Sofia Williams and Agatha German will take charge of the organization for the coming school year.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 16, 2022
Teens for Press Freedom (TPF) introduced members to new Co-Directors Agatha German and Sofia Williams in a recent Instagram post. Last year, German served as Deputy Director of the Outreach Team, and Williams was Deputy Director of the News Team.
German is a rising senior at the High School of American Studies at Lehman College in the Bronx, New York. Williams is a rising junior at Mira Costa High School in Los Angeles, California.
In the post, German said, “Our generation is faced with the task of solving a growing number of social justice issues. We must be educated, which can only happen through access to credible news sources and a free press.”
They will kick off the year by leading a session of the News Literacy Webinar Series, on August 31: “A Discussion with Teens for Press Freedom.” The program is run by the News Literacy Project, a nonprofit that creates curriculum on how to separate fact from fiction online.
“As I assume a bigger role in the organization, I hope to continue Charlotte and Isabel's work. I also want to forge connections with other organizations, lobby for more speaking opportunities for TPF members, and get our pieces published in more local papers,” Williams said in a video speech at the June Summer Send-Off.
German and Williams will take over from TPF Co-Founders Charlotte Hampton and Isabel Tribe, who will attend Dartmouth College and Brown University, respectively. Tribe is taking a gap year in Latin America.
About leaving the organization, Hampton said, “It’s hard to pass on the torch, but TPF ultimately belongs to a very specific age group, to help high schoolers wrestle with their political identity.
“I’m very excited to see what Agatha and Sofia will do to improve the organization and make it their own. With Agatha, I’m happy to keep TPF in the HSAS family. Sofia is also an exciting addition because she can make membership more national, and less-New York centric.”
At the Summer Send Off, German said, “In TPF, members get to know each other as friends, but we aren’t just another organization posting infographics on Instagram. We’re actually going out and getting stuff done, which is why I can’t wait to see what the future holds for us.”
"The transition of leadership into Agatha and Sophia’s capable hands is a testament to TPF’s growth and longevity. It demonstrates that what we have created remains relevant, salient, and adaptive.
"I look forward to watching as a new generation of leaders expertly guide TPF to new and unexpected heights," Tribe added.
They will resume TPF’s work in early September, after a two month summer recess. Working under German and Williams, Eloise Gordon will lead the Advocacy Team, Kevin Tannum will lead the Workshop Team, Ifeoma Okwuka will lead the Media Relations Team, and Alexa Berman will lead the News Team.