Pop icon Lady Gaga on Wednesday announced she will be forming the Born this Way Foundation next year, a not-for-profit organization ocusing on youth empowerment and "issues like self-confidence, well-being, anti-bullying, mentoring and career development."  Gaga has enlisted the help of a number of experts for her new charity, including the MacArthur Foundation, the California Endowment and Harvard University.

Scheduled to officially launch nexy year, the Born this Way Foundation will be directed by Gaga with the help of her mother, Cynthia Germanotta.  "Together we hope to establish a standard of Bravery and Kindness, as well as a community worldwide that protects and nurtures others in the face of bullying and abandonment," Gaga said in a statement.