RadioActive: Recent Episodes
KUOW News and Information
Stories produced by students participating in our youth media program. Learn more about the intensive, fun and free introductory radio journalism workshops we offer throughout the year.
In this hour of youth radio, hosts Gavin Muhlfelder and Phillip Zhou present nine RadioActive Youth Media stories produced in 2023. They also talk with some of the youth producers about the time they spent at KUOW, what they learned, and what their stories mean to them now.
Episode webpage: https://www.kuow.org/stories/an-hour-of-stories-from-radioactive-summer-2023
Late last month, KUOW announced the station was ending its RadioActive Youth Media program. For 20 years, RadioActive brought listeners the stories and perspectives of young people in the Pacific Northwest. Soundside producer Noel Gasca reflects on what the program has meant to the over 6,000 youth who participated - and what will be lost.
Late last month, KUOW announced the station was ending its RadioActive Youth Media program. For 20 years, RadioActive brought listeners the stories and perspectives of young people in the Pacific Northwest. Soundside producer Noel Gasca reflects on what the program has meant to the over 6,000 youth who participated - and what will be lost.
Late last month, KUOW announced the station was ending its RadioActive Youth Media program. For 20 years, RadioActive brought listeners the stories and perspectives of young people in the Pacific Northwest. Soundside producer Noel Gasca reflects on what the program has meant to the over 6,000 youth who participated - and what will be lost.
It’s been more than 20 years since the U.S. invaded Iraq. For Darren Fisher, it’s been more than 20 years since he said, "No" to that invasion.
RadioActive’s Olivia Asmann has the story of one young Marine’s objection to fighting in the so-called war on terror.
This story discusses the realities of the military and war.
Episode webpage: https://www.kuow.org/stories/why-one-young-marine-refused-to-fight-in-iraq
[RadioActive Youth Media is KUOW’s radio journalism and audio storytelling program for young people. This story was entirely youth-produced, from the writing to the audio editing.]
RadioActive’s Vivi Cardenas-Habell says the Seattle Fandango Project played a key role in her upbringing. But she didn’t fully appreciate it until Covid took it away.
Episode webpage: https://www.kuow.org/stories/building-community-is-an-act-of-social-justice-at-the-seattle-fandango-project
[RadioActive Youth Media is KUOW’s radio journalism and audio storytelling program for young people. This story was entirely youth-produced, from the writing to the audio editing.]
In the summer of 1972, the year before Roe v. Wade made abortion legal nationwide, Elaine Fichter was 16 years old and eight weeks pregnant.
Fichter lived in Washington state where abortion was already legal, and she made the choice to terminate her pregnancy.
Fifty years later, Fichter’s grandchild, RadioActive’s Natalie Lahr, explores how her grandmother’s decision impacted both of their futures.
Content note: This story discusses the process of getting an abortion in some detail. It also references parental abuse. Please take care when listening.
Episode webpage: https://www.kuow.org/stories/at-16-my-grandma-had-an-abortion-at-18-i-m-telling-her-story
[RadioActive Youth Media is KUOW's radio journalism and audio storytelling program for young people. This story was entirely youth-produced, from the writing to the audio editing.]
Aaron Ton's grandparents and their children lived comfortably in southern Vietnam. But everything changed on April 30, 1975.
Episode webpage: https://www.kuow.org/stories/my-grandfather-s-little-story-a-journey-through-war-and-prison-in-vietnam
[RadioActive Youth Media is KUOW’s radio journalism and audio storytelling program for young people. This story was entirely youth-produced, from the writing to the audio editing.]
Seattle is home to 10% of the Eritrean population in the United States.
Many Eritrean immigrants found political asylum in the U.S. in the 1980s and 90s due to the Eritrean War of Independence.
For some young first-generation Eritrean Americans like RadioActive's Alex Mengisteab, this history feels both close and slightly out of reach. So to better understand it, Alex talked to his family friend Habtom Hagos about his experiences growing up as a child during the war.
This story discusses the realities of war and thoughts of suicide.
Episode webpage: https://www.kuow.org/stories/separated-from-his-family-in-eritrea-at-7-this-seattle-man-mentors-east-african-kids
[RadioActive Youth Media is KUOW’s radio journalism and audio storytelling program for young people. This story was entirely youth-produced, from the writing to the audio editing.]
A cancer diagnosis "sucks." And the hospital stays that follow don't make it any easier.
17-year-old Harry McGovern wanted to make a difference for other teenage cancer patients like him. So he started The First Night Project.
RadioActive’s Sidh Shroff has this story about his friend.
Episode webpage: https://www.kuow.org/stories/the-first-night-project-makes-cancer-ward-stays-a-little-easier-for-teens
[RadioActive Youth Media is KUOW’s radio journalism and audio storytelling program for young people. This story was entirely youth-produced, from the writing to the audio editing.]
For some students coming from under-resourced high schools, going to college seems like a beacon of light that will solve all their problems.
Students are told that at college they'll gain access to things they didn't have in high school — health care, stable housing, regular meals, a gym, tutoring, extra-curricular activities, and more.
But when Khanh Doan got into their dream university, they quickly realized going to college wouldn't end their struggle with depression.
RadioActive’s Jana Le has this story about her friend.
Episode webpage: https://www.kuow.org/stories/first-generation-low-income-student-mental-health-in-college
[RadioActive Youth Media is KUOW’s radio journalism and audio storytelling program for young people. This story was entirely youth-produced, from the writing to the audio editing.]
When RadioActive's Rediet Giday was three months old, her family moved to the United States — without her.
Episode webpage: https://www.kuow.org/stories/joy-and-happiness-was-left-behind-the-price-my-family-paid-for-the-american-dream
[RadioActive Youth Media is KUOW’s radio journalism and audio storytelling program for young people. This story was entirely youth-produced, from the writing to the audio editing.]
A daughter reflects on the emotional and challenging journey her father, an Ethiopian refugee, made in order to save his life and pursue his dreams.
RadioActive’s Eliham Mohammed has this story about her dad.
Episode webpage: https://www.kuow.org/stories/walking-the-nile-in-his-shoes
[RadioActive Youth Media is KUOW’s radio journalism and audio storytelling program for young people. This story was entirely youth-produced, from the writing to the audio editing.]
BONUS EPISODE: "On Our Minds with Bree & James” is a podcast about mental health — produced by and for teens — from our friends at PBS NewsHour Student Reporting Labs.
RadioActive has been collaborating with Student Reporting Labs to produce "On Our Minds" this year, and we’re excited to share this special bonus episode with you. RadioActive's Frankie St. Pierre Nelson edited and mixed this episode.
•••
On this episode of "On Our Minds," teens discuss success. What does it mean to succeed at something? What even is "success"? How do your definitions of success differ from your parents'?
Segments were produced by Kansas City students (with the support of the Kauffman Foundation and Youth Media Producer, Chris Schwalm) and Keerthi from San Ramon, California. This episode was produced by Lead Podcast Producer Briget Ganske with help from Associate Producer Jaylah Moore-Ross.
Click here for this episode's transcript.
If you like this episode and want more, you can find “On Our Minds” wherever you get your podcasts.
George “Hot Dog” Moxley. A nickname born in the Jim Crow South and given to a boy who defied the unspoken laws of the time.
RadioActive’s Nyla Moxley talked with her grandfather about the summer in Kentucky when he got the nickname.
This story discusses racist violence.
Episode webpage: https://www.kuow.org/stories/buying-hot-dogs-was-an-act-of-resilience-for-my-grandfather-in-the-jim-crow-south
[RadioActive Youth Media is KUOW’s radio journalism and audio storytelling program for young people. This story was entirely youth-produced, from the writing to the audio editing.]
