Press Release New Online & Mobile Magazine For Teens

Contact:

Glenda Campbell

Differencesmag.com

differencesonline@gmail.com

                                              FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

NEW ONLINE AND MOBILE MAGAZINE FOR TEENS TRANSCENDS TRADITIONAL TOPICS – GIVING THE DEMOGRAPHIC A WAY TO ENGAGE AND INTERACT WITH PEERS

Differences Magazine launches to give teens a new form of educational and social entertainment

Virginia Beach, VA.  August 25, 2011 – Differences Magazine, set to launch September 1, 2011, is a new online-only magazine for teens and young adults ages 14 – 22. A new media company, Differences Magazine is made up of over 20 contributing writers, consisting of teens and adults.

Only available online, Differences Magazine goes above and beyond traditional topics to give teens and young adults an informative, yet intriguing read. Instead of being celebrity gossip driven, Differences Magazine is a resourceful media outlet for today’s teen to discuss and read various areas of teen’s lives. Topics include entertainment, style, health, making a difference, what shade of green r u, community service, education, blogging bookworm, politics, technology, and sports. Differences will provide teen-friendly resources and information on higher education, finances, healthy living, global awareness and more. Teen writers will have their own dedicated section – where engagement and discussion is suggested for readers as a way to connect in a social and friendly environment.

To stay abreast with changing technology, Differences Magazine will be available on mobile platforms. By understanding the teen and young adult market, Differences Magazine advance right along with their demographic by launching an iPad and Android application in late 2012/early 2013.

Differences Magazine has also partnered with many philanthropic organizations. Collaborative efforts are seen in our sponsorship of Girls Who Rock NY in support of She’s The First, a non-profit organization helping girls in under developed countries achieve the success of being the first in their families to get an education. Differences Magazine has also been able to connect and interview with celebrities making a difference, such as Interscope Recording artist, JoJo, CNN Anchor and Special Correspondent Soledad O’Brien, Founder and Creator BoyMeetsGirl, Stacy Igel, NFL Athlete Kameron Chancellor, young ecoRenaissance woman, Erin Schrode, and many more.

For more information, please contact us.

SEATTLE SEAHAWK AND NORFOLK NATIVE, KAMERON CHANCELLOR STRIVES TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE…….

#31 Kam Chancellor 

The kids that arrived at James Monroe Elementary in Norfolk, VA  were surprised  yesterday morning.  They arrived at the school expecting a regular bicycle safety seminar.  What they didn’t know was that local NFL athlete Kameron Chancellor would be there to greet them.  

The Park Place Bike Safety Seminar was hosted by none other than Norfolk native, Kameron Chancellor, the Defensive Back of the Seattle Seahawks.

Kam at Park Pl. Bike Seminar

Chancellor is a former Virginia Tech and Maury High School athlete who chose to host this seminar in partnership with the Park Place Community Officers, as an effort to promote a healthy and active lifestyle as well as give back to the community that he grew up in. This event that targeted children ages 6 – 14 years old consisted of a bicycle safety demonstration, Norfolk bike registration opportunity with the Norfolk Police Department and several bike and helmet giveaways.

Some of the many bikes that were given away

We had an opportunity to speak to Kameron about his reasons for wanting to give back, why here and who has made a positive impact on his life.

DM: Why did you want to host this bike seminar today?

Kameron:  I wanted to show my community here at Park Place that I didn’t forget about them and that they still have a role model in me. I am not going anywhere and I will continue to give back.  

DM:  We are aware you will be starting a non-profit organization within the next year.  Who will it cater to?

Kameron:  The organization will cater to the inner-city youth of Hampton Roads, Virginia.   I want to provide them with a window of opportunity to make it just as I have.  I want to spread my blessings and give back to them.  I will put on events to bring the community together. This was something that we couldn’t do in Park Place when I was younger due to all the violence.  I am working on trying to make a better situation for everybody.

  

DM:  Is it your goal for your organization to become national?

