 23-year-old Mary Ball.

Childhood & Education

Mary Ball Washington gave birth to her firstborn son at Wakefield at 10 a.m. on 22 February 1732. His name was George. His birth would be followed by five younger siblings: Elizabeth (1733-1797), Samuel (1734-1781), John Augustine (1736-1787), Charles (1738-1799), and Mildred (1739-1740). In 1734, Augustine moved his rapidly growing family 60 miles (96 km) up the Potomac River to the Little Hunting Creek plantation, where he could keep a closer eye on his lucrative ironworks. He ordered the construction of a house on this property that would form the basis for Mount Vernon. Before long, Augustine moved the family once again, this time to the Ferry Farm estate near Fredericksburg, Virginia; it was here where George Washington spent much of his youth.

Not much is known about George's childhood; indeed, in terms of historical scholarship, it remains the murkiest chapter of his life. He was certainly raised on the Ferry Farm plantation, and likely attended a local school in Fredericksburg, where he excelled in the subjects of geometry, trigonometry, and mapmaking. Some of his school papers survive, in which he copied out sets of moral teachings from the book Rules of Civility and Decent Behavior in Company and Conversation ; these 'rules', which included such counsel as "in the presence of others, sing not to yourself with a humming noise, nor drum with your fingers or feet", showed George how to be a proper Virginian gentleman, guidance he would follow for the rest of his life. Folkloric stories about George's childhood – such as the supposed instance in which he was unable to lie to his father about chopping down a prized cherry tree – were later fabricated, to fill in the gaps in this unknown part of his life.

In 1743, Augustine Washington unexpectedly died. At only 11 years old, George inherited Ferry Farm as well as ten enslaved people. Too young to fend for himself, he was sent to live with his eldest half-brother, Lawrence, who had inherited the Little Hunting Creek estate and had renamed it Mount Vernon, in honor of British Admiral Edward Vernon, his commanding officer in the War of Jenkins' Ear. George idolized and adored Lawrence and soon tried to emulate the "grace, bearing, and manners" of his refined older brother (Freeman, 5). Eventually, George would come to regard Lawrence as both a father figure and a best friend. Lawrence Washington seemed to be a good role model for the young George as he was quickly making a name for himself in Virginia. In 1744, he was elected to the House of Burgesses and, a few years later, helped found the Ohio Company, a land speculation company that was chartered to settle the uncolonized lands of the Ohio River Valley. Lawrence also married Anne Fairfax, the daughter of his influential neighbor Thomas Fairfax, whose patronage would soon affect George's life.

Surveying Career

After finishing his education, George's proficiency in mathematics led him to consider a career in land surveying, which at the time was considered a respectable path to wealth and social advancement. In 1748, at the age of 16, George Washington set out on an expedition into the wilderness of the Shenandoah Valley to survey the properties of Lawrence's father-in- law Thomas Fairfax. It was to be the first time George set foot off the lands where he had grown up on the Virginia Neck, and he kept a diary to recount his experiences on this, his first real adventure. Led by Thomas' son, George William Fairfax, the surveying party proceeded along the bank of the Potomac River, setting out on 14 March 1748; that night, after a long day of journeying, George was disappointed to find there was nothing to sleep on except a "thread bare blanket with double its weight of vermin such as lice fleas". Then, on 22 March, George encountered Native Americans for the first time, their party carrying a scalp. George recorded in his journal how one of the natives constructed a drum by stretching deerskin over a half-filled pot of water, while the others danced around a roaring fire.

This first expedition was, ultimately, a success, and George received his land surveyor's license the following year. Impressed with the young man's abilities, Thomas Fairfax used his influence to get George appointed as a land surveyor for the newly formed Culpeper County, on Virginia's western frontier. Over the course of the next three years, George Washington conducted 200 surveys, measuring a combined total of 60,000 acres of land. These surveying trips took him far beyond the limits of Culpeper County, and he was soon venturing into the Blue Ridge Mountains and other unsettled territories in the west. This experience would give him a lifelong interest in the western lands, an interest that influenced the choices that led to him taking up arms in both the French and Indian War and the American Revolution . He stopped surveying land professionally in 1752 but would continue to do so for his own properties for the rest of his life.

