Find Your Story
Identity, family, community, dreams, guided by one prompt: what story only you can tell?
FADE IN:
Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, Teen Council
Our Mission
To put real storytelling opportunities in film, music, and public speaking into the hands of LA teens who would not otherwise get the chance.
[ The Founder ]
My name is Knox Yoon, and I am the founder of Next 100, a student-led initiative built to expand access to storytelling, arts education, and creative opportunity for young people who might not otherwise get it.
The idea started with my own story. During the pandemic, I picked up a $30 guitar. What began as a simple hobby turned into a source of confidence, self-expression, and connection. Music helped me find my voice during a hard time, and it eventually led me to opportunities through the GRAMMY Museum, the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, public speaking programs, and leadership experiences I never imagined possible.
As I got more involved in those programs, I realized something: most students never get the chance to discover what they are capable of, simply because they lack access to arts education, mentorship, and creative community. That realization is what pushed me to start researching arts education equity and building an initiative to help more students find their own creative voice.
Next 100 is built on a simple belief: every young person has a story worth telling. I am still developing the pilot model, through conversations with educators, museum professionals, community leaders, and youth program directors, and have presented the concept to leadership at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures along the way. The initiative remains student-led and is currently in the pilot development phase.
My goal is simple. I want to help other students find their own version of the $30 guitar that helped me find mine.
Knox Yoon, Founder
[ Why The Name ]
The Academy Museum sits inside an industry now stepping into its next century of film. Next 100 is a bet on who gets to shape that next 100 years: not just the students who already had a way in, but the ones who never got the invite. The name is the mission. The next 100 years of storytelling should look like everyone.
[ About ]
Next 100 is a project of the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures Teen Council. It is student-led and currently in the pilot development phase. We are starting with one week, real mentors, real tools, and a real audience, built for students who have never had access to anything like it before.
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[ Phase One ]
A free, week-long storytelling intensive for LA teens, centered on film, music, and public speaking, and built around one question: what story only you can tell? It ends in a live showcase called "100 Seconds to Tell Your Story," where each student shares an original creative work in front of family, mentors, and the community.
How the week runs
Identity, family, community, dreams, guided by one prompt: what story only you can tell?
Hands-on intro to film, music, podcasting, photography, and spoken word.
Production day. Cameras rolling, mics live, work in progress.
Editing and one-on-one coaching to sharpen the work.
"100 Seconds to Tell Your Story": each student presents live, in front of family, mentors, and the community.
We are in conversation with organizations like the Writers Guild Foundation and the GRAMMY Museum on mentorship and support, and reaching out to LAUSD schools and community organizations across the city, including Robert F. Kennedy Community Schools, Miguel Contreras Learning Complex, Manual Arts High School, and Sylmar Charter High School, along with groups like Inner-City Arts, Heart of Los Angeles, A Place Called Home, the Boys and Girls Club, and the YMCA.
One week won't close the access gap on its own, but it will tell us something concrete: does real exposure to storytelling, mentorship, and a live audience meaningfully change how a student sees their own creative future? After the showcase, we will survey every student, gather reflections from students and parents, and use what we learn to decide what comes next.
This is where the proof goes once the pilot happens: student testimonials, photos from the week, and any local press coverage. Placeholders are below so it's ready to fill in.
Local press coverage will be added here following the pilot.
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[ Join The Crew ]
Mentor
Filmmaker, musician, journalist, public speaker, or current film or music student? We're building the mentor team for the pilot week.
I want to mentorPartner
School, youth organization, or community group interested in hosting or co-presenting the pilot? Let's talk.
Let's partnerStudent / Family
Know a teen, age 13-17, in LA who should be in the room? Get on the list for pilot updates.
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