In 2010, EarthEcho International committed to empowering youth in the Gulf Coast region and elsewhere through a new citizen journalism initiative, STREAM (STudents Reporting Environmental Action through Media). Responding to feelings of powerlessness among young people in the wake of the oil spill disaster, EarthEcho founded STREAM to empower youth to act as citizen journalists and amplify their voices. STREAM will elevate youth voices and journalistic narratives about water, solutions to environmental challenges, and youth leadership around these issues in a media landscape currently lacking these perspectives. In December, 2010 the first STREAM Youth News Bureau as launced in New Orleans and the STREAM digital news platform went live. Via this platform, STREAM is now open to participation by new, emerging, and established youth citizen journalists everywhere.