Trip to Barbados

In the spring of 1749, as George's land surveying career was taking off, Lawrence came down with a heavy cough. At first, he tried to ignore it and carry on with his duties, but the cough would not go away and became so bad that he had to take a leave of absence from the House of Burgesses in May. By early 1751, it was clear that the oldest Washington brother was suffering from tuberculosis (commonly known as 'consumption' in those days), prompting him to seek a more tropical climate in the hopes that the balmy air might restore his health. Barbados, a small island in the southeastern Caribbean, was known to be a popular destination for tuberculosis patients, leading Lawrence to select it as his destination. His wife Anne was unable to accompany him – she had an infant daughter to look after whose health she did not want to risk on a long voyage – so 19-year-old George agreed to go instead. The brothers' vessel set sail from the Potomac on 28 September 1751, arriving on the east coast of Barbados at 4 a.m. on 2 November.

The brothers disembarked and went to Bridgetown, the island's main settlement, and eventually found lodgings at the home of Captain Crofton, overlooking Carlisle Bay. As Lawrence consulted with his physicians, George marveled at the tropical landscape of Barbados, which was unlike anything he had ever seen, and found that he was 'perfectly ravished' by the island's beauty (mountvernon.org). He and Lawrence often dined at the homes of important Barbados officials, one of whom offered George a tour of Charles Fort on Needham Point. The 36-gun fort, which guarded the entrance to Carlisle Bay, was the first such fortress George had ever seen, and had a significant impact on the young Virginian; whereas previously he had given little thought to military matters, his glimpse of Britain's military might in Barbados fascinated him and may have convinced him to pursue a military career of his own once he returned to Virginia.

On 17 November, amidst the intoxicating rush of social life in Bridgetown, George came down with a fever. By the evening, he was complaining of a severe headache and pains in his back and sides, and small red dots appeared on his forehead three days later. George had contracted smallpox, one of the most feared diseases of his time – while it was much rarer in Virginia, it was common in the Caribbean. For several days, George was confined to bed, fighting his painful battle with the pox. But he was young and healthy and recovered soon enough, although his face was marred with the telltale scars that denoted a smallpox survivor. George would never forget his bout of smallpox, nor how close to death he had come. During the American Revolution, when a smallpox outbreak was ravaging the colonies, he would mandate that all his soldiers be inoculated against the disease, an act that several historians credit with having saved the Continental Army from destruction.

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Death of Lawrence

On 21 December, shortly after his recovery, George sailed for Virginia alone; Lawrence, whose condition had not much improved, decided to try Bermuda instead but urged his younger brother to return home. George arrived at Yorktown on 28 January 1752 and immediately went on to Williamsburg to pay his respects to the governor, Robert Dinwiddie, who would soon play an important role in his life. He then returned to Mount Vernon and fell hopelessly in love with Elizabeth 'Betsy' Fauntleroy, daughter of a respected family. This was far from the first time George had been in love; as a teenager, he had written poetry about girls he had crushes on, but he had never formally courted any of them. Now that he was of a marriageable age, he made two romantic overtures to Betsy Fauntleroy but was rejected each time. It would be another seven years before he would marry the widowed Martha Dandridge Custis, his future First Lady.

Sometime in early June 1752, Lawrence returned from Bermuda, but not because he had recovered; having realized he was dying, he had decided to "hurry home to [his] grave " so that he might put his affairs in order and die in the land on which he had been born (Freeman, 31). Lawrence completed and signed his will on 20 June and died six days later at the age of 34; the grief-stricken George was entrusted with putting together the funeral arrangements and building a burial vault for his beloved half-brother. The ownership of Mount Vernon passed to Lawrence's widow, Anne, but because she did not live there, she agreed to lease the property to George; upon Anne's own death in 1761, George became the official owners of Mount Vernon (Lawrence and Anne's only daughter, Sarah, had died in infancy in 1754).

Conclusion: Washington the Soldier

In 1753, George Washington turned 21, considered the age of maturity in Colonial America. Like his father, he was physically strong and stood over 6 feet tall (183 cm) in his stockings, towering over most of his contemporaries. He had grey-blue eyes and reddish hair that he powdered and curled in the fashion of the time. He was known to be a graceful dancer, a skilled horseback rider, and fond of hunting, traits that marked him out as a proper Virginian gentleman. Yet like other young gentlemen of that time, George Washington thirsted for adventure; the awe-inspiring sight of Charles Fort in Barbados had led him to dream of martial glory, much like his idolized brother Lawrence had achieved at the Siege of Cartagena during his service in the War of Jenkins' Ear.