Kameron:  Right now I am just thinking locally.  My goal is to give back to where I am from first. As my organization begins to expand I definitely want it to become national, eventually spreading through the east coast and then moving across the country.

 DM: Who made a difference in your life?

Kameron:  It was a few people that made a difference in my life.  One major person was Kumasi Johnson.  He was my barber when I was growing up and a friend of the family.   I didn’t have a father in my household and he was a father figure in my life.  He took me fishing and did things with me that fathers do.   He gave me my first job at the barbershop sweeping up hair.  He always kept me on the right path. Always told me to stay off the streets, stay away from certain things, certain people, don’t do drugs, just the basic things you need to hear as a child.  He’s always been there for me anytime I needed him he was always one call away.

At the young age of 23 years old Kameron Chancellor has realized that the feeling of paying it forward is priceless!

Differences Magazine will continue to follow Kameron’s success on and off of the football field.

Kameron Chancellor (23 yrs old, 6’3”, 232 lbs) is a DB for the Seattle Seahawks. Seattle selected Chancellor in the 5^th round of the 2010 NFL Draft. Prior to being drafted, Chancellor starred as a scholarship athlete at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, VA. Born and raised in Norfolk, VA, Chancellor attended Maury High School where he was known as a two-sport athlete. In his senior year, he led the football team to the Group AAA Division 5 playoffs and garnered the Most Valuable Player, All Eastern District First team, and The Virginian-Pilot All-Tidewater Second team honors

UN INTERNATIONAL YEAR OF YOUTH CULMINATION CELEBRATION

Differences Magazine is proud to announce that we will be covering the

UN INTERNATIONAL YEAR OF YOUTH CULMINATION CELEBRATION on August 11, 2011 in New York City.

The Culmination Celebration being conducted by Allykatzz and teen sensation Monique Coleman. 

Applications are now being accepted for delegate attendees (females ages 11-24).  If you are a young girl or know of one who would like to apply please refer them to www.allykatzz.com.

Please read the press release below!

ALLYKATZZ PARTNERS WITH TEEN SENSATION MONIQUE COLEMAN TO ANNOUNCE UN INTERNATIONAL YEAR OF YOUTH CULMINATION CELEBRATION

August 11^th at United Nations Headquarters

Applications now being accepted for delegate attendees

NEW YORK, NY (June 2011)—AllyKatzz—the premier media company for tween- teen girls that combines social networking with news powered by a team of tween-teen bloggers—joins with actress and UN Youth Champion Monique Coleman to power the UN International Year of Youth Culmination Celebration. This daylong event will feature a press conference and series of events that will be heard around the world, commemorating the first International Year of Youth to occur in 25 years.

Upon the conclusion of her UN International Year of Youth world tour in August 2011, Ms. Coleman will host the International Year of Youth Culmination Celebration at UN Headquarters in NYC to give girls and young women a platform to speak out, be heard and explore ways they can change the world. On August 11^th, 192 female delegates ages 11-24, reflecting the number of members of the General Assembly, will join together at UN Headquarters to participate in the Culmination Celebration. These delegates will be selected from various organizations that support girls and young women, among them a group   Monique encountered during her tour. Attendees will include young women who have played leadership roles in their communities and who are committed to the ideals of the UN and the empowerment of young people working toward positive social change. To learn more about the International Year of Youth Culmination Celebration at the UN, and to apply to be a Delegate, log onto AllyKatzz.com and click on “Summits.” There you can find what you need to apply to be one of the 192 very special delegates.

In providing young girls with this communication platform, the Culmination Celebration will support the UN’s Millennium Development Goals, specifically in their pledge to promote gender equality and empower women worldwide.

The schedule features keynote speakers and members of the press who will listen to and discuss issues that are important to girls and young women. There will also be a presentation revealing the winners of the “A.L.L.Y. Award,” honoring delegates who have shown outstanding progress in changing the world.

A variety of partnership opportunities are available. For information on partnership packages, full day passes and other opportunities, contact celebration@allykatzz.com.   

