Help UNC Students Share Their Stories
Donation protected
Hi, I’m Kieran.
I’m a college student at UNC, and I started a nonprofit called The People and the Pen because I was tired of watching smart, passionate students get ignored. Whether it's in the classroom, student publications, or bigger media outlets, it feels like no one takes us seriously unless we say what they want to hear.
So I decided to make something different. A place where students and young writers can speak honestly. Where they can report on what’s happening around them, criticize institutions when necessary, and write with impact.
Right now, I’m trying to raise money to:
- Run a writing contest for UNC students, with a cash prize and a chance to be published
- Support local investigative journalism, specifically supporting our local community
- Start putting out collections of political commentary and essays by students and local writers
If you’ve ever felt like your voice didn’t matter, or like you had something to say but no real place to say it, then this is for you.
Even a small donation helps. It goes straight toward helping writers get published and paid for doing real work. All donations go directly towards paying student writers and nonprofit operations. We will not use funds to pay ourselves.
Thanks for taking the time to read this. And thank you even more if you decide to be a part of it.
-Kieran
Founder of The People and the Pen
Organizer
Kieran Schmitt
Organizer
Pittsboro, NC