Fatuma Yusuf faces and embraces the challenges of being a woman who wears the hijab in the modeling industry. Her sister, RadioActive’s Maymuna Yusuf, has her story.
Episode webpage: https://www.kuow.org/stories/what-s-it-like-being-a-hijab-wearing-model
[RadioActive Youth Media is KUOW’s radio journalism and audio storytelling program for young people. This story was entirely youth-produced, from the writing to the audio editing.]
A lot of young people grow up thinking deeply about their racial identities.
But what if your family's identity is mixed? It can be complicated.
RadioActive's Gavin Muhlfelder tells his family's story.
Episode webpage: https://www.kuow.org/stories/black-white-seattleite-my-family-s-experience-being-mixed-race-in-seattle
[RadioActive Youth Media is KUOW’s radio journalism and audio storytelling program for young people. This story was entirely youth-produced, from the writing to the audio editing.]
Stephanie Hogan was born in America and raised Jewish. But after living abroad and watching senseless violent events unfold, she began to question and change her identity and beliefs.
Now 'Ms. Hogan' teaches history at Mount Rainier High School, where she met RadioActive’s Daniel Colindres. Daniel talked with Ms. Hogan about her lifelong process of self-discovery.
Please note this story briefly references state-sanctioned violence against specific groups of people.
Episode webpage: https://www.kuow.org/stories/my-history-teacher-s-unusual-personal-history
[RadioActive Youth Media is KUOW’s radio journalism and audio storytelling program for young people. This story was entirely youth-produced, from the writing to the audio editing.]
Not everyone has the same relationship with their hijab. Some people feel confident wearing the hijab at a young age, and others are still on that journey.
For this personal essay, RadioActive’s Jehan Hashi talked to her best friend, A, about how they both found power and freedom in wearing their hijabs.
Episode webpage: https://www.kuow.org/stories/how-to-navigate-the-public-school-system-as-a-hijabi
[RadioActive Youth Media is KUOW’s radio journalism and audio storytelling program for young people. This story was entirely youth-produced, from the writing to the audio editing.]
Do you know what glossophobia is? You might have it. It's the fear of public speaking. RadioActive’s Josue Villalobos talks to his sisters about their shared anxieties, and how they overcome them.
Episode webpage: https://www.kuow.org/stories/it-s-okay-to-be-afraid-of-public-speaking
[RadioActive Youth Media is KUOW’s radio journalism and audio storytelling program for young people. This story was entirely youth-produced, from the writing to the audio editing.]
Seven years ago, Aaliyah and Najmah Messiah entered into Taniya Guster’s life. They started as housemates, but they quickly became like family.
RadioActive’s Taniya Guster has this conversation with two of the most important women in her life.
Episode webpage: https://www.kuow.org/stories/pay-attention-listen-and-learn-a-15-year-old-gets-advice-from-two-of-her-role-models
[[RadioActive Youth Media is KUOW’s radio journalism and audio storytelling program for young people. This story was entirely youth-produced, from the writing to the audio editing.]
For over a quarter of a century, Laura Moffitt dedicated her career to the elementary school library in the rural Washington town of Concrete. A lot of that time was spent trying to save it. And now, the library is no longer staffed.
As a kid, RadioActive's Phillip Zhou didn't know much about his dad's immigration story — they never really talked about it. But that all changed recently when Phillip learned about a big choice his dad made for their family.
Episode webpage: https://www.kuow.org/stories/my-Chinese-immigrant-dad-s-love-kept-our-family-together
[RadioActive Youth Media is KUOW’s radio journalism and audio storytelling program for young people. This story was entirely youth-produced, from the writing to the audio editing.]
Many parents make sacrifices for their children. For immigrants, that may mean moving to the United States to fulfill the 'American dream.' But for one mom, that dream didn't come true. RadioActive’s Redeat Debebe has this story about her family.
Episode webpage: https://www.kuow.org/stories/my-mothers-courageous-and-isolating-experience-of-immigration
[RadioActive Youth Media is KUOW’s radio journalism and audio storytelling program for young people. This story was entirely youth-produced, from the writing to the audio editing.]
Welcome to "The Human Show," the first-ever live radio program written by Artificial Intelligence. Don’t resist progress! Before it's too late...
This is a fictional, satirical episode of the "RadioActive" podcast. This episode was written and produced by Olivia Asmann, Aaron Ton and Natalie Lahr.
Episode webpage: https://www.kuow.org/stories/fiction-the-human-show-2033
[RadioActive Youth Media is KUOW’s radio journalism and audio storytelling program for young people. This story was entirely youth-produced, from the writing to the audio editing.]
Join Daniel Colindres-Flores, Rediet Giday and Sidh Shroff as they walk down Jackson Street and explore its rich cultural history.
Episode webpage: https://www.kuow.org/stories/a-walk-down-jackson-street-seattle-s-jazz-legacy
[RadioActive Youth Media is KUOW’s radio journalism and audio storytelling program for young people. This story was entirely youth-produced, from the writing to the audio editing.]
Trees? Water? Coffee? Tech?
In this episode of the RadioActive podcast, Phillip Zhou, Gavin Muhlfelder and Alex Mengisteab go from neighborhood to neighborhood gathering stories about everything that makes the Emerald City unique.
Content note: This story briefly mentions drug addiction.
[RadioActive Youth Media is KUOW’s radio journalism and audio storytelling program for young people. This story was entirely youth-produced, from the writing to the audio editing.]
People who are conventionally attractive are often treated differently — treated better — than people who aren't. That's "pretty privilege."
And when pretty privilege is based on Eurocentric beauty standards, it can further marginalize people of color, people with large bodies, queer people and disabled people.
In this episode of the RadioActive podcast, Nyla Moxley, Jana Le and Taniya Guster discuss pretty privilege, how it affects them and how it relates to colorism and femininity.
Episode webpage: https://www.kuow.org/stories/pretty-privilege-a-conversation-about-colorism-and-femininity
[RadioActive Youth Media is KUOW's radio journalism and audio storytelling program for young people. This story was entirely youth-produced, from the writing to the audio editing.]
Language is the foundation of life. All of our actions, perspectives, and cultures stem from how we communicate with others. Our communities are tied to their methods of communication. But what happens when we lose our ability to speak?
In this episode of the RadioActive podcast, Maymuna Yusuf, Red Debebe and Eliham Mohammed reflect on the trials and tribulations of staying connected to their native languages.
Episode webpage: https://www.kuow.org/stories/multilingualism-or-assimilation-three-east-african-teens-reflect-on-language-and-identity
[RadioActive Youth Media is KUOW's radio journalism and audio storytelling program for young people. This story was entirely youth-produced, from the writing to the audio editing.]
Tweens growing up with social media deal with rapidly changing beauty standards and social pressures.
In this episode of the RadioActive podcast, Jehan Hashi, Josue Villalobos and Vivi Cardenas-Habell look into how tweens navigate this digital space, and why it matters.
Episode webpage: https://www.kuow.org/stories/how-tweens-are-navigating-social-media-s-beauty-standards
[RadioActive Youth Media is KUOW's radio journalism and audio storytelling program for young people. This podcast episode was entirely youth-produced, from the writing to the audio editing.]
The Lambert House in Seattle's Capitol Hill neighborhood is a place where LGBTQ youth can find community, belonging, and support. It's been around for more than thirty years, but it shut down at the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic.
During that time, it found a new life online, and was able to reach more youth than ever before. RadioActive's Ada Walther takes us into the Lambert House and introduces us to someone who found a home there.