He would soon have his chance. In 1753, word reached Virginia that the French had begun to build forts in the Ohio River Valley, on lands that had been claimed by the Ohio Company, which had been partially founded by Lawrence Washington. Governor Dinwiddie, who was an investor in the Ohio Company, dispatched George to demand that the French leave the territory at once. George Washington's decision to accept the mission, although undoubtedly fueled by his lust for glory, was also made from the experiences of his youth. He was compelled to defend the claims of the Ohio Company both out of love and loyalty to his older brother and because of his own experiences as a surveyor of western lands, lands he believed rightfully belonged to Virginians. Whatever his reasons, Washington's journey into the West in 1753 would change the trajectory of his life, putting him on the path to becoming a soldier and, ultimately, president of a nation he would help forge, the United States of America.

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Bibliography

• A Journal of My Journey Over the Mountains | George Washington's Mount Vernon , accessed 25 Jul 2024.
• Chernow, Ron. Washington. Penguin Books, 2011.
• Freeman, Douglas Southall. Washington. Scribner, 2011.
• George Washington - Encyclopedia Britannica , accessed 25 Jul 2024.
• George Washington's Journey to Barbados | George Washington's Mount Vernon , accessed 25 Jul 2024.
• Middlekauff, Robert. The Glorious Cause: The American Revolution, 1763-1789. Oxford University Press, 2007.
• Washington as Public Land Surveyor | George Washington: Surveyor and Mapmaker | Articles and Essays | George Washington Papers | Digital Collections | Library of Congress , accessed 25 Jul 2024.

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Mark, H. W. (2024, August 05). Youth of George Washington . World History Encyclopedia . Retrieved from https://www.worldhistory.org/article/2511/youth-of-george-washington/

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Writing is an act of imagination built from the raw materials of life and language. In this course, you’ll learn to approach writing as a craft and discover processes and techniques that writers in all genres use, from generating story ideas to deciding on voice and point of view. You and your classmates will read and discuss essays, short stories, and works of poetry with a focus on the author’s intentions and creative choices. Your instructor for this course will be an experienced writer who guides you and your classmates through the creative writing and revision process. During writing workshops, you’ll submit works to be reviewed by your instructor and peers, who will offer detailed feedback geared toward making your writing stronger. You will also read works by your classmates and offer feedback. Through this collaborative revision process, you’ll develop confidence in your own writing, editing and creative abilities.

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• Explore tools for generating ideas and incorporating literary elements into your writing
• Draft and develop 4-5 creative and analytic or reflective writing projects
• Collaborate in writing workshops, giving and receiving feedback, and incorporating feedback in revisions of at least two major assignments

Summer Dates & Locations

After May 31, 2024 , registration is available upon request pending eligibility and seat availability. To request placement, email [email protected] after submitting a program application.

Session One

Session Two

Testing and prerequisites.

Students must achieve qualifying scores on an advanced assessment to be eligible for CTY programs. If you don’t have qualifying scores, you have several different testing options. We’ll help you find the right option for your situation.

Cost and Financial Aid

Application fee.

• Nonrefundable Application Fee - $50 (Waived for financial aid applicants)
• Nonrefundable International Fee - $250 (outside US only)

Financial Aid

We have concluded our financial aid application review process for 2024 On-Campus Programs. We encourage those who may need assistance in the future to apply for aid as early as possible.

About Language Arts at CTY

Explore storytelling.

Want to have fun reading popular stories and writing your own tales of adventure? Pen your hero's journey and explore a diverse range of books in Behind the Mask: Superheroes Revealed , or have fun shaping your prose and experimenting with different formats and styles in Fiction and Poetry .

Find your voice

Take your writing to the next level! In Writing and Imagination , you can build your vocabulary and gain the tools to write your own creative fiction. You'll learn to craft compelling narratives about your own experiences at the college level in Crafting the Essay , and have fun learning new literary devices and figurative language in Writing Your World .

Meet our instructors and staff

This was my fifth summer working at CTY. I love the culture of CTY. For three weeks, students and staff from all over the world create their own special community unlike anywhere else. I love getting to be a part of that.

Amanda Mastronardi

Dean of Residential Life and CTY Alum

CTY students have a contagious energy combined with a thirst for knowledge that I look forward to each summer. They remind me of why I became a teacher.

Antonia Richards

Chemistry Instructor

CTY is one of the highlights of my year. Even though it’s the summer, the immersive learning in a subject where these students truly excel and shine is invigorating for me as a teacher.

Lauren LaPorta

Writing Instructor

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