Zines for Progress
"I have a voice, and I should make myself heard."
Zines for Progress (Z4P) is a Miami-Dade County public high school outreach program centered on addressing topical issues through zine-making. By creating a safe space for teens to voice their opinion, encouraging them to think proactively about community issues, and opening doors into exploring The Wolfsonian's immense collection of modern-age material, the initiative sparks curiosity and social activism. From concept to production, the students collaborate in groups to shape their message and together leverage research, critical thinking, visual learning, and various indie bookmaking techniques to provoke thought and inspire change. Over the course of an academic year, the high schoolers gain vital experience in communication, negotiation, and empathy while expanding their understanding of contemporary worldviews.
Z4P is a signature program of The Wolfsonian's Discovering Design initiative, which is supported by The Batchelor Foundation, the Tamara L. Harris Foundation, the Lynn and Louis Wolfson II Family Fund, and the Seligman Family Foundation.
Published Work
The Wolfsonian–FIU has worked with students to make past editions of Zines for Progress available in its online archive . Among them is Hybrid Reality–Living History, our initial digital compilation which documents MDCPS students' experiences during the first full school year of the COVID-19 pandemic (2020–21).
Digital Exhibition
Generation Zine, a Google Arts & Culture story, examines the first pandemic cycle of Z4P and digital zine pages that reflect on world events through a teen lens. Curated by three South Florida high school students-turned-Wolfsonian interns and pulling from Hybrid Reality–Living History, the online experience presents how young Z4P participants grappled with isolation, anxiety, and other harrowing pressures in their 2020–21 school year, visualizing the unique challenges of the time in layered artworks.
The Student Experience
Participating Schools
The Wolfsonian's Zines for Progress program meets CPalms State of Florida Educational Standards.