Episode webpage: https://www.kuow.org/stories/how-the-lambert-house-found-a-new-life-online-during-the-pandemic
[RadioActive Youth Media is KUOW's radio journalism and audio storytelling program for young people. This story was entirely youth-produced, from the writing to the audio editing.]
The process of becoming a U.S. citizen is often a long and complicated one. RadioActive’s Eva Solorio talked with a family member about his journey to becoming an American citizen after immigrating from Mexico at eight years old.
Episode webpage:
https://www.kuow.org/stories/being-a-citizen-means-you-are-free-one-immigrant-s-journey-toward-american-citizenship
RadioActive Youth Media is KUOW's radio journalism and audio storytelling program for young people. This story was entirely youth-produced, from the writing to the audio editing.
High school students in Seattle Public Schools are taught sex education once, in ninth grade health class.
RadioActive's Lily Turner recently graduated from Nathan Hale High School, where she saw the lack of sex ed throughout high school causing confusion and misinformation among her classmates.
But all this is about to change.
Episode webpage: https://www.kuow.org/stories/changes-are-coming-to-seattle-public-schools-sex-ed-courses
[RadioActive Youth Media is KUOW's radio journalism and audio storytelling program for young people. This story was entirely youth-produced, from the writing to the audio editing.]
Young Women Empowered, also known as Y-WE, is a youth development organization that’s been around for about 10 years. Their mission is to cultivate the power of diverse young people to be leaders and changemakers.
RadioActive’s Sadeen Al Ziyad looked into how Y-WE uplifts youth, especially youth of color, through programs that offer skill-building, joy, and a sense of belonging.
Episode webpage: https://www.kuow.org/stories/cultivating-joy-and-support-y-we-provides-spaces-for-combatting-injustice
RadioActive Youth Media is KUOW's radio journalism and audio storytelling program for young people. This story was entirely youth-produced, from the writing to the audio editing.
It can be easy to slip into a cycle of going to work or school, and then coming home, day in and day out. You might feel the need for another place to go, to get away from that routine.
But during the pandemic lockdown, there were suddenly a lot fewer of these "third places."
RadioActive’s Gideon Hall looked at one of his ‘third places’ – a Seattle music organization – and how they’re coming back from being online.
Episode webpage: https://www.kuow.org/stories/the-importance-of-third-places-for-teens
RadioActive Youth Media is KUOW's radio journalism and audio storytelling program for young people. This story was entirely youth-produced, from the writing to the audio editing.
At least 53,000 people experienced homelessness in King County last year. And that number is on the rise.
RadioActive’s Hayden Yu Andersen talked with two people who are dedicated to addressing King County's homelessness crisis.
Episode webpage: https://www.kuow.org/stories/how-two-people-are-addressing-seattle-s-homelessness-crisis
[RadioActive Youth Media is KUOW's radio journalism and audio storytelling program for young people. This story was entirely youth-produced, from the writing to the audio editing.]
Last fall, King County Metro and many other Washington transit agencies made fares free for youth 18 and under. Fabian Hernandez-Angel is one of these youths who uses this program to get to and from school. But, he’s going to be turning 19 soon, meaning he’ll no longer be eligible for the program. RadioActive's Colin Yuen has more.
Episode webpage: https://www.kuow.org/stories/public-transit-is-now-free-for-youth-but-what-happens-when-you-turn-19
[RadioActive Youth Media is KUOW's radio journalism and audio storytelling program for young people. This story was entirely youth-produced, from the writing to the audio editing.]
For many first-generation Americans, it can be hard to balance multiple cultures.
Amadou Gaye was the first member of his Senegalese family to be born in the United States. Growing up, his mom stressed the importance of prioritizing his education while maintaining a connection to his Senegalese heritage.
RadioActive’s Idrissa Gaye has this story about what he learned from his older brother.
Episode webpage: https://www.kuow.org/stories/one-teen-embraces-his-senegalese-american-identity
[RadioActive Youth Media is KUOW's radio journalism and audio storytelling program for young people. This story was entirely youth-produced, from the writing to the audio editing.]
When you think of hula, you might picture dances you’ve seen in Disney movies, or on a summer trip to Hawaiʻi. But that’s just scratching the surface of what hula is. There’s so much more. And RadioActive Youth Media’s Terina Papatu is here to show you.
Episode webpage: https://www.kuow.org/stories/the-story-of-one-kumu-keeping-her-hula-lineage
[RadioActive Youth Media is KUOW's radio journalism and audio storytelling program for young people. This story was entirely youth-produced, from the writing to the audio editing.]
Growing up, RadioActive's Indigo Mays loved going to the doctor’s office. She went to the Odessa Brown Children’s Clinic in the Central District. But that location has been closed for more than a year. Now, Mays explores the history, recent controversy, and legacy of the Odessa Brown Clinic.
Episode webpage: https://www.kuow.org/stories/the-legacy-of-the-odessa-brown-clinic
[RadioActive Youth Media is KUOW's radio journalism and audio storytelling program for young people. This story was entirely youth-produced, from the writing to the audio editing.]
A festival featuring six plays written, produced, and performed by Deaf creatives is back. Deaf Spotlight, a Seattle arts non-profit, hosted its third Short Play Festival in March. It was in-person this year, after moving online due to the pandemic. RadioActive’s Dash Pinck takes us there.
Episode webpage: https://www.kuow.org/stories/deaf-creatives-put-a-springtime-spin-on-seattle-theater
The episode webpage includes an ASL version of this story.
[RadioActive Youth Media is KUOW's radio journalism and audio storytelling program for young people. This story was entirely youth-produced, from the writing to the audio editing.]
In February, the city council voted to make Seattle the first city in the country to ban discrimination based on a person’s caste.
The vote was a watershed for those who say that caste discrimination exists even in the United States. And for one supporter of the measure, it was a chance to open up about an identity that she had kept hidden.
Episode webpage: https://www.kuow.org/stories/seattle-leader-ignites-change-in-sharing-caste-identity-
[RadioActive Youth Media is KUOW's radio journalism and audio storytelling program for young people. This story was entirely youth-produced, from the writing to the audio editing.]
RadioActive is transmitting some weirdness into the airwaves.
What happens when RadioActive youth producers can make anything they want? Some weird and wonderful radio magic, that’s what. Listen to an hour of our creative, experimental, and just-plain-weird audio stories on this RadioActive showcase.
Episode webpage: https://www.kuow.org/stories/radioactive-showcase-experimental
RadioActive Youth Media is KUOW's radio journalism and audio storytelling program for young people. This stories in this showcase were entirely youth-produced, from the writing to the audio editing.
In 2020, Sah Pham was on a road trip with her mother through Vancouver Island. Along that journey, she recorded an audio piece about her mother’s passage across the ocean from Vietnam.
That story originally aired about three years ago for KUOW's RadioActive. Since then, Pham has been named Seattle Youth Poet Laureate and is graduating from college. We catch up with Pham to talk about her latest book of poetry and the influence her mother's story has on her journey into an uncertain future.
We can only make Soundside because listeners support us. Make the show happen by making a gift to KUOW:
It’s been nine years since Merk Nguyen shared her father’s journey with KUOW listeners. And since then, water has taken on a whole new meaning for Merk as she’s continued to grow as a daughter, friend, and creative.
We can only make Soundside because listeners support us. Make the show happen by making a gift to KUOW:https://www.kuow.org/donate/soundside.
