Blissful Us' mission is to promote literary and humanities education in students of all ages from lower income and inner city communities across NJ. Through the Blissful Pursuit online magazine, young authors will analyze topics related to 4 key areas – diversity & culture, history, socio economics and our planet via their creative expressions. Related to these four key topics, they will critically think about the interconnectedness and subtle complexities that matter to them and their peers, in turn bringing forth a better understanding of each other. Via a digital literary and arts magazine that is based on a peer to peer model of operation and organization, we aim to provide an opportunity for youth of underserved communities in NJ to get motivated in creative expression of literary arts. To involve the youth from these communities, we will work with Newark Public Library, Jersey City Public Library, Northern NJ Community Foundation, and United Way of Northern NJ to develop specific outreach plans. Through the means of poetry, creative writing, and visual arts, the youth will co-create content and learn from each others’ perspectives to establish a better awareness and understand diversity and issues that surround us in today’s environment. This magazine is a student driven endeavor to give them a voice to express their creativity and analysis on topics that matter to them. Students will be free to submit their literary work without an expectation of "award ready" work. In 2018, Anusha Bansal, a 16 year old Sophomore at Livingston High School in NJ, founded the nonprofit organization, Blissful Us to focus on several issues facing citizens of NJ including hunger, poverty, social equality and education. Anusha has been active in community work since the age of 8. She has led several food drives, clothing drives, fund raisers, coding lessons for underprivileged communities across NJ working with organizations such as the Covenant House in Newark, Rutherford Church, local food pantries and United Way of Northern NJ. She was the President of Builder's Club in Livingston Middle School where she led student driven community initiatives. Currently, she’s on the leadership team of Key Club at Livingston High School, NJ where she focuses on leading various community projects. For last two years, she has been a member of the Teen Leadership Council at the Community Food Bank of NJ where she has engaged on many projects to serve underserved communities. Anusha is an avid writer and has passion for creative writing especially short fictional stories and poetry. Over the past several years, she has submitted her literary work in various publications and competitions. Anusha won the National Silver Medal from Scholastic Art and Writing Awards Competition. She has won 4 Gold Keys Awards and Honorable Mention by Scholastic Art and Writing. She is currently serving as an intern and member of Student Review Board for Skipping Stones International Literary magazine. She was recently selected into the well known Interlochen Summer Camp where she collaborated with students from across the world on literary & humanities projects. Anusha's work has been published in prestigious publications such as Interlochen Anthology, Teen Inc, as well as Scholastic Art and Writing.

Blissful Pursuit Online Literary Arts Journal

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