Media inquiries should be directed to Stacey Bender or Alana Pelosi at 973-744-0707, Stacey.Bender@bhgpr.com or Alana.Pelosi@bhgpr.com.  

# # #

About AllyKatzz

AllyKatzz is a media company that provides online and offline platforms for girls and young women to speak out, be heard and change the world.

AllyKatzz.com is the premier online platform for girls and young women to share information about what is going on in their worlds through social networking and news. The site, which is open to all teen and tween girls, also features a dedicated team of young female reporters who blog about today’s news. Most importantly, AllyKatzz.com is a 100% monitored network that gives girls a safe place to speak and be heard; AllyKatzz hires college students and adults to read every word and review every photo before they are posted on the site. AllyKatzz.com is a cool, fun and diverse community where girls go to tackle real issues, connect with others, be creative, problem solve, be heard, express and share their opinions, ideas, concerns, hopes and dreams.

Additionally, AllyKatzz hosts an annual summit celebration that brings the platform offline, where girls and young women join together to interact with the press, politicians and various organizations, enabling them to speak up and be heard by the world.

AllyKatzz Founder and CEO Denise Restauri is often featured on CBS The Early Show, The Today Show, BBC America, ABC, NPR, E!Online,  in USA TODAY, People magazine and more as an expert on teen and tween issues.  

For more information, visit www.AllyKatzz.com.

About UN Youth Champion Monique Coleman

Monique Coleman is most recognized as Taylor McKessie from the High School Musical franchise as well as the 4th place contestant on Season 3 of ABC's Dancing with the Stars. Coleman has received two Teen Choice Awards, Billboard Award, NAACP Legacy Award and has presented at the American Music Awards and NAACP Image Awards. She was named the first ever UN Youth Champion for the United Nations International Year of Youth on November 16, 2010. Coleman aims to raise awareness on the most pressing issues facing today’s youth, encourage young people to use their ability to foster progress in their communities and urge the international community to take responsibility on youth issues.

                                                                              

                                                                                       

Drop Off Your Drawers

This is going to sound funny, but trust us it’s for a good cause: Drop Off Your Drawers!

ThinkPeace Workshop for Girls, in partnership with To Love a Child Inc., is on a mission to collect 5000 colorful pairs of panties (and other undergarments) for girls and women in Haiti and Zimbabwe. 

As girls develop in these countries, they have no appropriate way to cover their bodies and become easy targets for rape and mutilation.   According to recent statistics, the incidents of rape in Haiti alone, has tripled since January 2010.  The girls and women of Haiti and Zimbabwe suffer day in and day out from consequences of social, economic and environmental disasters beyond their control.   The goal of ThinkPeace Workshop for Girls is to assist them in creating sustainable communities, giving the most vulnerable population, women and children, the hope for a bright future.  At the top of their list of needs is SAFETY.  Girls and women need undergarments to help conceal their bodies as they see fit.  Girls need them in order to attend school.  Please join them in their effort as we have done so!

Drawers being sent on behalf of Differences Magazine

With your help we can make a difference in their lives!

Differences Magazine is honored to be a part of this cause and help ThinkPeace Workshop for Girls reach their goal!   Join in on our efforts!  Make a donation today!  Drop YOUR Drawers in unopened packages, any size, to ThinkPeace Workshop for Girls, 15 Rolling Brook drive, Saratoga Springs, NY 12866.  

http://www.thinkpeaceworkshop.org

An Event Like No Other



Cynthia Hellen & Tammy Tibbetts

On June 10th we had the honor of being a part of an amazing movement for global education. Girls Who Rock (founded by Cynthia Hellen and She's The First founder, Tammy Tibbetts)  is an annual concert that aims to raise funds to help underprivileged girls obtain an education in developing world countries. This concert is in partnership with a not-for-profit organization called She's The First (http://www.shesthefirst.org) that sponsors girls education in the developing world. The beneficiaries of the funds raised during this concert are 42 girls at the Arlington Academy of Hope in Uganda, which is one of the partner programs of She's The First. 