In August 2021, the United States’ longest standing war came to an end as the military withdrew from Afghanistan and the Taliban fundamentalist group returned to power. Thousands of Afghan people became refugees and came to the U.S. One of those people is Abdul Nasir.
RadioActive’s Micah Riggio lives with Abdul, and has this story of how his family hosts refugees like Abdul as they begin new lives in Seattle.
Episode webpage:https://www.kuow.org/stories/our-housemate-is-an-afghan-refugee-who-fled-the-taliban
[RadioActive Youth Media is KUOW's radio journalism and audio storytelling program for young people. This story was entirely youth-produced, from the writing to the audio editing.]
RadioActive's Ada Walther loves horror films. Ada sat down with local filmmaker Abie Ekenezar to talk about the genre. They talked about how Abie got into making horror films, and what they see as the future of horror, sci-fi, and speculative fiction.
Episode webpage: https://www.kuow.org/stories/not-just-mayhem-and-gore-how-one-seattle-filmmaker-found-their-place-in-horror
[RadioActive Youth Media is KUOW's radio journalism and audio storytelling program for young people. This story was entirely youth-produced, from the writing to the audio editing.]
The decision to leave home is never an easy one. Immigrating 6,000 miles just for a chance at a better life is a significant risk. RadioActive’s Idrissa Gaye tells the story of how his mom, May Gueye, said goodbye to friends, family and a stable job in Senegal to pursue higher education in the United States.
Episode webpage: https://www.kuow.org/stories/6000-miles-and-a-chance-my-mom-s-pursuit-of-a-better-life
RadioActive Youth Media is KUOW's radio journalism and audio storytelling program for young people. This story was entirely youth-produced, from the writing to the audio editing.
Today, we’re revisiting a feature story from RadioActive alum April Reyes. It’s about how one conversation with a classmate changed Reyes’s junior year, and ultimately — her life.
In the lux hills of Calabasas, California, near the homes of Hollywood stars, there are two treatment centers for teens who are struggling with mental health and addiction. RadioActive’s Caden LaMar talked to Kai, an alumni of a one of these residential treatment centers, about his experience there.
Content and audio note: The audio recordings in this story are distorted at times due to a recorder malfunction. This story is about one teen's experience in a residential treatment center for teens with mental health and addiction struggles. This story does not represent all teens, or all circumstances.
Episode webpage: https://www.kuow.org/stories/one-teen-s-reflection-on-residential-treatment-therapy
[RadioActive Youth Media is KUOW's radio journalism and audio storytelling program for young people. This story was entirely youth-produced, from the writing to the audio editing.]
We all deserve a space where we can be unapologetically ourselves. Sylvie Crowe, a director, costume designer, and actor at Bellevue Youth Theater, is part of a new generation of creatives who are fighting to create that space for disabled and LGBTQ+ people.
RadioActive's Dashiell Pinck talked with Sylvie, and has more.
Episode Webpage: https://www.kuow.org/stories/sylvie-crowe-acting-for-accessibility
[RadioActive Youth Media is KUOW's radio journalism and audio storytelling program for young people. This story was entirely youth-produced, from the writing to the audio editing.]
In a world of concrete and chain link that's overwhelmingly gray, the urge to beautify our communities isn't an uncommon one. But it takes a special kind of person to take the leap of actually doing something about it.
RadioActive's Gideon Hall spoke to Christy Caravaglio, who, for the last four years, has been adding brilliant color to her local urban landscape.
Episode webpage:
RadioActive Youth Media is KUOW's radio journalism and audio storytelling program for young people. This story was entirely youth-produced, from the writing to the audio editing.
Elly McCarthy is a teacher at Pacific Crest School, a Montessori school in Ballard. RadioActive’s McKenna Kilayko talked with Elly about practicing empathy-based communication and interaction in the classroom.
Episode webpage: https://www.kuow.org/stories/respect-empathy-montessori-teaching
[RadioActive Youth Media is KUOW's radio journalism and audio storytelling program for young people. This story was entirely youth-produced, from the writing to the audio editing.]
In 2019, the streets of Hong Kong were filled with tear gas and umbrellas. But how did they get to that point, and what’s happening now?
RadioActive’s Lucas Deng wanted to learn more about how protests have changed in Hong Kong over time. So he spoke with a family friend, Mr. Woo, who has lived in Hong Kong for most of his life.
Episode webpage: https://www.kuow.org/stories/how-hong-kong-s-attitude-towards-protests-has-changed
RadioActive Youth Media is KUOW's radio journalism and audio storytelling program for young people. This story was entirely youth-produced, from the writing to the audio editing.
Music has always been important to Sam Jansons. When he was 16, he heard the drums in the Led Zeppelin song "Kashmir" and decided he wanted to play. Since then, he’s expanded to playing guitar, writing songs, and even messing around with his daughter's piano a bit.
RadioActive’s Josie Jansons has this story about her dad, her family, and the role music plays in their lives.
Episode webpage:
RadioActive Youth Media is KUOW's radio journalism and audio storytelling program for young people. This story was entirely youth-produced, from the writing to the audio editing.
STEM fields such as robotics are traditionally male dominated. In FIRST robotics, Aparna Srinivasan finds community despite the underrepresentation of women of color in STEM.
RadioActive's Evelyn Jiang has more.
Episode webpage:
[RadioActive Youth Media is KUOW's radio journalism and audio storytelling program for young people. This story was entirely youth-produced, from the writing to the audio editing.]
When RadioActive's Terina Papatu pictures her dad, Failelei Papatu, she sees the motivated father of three young girls, a hard worker, and a proud Samoan. And she says his dedication to his family has only gotten stronger since moving to the States. Terina has this story about her family.
Episode webpage: https://www.kuow.org/stories/how-my-dad-kept-going-from-samoa-to-the-states
[RadioActive Youth Media is KUOW's radio journalism and audio storytelling program for young people. This story was entirely youth-produced, from the writing to the audio editing.]
Some residents of Jackson Park Village, a low-income housing community near Shoreline, say that it has 'inhumane' living conditions for the people — mostly families of color — who live there.
Recently, young residents came together to organize for better living conditions by starting the Jackson Park Youth Coalition. RadioActive’s Sadeen Al Ziyad talked to her friend and neighbor Yerusalam Kamara who helped found the Coalition.
Episode webpage: https://www.kuow.org/stories/seattle-teens-organized-to-change-living-conditions-at-housing-complex
RadioActive Youth Media is KUOW's radio journalism and audio storytelling program for young people. This story was entirely youth-produced, from the writing to the audio editing.
- Each person who chooses to immigrate to the United States brings their own unique story and set of circumstances.
For Tae-Hyang and Nam-Sook Yu, that was taking a chance and moving from South Korea to the United States. The settled in Seattle, Washington, where they faced discrimination and prejudice for the sake of their daughters’ education.
RadioActive’s Hayden Andersen has this story about his grandparents and his family history.
Episode webpage: https://www.kuow.org/stories/grandparents-south-korea-immigration-braved-tragedy
RadioActive Youth Media is KUOW's radio journalism and audio storytelling program for young people. This story was entirely youth-produced, from the writing to the audio editing.
Arranged marriage is common throughout India. Most married couples are set up by family, friends, or a matchmaker.
But the practice isn't as common in the United States, where some people stereotype arranged marriages as unconventional or unloving.
RadioActive’s Anjali Einstein talked to her family friend Dhana Viswanathan about her own experience with arranged marriage, and the beautiful love story that came out of the custom.
Episode webpage: https://www.kuow.org/stories/cool-way-to-meet-the-love-of-your-life-the-love-story-behind-an-arranged-marriage
RadioActive Youth Media is KUOW's radio journalism and audio storytelling program for young people. This story was entirely youth-produced, from the writing to the audio editing.
