August Updates at Next Wave

Hey Next Wave community!

We hope you're enjoying your final days of the summer, and if you're back in school we are wishing you a great year of success! Whether you’re just discovering us or you’ve been following along from the start, here’s some upcoming things to look out for at Next Wave.

For starters, while things can get busy before the school year, it’s also the perfect time to:

• Set new goals for your creative projects

• Share your art, writing, or ideas with a community who gets it

• Keep your creativity alive, even in the middle of tests, sports, or life

We want Next Wave to be a place you can come back to—your reminder that your voice and your work matter.

Monthly Themes Are Coming

Starting next month, Next Wave will be introducing a new theme every month of the year! These themes are meant to inspire your submissions, not limit them. Following the theme isn't required to submit, but if you’re ever feeling stuck or need a break to let your creativity flourish, the theme can give you a starting point.

Keep an eye out, our theme for September will be dropping on the first!

Goals For the Rest of the Year

Next Wave hopes to have our first edition of The Current, our official newsletter, brought to your inbox as soon as possible. It’ll be the best way to stay updated on themes, opportunities, and creative highlights, so be sure to sign up on our home page. Right now, we have four submissions up, and our big goal is to reach 50 submissions before 2026. As for features, we hope to get thirty by the end of the year up on our Instagram. Let’s make it happen together!

What's Next?

It takes a village to raise a child and it's going to take a team of creative teens to keep building on the foundation of Next Wave. Our platform is here to help you, and soon, we may be looking for blog writers, editors, and creative team members 👀.

Plans for 2026 are already in the works at Next Wave, so be sure to stay on the lookout and anticipate the big things that are coming. This next wave is going to be a big one.

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That’s where we’re at this month: ideas flowing, plans forming, and our platform is expanding. Whether you’ve submitted work already or you’re just watching from the sidelines, thank you for being part of the journey!