To make us all understand the importance of education for these 42 girls, John Wanda, the founder of the Arlington Academy of Hope (http://aahuganda.org), shares with us the life that all of these girls face living in the villages they grow up in. He explains to us that if these girls are not educated, they will be married early in their adolescence, have up to nine (9) children and the cycle of poverty and struggle will continue to spread throughout. He is very passionate about educating these girls and helping them move above and beyond their circumstances. 

To sponsor these girls and provide them with an opportunity to get an education, Girls Who Rock and She's The First put together a benefit concert combining music, technology and design. Headlined by Interscope recording artist JoJo and performances by Nina Sky, Kimberly Nichole, Nikki Jean, Eddy and Data the Robot made for an unforgettable night! We can’t forget the host of the night none other than Touré.  Featured partners and in-kind donors included UStream, Live Nation, Differences Magazine, Jet Blue,popchips, and Fender Musical Instruments. 

This night was amazing because of all the wonderful talent and the funds that were raised for the Arlington Academy of Hope. What made this night even more special was that this whole evening and everything leading up to it was put together by an all- volunteer team of individuals under the age of 30.

Girls Who Rock as well as She’s The First is completely run by volunteers. Some of these volunteers are High School students. This is truly a testament that no matter how young you are, you can definitely give back. This further makes me believe and affirms that a group of individuals together with small contributions of their talent and/or time can make a difference.

We caught up with some the night’s talent and this is what they had to say:



Recording artist Nikki Jean

Nikki Jean: 
Who made a difference in your life?                                 My teachers. I have had really great teachers who have just taught me so much not  just about the subjects that they were teachers of but about life. That’s why it is so important, an event like this is helping other young women get an education because I know those people that teach them will have the same impact on their life.

What can we expect from you? I know you got the new deal not too long ago, are you working on a new project right now? July 12^th . Album is coming out "Pennies in a Jar", it features songs by me and America’s great living song writers. Songs written by me and Bob Dylan, Burt Bacharach, Carole King, Carly Simon, just my heroes. It’s a dream come true. Its coming out on July 12^th and I would love for everybody to check it out!

Hosted by Touré

Touré:

What brings you out tonight?
They asked me to host and they said it was an excellent cause. Education for girls in Africa. Who wouldn’t want to help out for that.
Who made a difference in your life growing up? 
I know that my father made a huge difference in my life, a lot of black guys my age don’t have fathers in their life. My parents are still together. He is a positive influence throughout my life. He is a good dad. He showed me what it is to be a man. He showed me what it is to be good to the women around him, my mom, my sister. He would go to work every single day. I can not ever remember my father ever being sick and not going to work. He worked hard, he worked all the time. He was entrepreneurial. I am trying to follow in his footsteps. He gave me a really good example.



Recording artist JoJo

JoJo:

How does it feel to be a role model for young women all over the world?

I am not going to lie it’s a bit of pressure, but it’s a responsibility I take seriously and take in stride. I am not intimidated by the word role model. I think that its an honor.

What was it about the She’s The First organization that drew you in?

Honestly, it was Tammy Tibbetts, who is the organizer of the whole cause. It was really her passion, and the way that she spoke about it, that really set me on fire. She was so revved up about it. Her energy was contagious and I really believed in her vision. I just knew that if there was a young woman that was going to put it into action, that she was.

Girls Who Rock is continuing in their effort to raise $20,000 through online and offline donations.  You can still donate online at http://girlswhorock.causevox.com.  This online fundraising campaign will continue for another 14 days. 

The evening ended with the Girls Who Rock team taking the stage.   Many of whom may have never had the opportunity to put together a concert like this, if it wasn’t for the pilot program of the GIRLS WHO ROCK Gives Back initiative.  For many of these girls they are the FIRST in their family to be a part of a movement such as this.

In conclusion Girls Who Rock conquered the city, while sponsoring more than 30 girls at Arlington Academy of Hope in Uganda.

Written by:  G. Campbell

Photography by: Kristin Tully (www.kristintully.com)