Black Americans are often left out of American resettlement narratives. But many have rich stories pertaining to the Great Migration of the 20th century, during which Black families moved from the rural South to northern states in pursuit of a better life.
RadioActive's Indigo Mays learned about the story of her great-great-grandmother, Rosie Short Robinson, as told through her grandmother Carol Chism.
Episode webpage: https://www.kuow.org/stories/the-unheard-black-journey-my-great-grandmothers-migration-story
RadioActive Youth Media is KUOW's radio journalism and audio storytelling program for young people. This story was entirely youth-produced, from the writing to the audio editing.
Just how deep can someone’s connection to the water be? Join RadioActive's McKenna Kilayko, Kea Lani Diamond and Hayden Andersen on a journey through the layers of the ocean.
Episode webpage: https://www.kuow.org/stories/where-the-tide-meets-the-sand-a-journey-through-the-layers-of-the-ocean
RadioActive Youth Media is KUOW's radio journalism and audio storytelling program for young people. This story was entirely youth-produced, from the writing to the audio editing.
From video games and D&D to fandoms and cosplay, RadioActive's Indigo Mays, Dash Pinck and Carter Ortiz share the stories of people who create and consume media that changes lives.
Episode webpage: https://www.kuow.org/stories/how-the-imaginary-worlds-of-media-help-us-shape-our-real-world-identities
RadioActive Youth Media is KUOW's radio journalism and audio storytelling program for young people. This story was entirely youth-produced, from the writing to the audio editing.
Sam is the host of a true-crime YouTube series called "You Got Harmed." And there's nothing Sam won't do to get more subscribers.
In this satirical episode of the RadioActive podcast, you're invited to laugh at Sam's misguided antics, while also confronting the very real faults of the "true-crime content" industry.
Episode webpage: https://www.kuow.org/stories/fiction-matcha-latte-true-crime-satire
RadioActive Youth Media is KUOW's radio journalism and audio storytelling program for young people. This story was entirely youth-produced, from the writing to the audio editing.
People seem to love crime content. But is it ethical? RadioActive's Alayna Ly, Morgen White and Colin Yuen talked to listeners, creators, and media ethicists to find out.
Episode webpage: https://www.kuow.org/stories/we-need-to-think-about-the-ethics-of-true-crime
RadioActive Youth Media is KUOW's radio journalism and audio storytelling program for young people. This story was entirely youth-produced, from the writing to the audio editing.
On this episode of the RadioActivepodcast, Rhea Beecher, Eva Solorio and Emily Chua bring you three stories about how and why people make life-changing decisions.
Episode webpage: https://www.kuow.org/stories/so-much-for-plan-a-three-tales-of-taking-a-leap-of-faith
RadioActive Youth Media is KUOW's radio journalism and audio storytelling program for young people. This story was entirely youth-produced, from the writing to the audio editing.
Why do we dream? Are there any hidden or underlying messages in our dreams? Do all people think about dreams in the same way? How does our culture affect the way we talk about dreams?
Najuma Abadir, Adar Abdi and Jennifer Nguyen asked around in this dreamy episode of the RadioActive podcast.
Story webpage: https://www.kuow.org/stories/why-do-we-dream
RadioActive's Adar Abdi and her friend Heena Vahora love food — cooking it, eating it and talking about it.
They're also both first-generation Americans, who say they know the feeling of being the odd one out. In this conversation, the two discuss culture, diversity, family and the beauty of food — all while cooking together.
Episode webpage: https://www.kuow.org/stories/food-for-thought-culture
RadioActive Youth Media is KUOW's radio journalism and audio storytelling program for young people. This story was entirely youth-produced, from the writing to the audio editing.
Find new episodes of the RadioActive podcast right here every Thursday for the rest of 2022.
In this personal essay, RadioActive's Rhea Beecher reflects on identity, family, religion, coming out, and embracing your true self.
Episode webpage: https://www.kuow.org/stories/i-didn-t-have-to-choose-between-religion-and-becoming-who-i-really-am-i-chose-both
RadioActive Youth Media is KUOW's radio journalism and audio storytelling program for young people. This story was entirely youth-produced, from the writing to the audio editing.
Find new episodes of the RadioActive podcast right here every Thursday for the rest of 2022.
In this fictional audio drama by RadioActive's Jennifer Nguyen, two teens meet and fall for each other online during the pandemic. But connecting in real life is much harder.
Note: This story includes audio of gun shots in the context of a fictional zombie hunter video game.
Episode webpage: https://www.kuow.org/stories/fiction-love-online-in-the-time-of-covid-19
RadioActive Youth Media is KUOW's radio journalism and audio storytelling program for young people. This story was entirely youth-produced, from the writing to the audio editing.
New stories are released every Thursday until the end of 2022.
If you wear makeup, you've likely gotten mixed messages about the right way to wear it, or if it's OK to wear it at all.
People of all ages and genders wear makeup. But RadioActive's Najuma Abadir was especially interested in how conflicting messages around makeup can affect young women like her.
Episode webpage: https://www.kuow.org/stories/make-up-creative-self-expression-or-social-demand
RadioActive Youth Media is KUOW's radio journalism and audio storytelling program for young people. This story was entirely youth-produced, from the writing to the audio editing.
Find new episodes of the RadioActive podcast right here every Thursday for the rest of 2022.
When RadioActive’s Eva Solorio graduated from middle school, she was ready for a change. So she chose to go to a nearby high school, instead of the one all her friends were going to. But it turned out to be a bigger change than she expected.
Episode webpage: https://www.kuow.org/stories/how-i-reconnected-to-my-mexican-roots-in-a-predominately-white-school
RadioActive Youth Media is KUOW's radio journalism and audio storytelling program for young people. This story was entirely youth-produced, from the writing to the audio editing.
Find new episodes of the RadioActive podcast right here every Thursday for the rest of 2022.
Choices, wins, and losses — getting through high school is kind of like playing a video game.
In this sound-rich, fictional audio story, RadioActive’s Alayna Ly explores the transition from high school to whatever comes next.
Can you level up without breaking down?
Episode webpage: https://www.kuow.org/stories/fiction-high-school-hustle-the-video-game
This story was inspired by “Call of Dating,” written and produced by Mira Burt-Wintonick and Cristal Duhaime in 2015 for the CBC podcast "Wiretap."
RadioActive Youth Media is KUOW's radio journalism and audio storytelling program for young people. This story was entirely youth-produced, from the writing to the audio editing.
Find new episodes of the RadioActive podcast right here every Thursday for the rest of 2022.
Schools are not required to offer meals that accommodate students’ religious beliefs, like kosher or halal meals. RadioActive's Rahmah Abdulazeez looked into how not having many halal lunch options at school affects Muslim students like her.
Episode webpage: https://www.kuow.org/stories/my-high-school-doesn-t-serve-halal-meat-here-s-why-i-wish-it-did
RadioActive Youth Media is KUOW's radio journalism and audio storytelling program for young people. This story was entirely youth-produced, from the writing to the audio editing.
Find new episodes of the RadioActive podcast right here every Thursday for the rest of 2022.
For RadioActive's Morgen White, pole dancing is a sanctuary.
Taking pole dancing classes has boosted her confidence and strengthened her self-love. In this essay, she explores the importance of appreciating herself as a sexual being, and being fully herself in front of others who respect and value her body as her own.
Episode webpage: https://www.kuow.org/stories/how-pole-dancing-changed-my-life
RadioActive Youth Media is KUOW's radio journalism and audio storytelling program for young people. This story was entirely youth-produced, from the writing to the audio editing.
Find new episodes of the RadioActive podcast right here every Thursday for the rest of 2022.
For the past seven months on Friday afternoons, residents of Kent’s Walnut Park neighborhood have been able to pick up fresh produce and dry goods from an outdoor market. And it’s all free.
The Walnut Park market is one of four free mobile markets in South King County run by the nonprofit FareStart.
RadioActive’s Marian Mohamed lives in Kent and volunteered with FareStart. She talked with Walnut Park residents about what the market means to them.
Episode webpage: https://www.kuow.org/stories/kent-walnut-park-farestart-free-mobile-community-market
RadioActive Youth Media is KUOW's radio journalism and audio storytelling program for young people. This story was entirely youth-produced, from the writing to the audio editing.
Find new episodes of the RadioActive podcast right here every Thursday for the rest of 2022.
Attendance numbers were almost back to pre-pandemic levels this year at Emerald City Comic Con, Seattle’s annual comic and pop culture convention. RadioActive’s Alayna Ly went to Comic Con for her first time, and brings us this audio postcard.
Episode webpage: https://www.kuow.org/stories/epic-quest-my-first-comic-con
RadioActive Youth Media is KUOW's radio journalism and audio storytelling program for young people. This story was entirely youth-produced, from the writing to the audio editing.
Find new episodes of the RadioActive podcast right here every Thursday for the rest of 2022.
This August, Seattle’s Pike Place Market celebrated its 115th birthday. Since 1907, the iconic market has been home to small businesses, street-performing musicians, fish throwing, fresh produce, and even the first-ever Starbucks.
RadioActive’s Antonio Nevarez went to Pike Place Market to talk to tourists, regulars, and store owners about the Market today.
Episode webpage: https://www.kuow.org/stories/pike-place-market-celebrates-115-birthday
RadioActive Youth Media is KUOW's radio journalism and audio storytelling program for young people. This story was entirely youth-produced, from the writing to the audio editing.
Find new episodes of the RadioActive podcast right here every Thursday for the rest of 2022.
During the pandemic, school lunch became free for all students, regardless of their family’s income. That was thanks to federal government waivers. But those waivers expired on June 30th. RadioActive Youth Media’s Colin Yuen spoke to advocates for keeping school lunch free for all.
When you think about libraries, you might picture the maze of bookshelves, the tables and chairs. Or maybe even the squeak of an ungreased wheel as a librarian walks by with a book cart. All that went away when the pandemic hit. But teenagers in King County eventually found a new way to hang out at the library. RadioActive Youth Media’s Emily Chua has more.
For many students with disabilities, online classes during the pandemic came with new challenges, and a loss of their usual, face-to-face classroom support. KUOW Radio Active Youth Producer Lily Turner, who is deaf in one ear and has trouble hearing in the other, has this story about lessons learned during the pandemic and how schools can do better to make sure all students can fully participate.
It’s Pride Month, and thousands of people of all ages are participating in LGBTQ Pride events across the region. RadioActive Youth Media’s Lyn Strober-Cohen looked into how the queer experience has changed — and stayed the same — over the decades.
It's become a lot more common for young LGBTQ people to see themselves represented in media. Just look at the variety of streaming shows right now with "Gentleman Jack," "Heartstopper," and "RuPaul's Drag Race." These are programs where people can see themselves, and their potential future, represented and celebrated. But just because you see a part of yourself represented on the big screen, doesn't mean you feel welcome within your own community.
The first time my grandfather showed me the ocean, I was underwhelmed. I was 12 years old and totally unimpressed. But the second time we went, three years later, it just hit different.
Around two million high school graduates go on to attend college each year in the United States. Jakha Tunkara is a recent high school graduate who feels that the school system failed to properly prepare her for college. RadioActive's Muhammad Tunkara talks with his sister Jakha about the obstacles she faced.
Muslim women are powerful and can choose to wear a headscarf or not, says RadioActive’s Rahmah Abdulazeez. Rahmah wrote a poem about how she and her sister deal with discrimination as hijabis in the United States. Rahmah wove her poem together with moments from a conversation with her sister, Zahraa Abdulazeez.
Hugo Guerra grew up with a tough home life in Guatemala. He used his guitar to help cope and to overcome challenges as a teenager. When he immigrated to America, it became a tool to survive. RadioActive's Adrian Guerra tells his dad Hugo's story.
There are currently more than 400,000 children and teens in foster care in the United States. Kemijah Slaughter was one of those children. As a senior in high school, Kemijah is empowered to tell her story on her own terms.
RadioActive's Leila M’baye comes from three generations of successful businesswomen. Participating in the family business is something of a tradition in Leila’s family. Leila talked to her mom about her great-grandma, the woman who started it all.
Mia Crump is a musically talented teen determined to claim her space in the music industry, despite not seeing herself and other people with disabilities represented in it. Her friend since middle school, Lily Turner, shares Mia’s story of determination for making and playing music. [RadioActive Youth Media is KUOW's radio journalism and audio storytelling program for young people. This episode was entirely youth-produced, from the writing to the audio editing.]
When RadioActive's Eva Solorio was in middle school, she developed an eating disorder. Her mom, Ana Iglesias, stepped up to support her. And as Ana and Eva learned more about eating disorders, they confronted their own family's stigma against seeking care for mental health.
Yuk and Cho Yuen have run a barbershop out of the basement of their Beacon Hill home for 40 years. Colin Yuen talked to Yuk, his grandma, about her immigration story, her love story, and what he has to learn from her.
Elementary teacher Fernell Miller noticed the lack of mental health support for students of color during the pandemic and decided to do something about it. The Root of Our Youth, an organization Mrs. Miller started 30 years ago, offers students a space of healing, joy, and connection.
Michell Nguyen sets high standards for her daughter, RadioActive's Jennifer Nguyen. Jennifer sat down with her mom to talk about where those standards came from: Michell's experience working in a sugar factory in Vietnam at age 13.
Petty Officer Serigne Diakhate spent nearly a year out at sea on an extended deployment. Navy Deployments usually last about six months but because of Covid, this became the longest Naval deployment since the Vietnam War. RadioActive’s Khassim Diakhate tells his brother Serigne's story.
My best friend and I are Muslim teens who attend a mostly non-Muslim school. Here's how we're making our school a more inclusive place for Muslim students like us.
In 2020, only about a quarter of professional computing jobs in the United States were held by women, according to the National Center for Women and Information Technology. One Seattle group is trying to change that and ensure women, people of color, and gender-diverse people are able to show up as themselves in this industry.
Educators and parents hoped being back in classrooms would be a positive change for teens — but everyone is learning it’s not so straightforward.
Away from school hallways and cafeterias, some young people took time during quarantine to explore their identities. That was the case for RadioActive youth producer Antonio Nevarez, who wanted to know why understandings of masculinity seem so limiting.
Many trans teens struggle in everyday life. Now, add a pandemic and isolation to that. RadioActive’s Lyn Strober-Cohen set out to find the success and joy happening in trans teens' lives during quarantine.
Indigenous languages are under threat. In 2019, there were only about 2,000 Cherokee speakers left, with the vast majority of remaining speakers over the age of 70. RadioActive youth reporter Jared Lam talks to his sister, Rachel Lam, who has been learning an Indigenous language commonly known as Cherokee. She is working on a children's book to help younger generations learn the language.
“A lot of people don’t know me as my wolf self. But that’s only because I like to keep it a secret.”
An eleven year old shares their special connection to wolves in this creative audio piece.
Produced by Iz Ortiz. New episodes of the RadioActive podcast every Thursday.
Many students are going back to school for in-person learning. RadioActive youth producer Charlotte Engrav is one of them. She feels mixed emotions. In this creative audio diary told entirely through sound, she shares her experience with anxiety during school after over a year of virtual classes.
Adar read sixty-eight fantasy books last year alone. Fantasy is her escape from reality. But when the real-world issues of racism and sexism started creeping into her books, she realized she could no longer escape.
Produced by Adar Abdi.
Facebook is older than most teenagers, as it celebrates its eighteenth birthday in 2022. This audio piece explores what it's like to grow up online for four teenagers, from falling in love to facing trolls.
Produced by Lucas Galarneau for KUOW's RadioActive Youth Media. New episodes on Thursdays.
Talking about mental health in the Somali community is hard. There's a stigma in the community, especially around seeking professional help. But mental health is something that many in the Somali community struggle with.
RadioActive youth producer Kouther Ahmed shares a story from her community about why it's important to talk about your mental health.
Produced by Kouther Ahmed. Production assistance from Sonya Harris. Edited by Lila Lakehart, with story consultant work by Mohamud Yussuf.
What’s Ramadan like in jail? What do you wish people on the outside knew about your life here? What do you do for joy? Teens currently incarcerated in King County's juvenile detention center interviewed one another to produce two stories for this double episode of the RadioActive podcast.
These stories were produced in a RadioActive virtual community workshop. Find photos of the youth producers, bonus audio, and transcripts for this podcast episode at kuow.org/radioactive.
A fictional story about two young people navigating their newfound distance during the pandemic, told through voicemail messages.
[This piece includes explicit language.]
Produced by Simone St. Pierre-Nelson. Edited by Kelsey Kupferer. Production assistance by Mary Heisey.
RadioActive Youth Media is KUOW's radio journalism and audio storytelling program for young people. This episode was entirely youth-produced, from the writing to the audio editing. New episodes every Thursday. Find more stories by teens at kuow.org/radioactive.
We wanted to know, why is our policing system so damaged, and how are we trying to address these issues right now?
We’ve come a long way when it comes to seeing diversity on screen. But diversity isn’t enough, especially when the depictions we see on screen are based on stereotypes. That can cause more harm than good.
Death is terrifying. Seemingly unknowable yet inevitable. As young people, we know that death happens, but there’s a lot of fear and unknowns surrounding it.
Especially after this past year, we have been thinking more about death and the death industry, and we have so many questions.
As the pandemic pushed us online, lots of folks used memes to cope with isolation and anxiety.While they can be funny, there’s a darker side of internet memes that focus on depression. Radioactive’s Zuheera Ali has seen a lot of them and started to wonder if they helped people cope with mental illness or if they were a cry for help. | RadioActive Snapshots: 10 years of stories by Seattle teens - new episodes every Thursday
People think of hip-hop as music, but it's much more than that. It's a culture and a lifestyle. RadioActive’s Krubel Amare shares more about this art form, the elements of hip-hop, his personal form of self-expression in the craft and how it saved his life and brought him community. | RadioActive Snapshots: 10 years of stories by Seattle teens - new episodes every Thursday
High school senior Alejandro Silva got into his dream college, but the cost was more than he could afford. And because he was undocumented, he wasn’t eligible for scholarships. Estelí Garcia has his story. and we share an update from Alex - almost 9 years after the story first aired. | RadioActive Snapshots: 10 years of stories by Seattle teens - new episodes every Thursday
RadioActive’s Leija Farr, Seattle’s first youth poem laureate, produced this piece in 2015 in response to Mike Brown’s killing at the hands of the police. Today Leija writes, “the sad reality is that Black boys and men still need a written anthem to remind them of their worth, in a world that wants them to believe otherwise.” | RadioActive Snapshots: 10 years of stories by Seattle teens - new episodes every Thursday
Loneliness is a mental health risk factor for LGBTQ youth in normal times, so the Covid-19 pandemic has been hard on queer and trans youth. This week we’re bringing you a story from 2016 about a community in Seattle that works to provide an escape from that loneliness. On Seattle’s Capitol Hill, Lambert House is a safe space where queer youth are free to be themselves. | RadioActive Snapshots: 10 years of stories by Seattle teens - new episodes every Thursday
A lot of white people are waking up to realities like white privilege and racism, and they’re trying to figure out their role in anti-racism work. Paul Kiefer introduces us to Anelise Moon-Schruder, a young white woman raised in a low-income family who is using white privilege to fight racism. | RadioActive Snapshots: 10 years of stories by Seattle teens - new episodes every Thursday
Patrick Liu and his parents live in Redmond. Three nights a week they eat dinner with their family in Tianjin, China - over Skype. Patrick’s grandma is sick, so it’s hard not to be together. They rely on technology to stay connected. | RadioActive Snapshots: 10 years of stories by Seattle teens - new episodes every Thursday
Marian and her mom struggled to connect. As an immigrant family, they were divided by a language barrier and cultural differences. But these differences started dissolving when Ilhan Omar, the first Somali American congresswoman, was elected in 2018. | RadioActive Snapshots: 10 years of stories by Seattle teens - new episodes every Thursday
Paul Hillaire-Villaluz is Native American and homeless. Although he enjoys his life outdoors, he finds community in the Chief Seattle Club, a place where urban homeless Native people can go for food, showers, and drug help. Paul tells his story and explains how the club has impacted him. | RadioActive Snapshots: 10 years of stories by Seattle teens - new episodes every Thursday
Feven's teacher, Mr. Little, grew up Black and in poverty in Seattle. In high school his white teacher disrespected Black experiences and history, so he dropped out. Now he works to support disenfranchised students at Rainier Scholars.
RadioActive Snapshots: 10 years of stories by Seattle teens - new episodes every Thursday
After the election, some RadioActive teen reporters had questions: about polarization, belonging, and social media. In this episode, they set out to combine factual reporting with fictional scenes to tell an even "truer" story about these questions.
Produced by Emily Chua, Meghana Kakubal, Irving-Antonio Nevarez, and Morgen White. Production assistance from Mary Heisey. Edited by Kyle Norris.
New episodes every Thursday!
Here's a guest episode from Oregon Public Broadcasting. "Class of 2025" has been following a group of students for 8 years. This episode is all about why male students tend to have a hard time than female students in middle school.
Listen to new episodes from RadioActive every Thursday this spring!
During the lockdown, the restaurant industry was only hanging on through online orders and deliveries. But for me, those orders are how my mom and I made our rent.
It's finals week at Washington State University: A symbolic end to a difficult semester for many students. WSU roommates Dan and Campbell talked about navigating the pandemic in a social environment like college.
Camila was 17, and four months sober when the pandemic started. She shared her struggles and triumphs through maintaining that progress with KUOW's Radioactive Youth Media program. https://www.kuow.org/stories/i-stayed-sober-through-the-pandemic
There are many reasons to be anxious about the future right now. Some expectant mothers may be wondering what the future holds for their kids. That brought back some memories for Liza White, who carried a child during 9/11.
Teens in the Seattle area have been balancing the grief, loss, and uncertainty of 2020 with the ups and downs of high school. And that's what this hour of youth radio is all about. Join hosts Adar Abdi and Ruby Lee as they showcase 13 stories produced by teens during the pandemic. You'll hear from a teen musician in recovery from drug addiction and a high schooler who made the move from South Africa to SeaTac. All from RadioActive Youth Media.
At just 8 years old, my mom, Diem Pham, became a refugee of the Vietnam War. Her parents put her on a small boat, where she spent 10 days at sea and six months at a refugee camp in Malaysia. Decades later, I explore her diaspora through poetry.
Not everyone’s great-grandma sold moonshine and slept with a gun under her pillow. But my great-grandma did. Here's what she taught my mom and me about gender, growing up and moving on.
From RadioActive youth producer Hebaq Farah:
My aunt, Regina Elmi, came to the United States from Somalia by way of Kenya in 1996. At that time, multilingualism was not encouraged for immigrant children like her. So she lost the ability to speak her native languages of Swahili and Somali.
As an adult, my aunt realized her biggest regret was this loss of language. So she works to bridge the gap between educators and families to help immigrant children embrace their culture, at home and in schools.
Listen to Hebaq's conversation with her aunt on the RadioActive Youth Media podcast. New episodes every Tuesday and Thursday
"My dad, Fitsum Habtemichael, was 17 years old when the war between Ethiopia and Eritrea began.
He was given a choice: to escape and to live independently, leaving his family behind, or to remain and become a soldier. So he left."
Produced by RadioActive's Samrawite Habtemichael
New episodes of the RadioActive Youth Media podcast on Tuesdays and Thursdays
I am Korean and Irish, which makes me biracial. My Irish family came to the U.S. a long time ago, but for my Korean side, coming to America is more recent history.
My great-aunt Sue immigrated from Seoul, South Korea to Seattle when she was my age. She even graduated from Rainier Beach High School, where I'm now a sophomore. I talked to her about her immigration story, and what it can teach me about my own racial identity.
"My friend Coltrane Fisher is a 17-year-old musician and quite the character. As kids, we bonded over our similar love for music but drifted apart at the end of middle school as Coltrane started experimenting with hard drugs.
By the beginning of high school, Coltrane went to rehab for opioids, among other drugs including alcohol."
Produced by RadioActive's Jared Lam
New episodes of the RadioActive Youth Media podcast on Tuesdays and Thursdays
Have you ever felt a big lump in your throat as you got up to speak to new people? I was 8 years old when I first noticed “the lump.” It came whenever I tried to speak. Through the Toastmasters Gavel Club program, I gained confidence and learned how to make an impact with just my voice. Best of all, I overcame the lump. New RadioActive stories every Tuesday and Thursday!
Nova High School principal Eyva Winet is working to amplify youth voices, like mine, in any way they can. As a non-binary high school student, I have learned so much about myself and the power of my own voice from Eyva. New RadioActive stories every Tuesday and Thursday!
Some people may think that homeschooling is only for celebrities or the reclusively religious, but my family doesn’t fall into either category. After 10 years of homeschooling I’ve just graduated high school. I talked with my mom about why she gave up a career in software engineering to homeschool me and my brother. New RadioActive stories every Tuesday and Thursday!
For students of color, having a teacher with the same race or ethnicity has shown to improve test scores and reduce the likeliness of disciplinary issues. Yet only 20% of educational leaders in the United States are people of color.
Jeffrey Forbes Jr. is my teacher and basketball coach at Decatur High School in Federal Way. But more than that, he is my role model.
The start of a new school year is often met with nervous excitement. With many schools moving to online learning this year, students are adjusting to new learning environments.
RadioActive youth producer Kouther Ahmed spoke to her brother about his transition from middle school to high school -- and his transition from South Africa to SeaTac.
New stories from RadioActive every Tuesday and Thursday
On a single day in King County, an estimated 300 to 500 children under the age of 18 are sex trafficked, according to the Seattle organization Real Escape from the Sex Trade (REST).
The dangers of getting forced into sex trafficking are something that everyday teenagers are warning each other about online. But the information shared in videos is often misleading — and it may keep us from recognizing the real risks.
RadioActive's Jadenne Radoc Cabahug has more.
For the first time in United States history, the country saw six women run for president in the 2020 election. Unlike the male candidates, the women were asked about their fashion choices.
What women candidates wear plays a huge role in whether people think they’re electable, and that judgment of women’s clothing choices starts pretty young.
RadioActive's Ritika Managuli introduces us to Sancha Gonzalez, a student who participates in Mock Trial. Once, judges docked points from her team for wearing skirts. As Gonzalez prepares for a future career in politics, she grapples with the unwritten dress code for women in leadership roles.
Over the past two decades, while juvenile incarceration rates have been decreasing, rates of incarcerated girls have either stayed the same, or increased.
In response, the Kitsap County Girls Court opened in June 2019 as Washington State’s first court system providing service just for girls.
A few months ago, RadioActive's Lila Shroff went to see Girls Court in action.
In the time of Covid-19, our hairstylists, waxers and threaders aren’t available to keep us looking fresh. Many of us are trying to figure out what to do about our body hair as our hair continues to grow and grow ... and grow.
The younger generation doesn’t seem to mind.
Elise Cresswell is a reporter searching for a big story. When she meets a scorned "cowboy," she thinks she's found it.
But like any good story, it doesn't end the way she expects...
High school looks different this year for most students: classes on Zoom, drive-through graduations, social distance birthday parties, skipped proms.
But some students have more pressing worries as classes move online. How do you make the switch to online learning when you don’t have wifi at home? How are students of color and students from low-income families affected?
Two teens share an hour of stories about family, resilience and self-discovery, all produced by young people in the Puget Sound region.
As a Mercer Island High School senior, RadioActive's Meghana Kakubal worried that school closures would make it difficult for her to graduate on time. She wasn't worried about finishing her course work, though, because she knew it would continue online.
Unfortunately, many students with disabilities won't be able to transition to online courses so easily. Christine Kenyon, a special education teacher at Mercer Island High School, worries that her students’ education will be completely disrupted by the closure.
Two teens share an hour of stories created by young people, and discuss the balance between teen activism and just being a kid.
When my dad immigrated to Seattle from Eritrea, the Eritrean Catholic church became his new community. He goes to mass every Sunday. There, he sings in Tigrinya, his native tongue, and prays to God.
As a first generation Eritrean American, I feel the duty to keep our traditions, language and culture alive. But the church has never completely felt like my own. And my brother no longer attends church.
How can I protect my community while staying true to myself? And how can my brother and father bridge this gap between them?
In India, 90% of people have arranged marriages. That might feel odd to those of us who grew up in the United States, like Ritika. She's a 16-year-old, first-generation Indian American, and she feels caught between two traditions when it comes to love. Will she choose her own path, or go down the traditional arranged marriage route like her mother?
In middle school, you’re thrown into a completely new environment with hundreds of people you’ve never met before. Your body and brain are changing. You’re starting to learn how to grow up.
This transition can be hard on young teens. They can fail in classes and have issues outside of school.
However, at Chinook Middle School in Sea-Tac, a group called Los Siete provides guidance and support for middle school boys.
Being vulnerable doesn't make me less of a man. Los Siete taught me that.
This is part one of two stories on Los Siete, a program at Chinook Middle School in Sea-Tac for young men.
Huma's sister Saba has autism. In three short years, Saba will graduate from high school. What will life look like - for Saba and the rest of our family - after graduation?
All Morgen's life, the only thing she knew about her biological father was his number: sperm donor 893. Recently, they found each other through a genetic testing site, making her wonder if a stranger could become family.
Three generations of women gather in the kitchen to answer the question: What does it mean to be Filipino?
Sam Miller is a six-foot-six, 360-pound stand-up comedian. Sam's larger than life presence isn't the only thing that sets him apart on stage. In his comedy, he talks about his experiences with drug and alcohol addiction, incarceration and homelessness. Offstage, Sam works with young people struggling with those same issues.