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Playlist: The Best Youth-Made Radio of 2008

Compiled By: PRX Administrator

 Credit: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/httpwwwmouthshutcomusermariner2html/">Captain Nandu Chitnis</a>
Image by: Captain Nandu Chitnis 
Curated Playlist

The most ear-grabbing stories from 2008 from promising young producers. Visit Generation PRX to hear more.

Think we're missing an important youth radio story of 2008? Send an email to generationprx[at]prx[dot]org

Compiled by Generation PRX Project Director Jones Franzel.

Our Time: Teens and Politics. From KUOW and Generation PRX.

From KUOW | Part of the Curated Youth Radio Programs from KUOW and Generation PRX series | 55:58

"We grew up in America after 9/11. Our world is full of disasters. Now it's our time to step up or sit out." A special presentation from KUOW Public Radio Seattle and Generation PRX.

Ourtimeicon_small We're deciding if we want to join the military. We're deciding if we want to protest something. We're fighting wars in our own lives, every day. Teens from around America share OUR stories, in OUR words. A special presentation from KUOW Public Radio Seattle and Generation PRX. KUOW LISTENERS SAY... "This was an amazing show. From beginning to end I was riveted. I was thankful I didn't have errands to run that would interrupt my listening. I will be proud to turn the world over to these kids when it's their turn to fix it!" - Tam "I was so impressed with the production values. I was astounded! I want to thank you for giving [the teen producers] a full hour." - Carolyn ABOUT THE HOST: Amina Al-Sadi is a freshman at the University of Washington and a graduate of KUOW's Weekday High. Her dad is from Iraq, and she's active in her mosque. Her whole family loves to talk about politics. In between segments, she shares her personal experiences with growing up after 9/11. ABOUT THE PRODUCER: Jenny Asarnow is our curator, producer and editor. She's also behind The Migration Project and Getting Raised, two more youth radio specials you can find on PRX. THE SHOW FITS AN HOUR LONG PROGRAM WITH A 3-MINUTE NEWS HOLE. There is more information about each story in the program under 'For Stations.' Thanks to Joe Kozera at KERA for cutting the 30 sec version of the promo.

My Plate Full, Yours Empty

From Curie Youth Radio | 02:05

What one family makes for dinner when the cabinets are empty. From Abdel Mutan for Curie Youth Radio.

Youth_radio_small Even when Abdel Mutan's family was going hungry, he didn't know it.  Here he talks to his mother, remembering an evening when Abdel's mother put her family first and herself second.

Curie Youth Radio is a writing and radio production class at Curie High School on Chicago's Southwest side.

Here, students create their own stories: fresh takes on everything from snowball fights to gang warfare. They see their stories as a way for teenagers in one Chicago high school to reach out to the rest of the world.

Legal Emancipation

From Radio Rookies | 09:58

What does it really mean to be an adult? When the situation with his mom became unbearable, Radio Rookie Jordan Teklay sought his freedom through the courts.

Jordanteklay_small At 15, Jordan Teklay became legally emancipated from his parents and moved on his own from California to New York City. Since then, he has been learning to juggle the responsibilities of work, school and taking care of himself. Emancipation has brought both freedom and hardship. Struggling to negotiate his path in the world, Jordan is trying to understand what it means to be an adult. HOST INTRO: Teenagers are famous for getting into conflicts with their parents over independence. Occasionally, that tension even leads to a separation of some kind--such as moving in with a relative or going into foster care. But Radio Rookie Jordan Teklay didn't want to be a part of anybody else's family. When the situation with his mom became unbearable, he sought his freedom through the courts.

Lunchroom

From David Green | Part of the School Scenes series | 02:16

Third grader Evan remembers the simple pleasures of first grade: blue sports drink. From Chicago's Third Grade Audio.

Playing
Lunchroom
From
David Green

Default-piece-image-2 Evan relates the excitement of a group of seven-year-olds when they were finally allowed to have something other than milk or juice for lunch. Little did they know how fleeting this pleasure would turn out to be. This story was originally part of a site-specific audio tour of our school written and recorded by third graders. The stories recount school memories ranging from kindergarten to third grade which reference specific locations, landmarks and objects on campus. While these pieces were originally created to be listened to on-site, they can be enjoyed on their own as well. We also recommend that you listen using headphones.

Love treatise

From Alaska Teen Media Institute | 08:37

Cooper Galvin, a high school senior in Anchorage, Alaska, goes on a quest to find out what love is. From Alaska Teen Media Institute.

3033_small Cooper Galvin, a high school senior in Anchorage, Alaska goes on a quest to find out what love is. He talks with a group of seventh grade girls, some senior boys and a favorite teacher, who specializes in romantic poetry.

Perceptions Shattered: African American Masculinity from Chicago Public Radio, PRX and the NBPC

From WBEZ | 52:33

Told by youth, Perceptions Shattered breaks down African-American Masculinity and looks into the reasons young Black men feel the need to act tough, use the N word and don't fit into a preconceived mold. From Chicago Public Radio and PRX.

Flotptwo_small Told by youth, Perceptions Shattered breaks down African-American Masculinity and looks into the reasons young Black men feel the need to act tough, use the N word and don't fit into a preconceived mold. Black Men working to progress, mature, and provide for themselves and their families... we explore the variety of experiences and trials young Black Men face in today's America. Perceptions Shattered features some of the best stories on Generation PRX - a project of PRX that is dedicated to youth radio. Hosted by Chicago-Area hip hop artist Nam1Sekatti, and produced by Jason Marck at WBEZ, with support from the National Black Programmer's Consortium and PRX, Perceptions Shattered is a journey to a much more compelling, complicated and accurate portrait of what it is to be young, Black and male. HOST: Nam1Sekatti PRODUCER: Jason Marck

Letter to My Mom: You Haven't Lost Me

From Curie Youth Radio | 02:21

A letter from daughter to mom about love, hope, and Chuck E. Cheese. From Natalie Marquez for Curie Youth Radio.

Images_small Curie Youth Radio is a writing and radio production class at Curie High School on Chicago's Southwest side. Here, students create their own stories: fresh takes on everything from snowball fights to gang warfare. They see their stories as a way for teenagers in one Chicago high school to reach out to the rest of the world.

Growing Up in The System

From Radio Rookies | 11:42

WNYC Radio Rookie Shirley Diaz's life has been shaped by the tragedy of her mother's murder and having been raised in several foster homes. Now 21, she's on the brink of aging out of The System. Winner of the Third Coast International Audio Festival's Silver Award for best documentary.

Shirleydiaz_small Radio Rookie Shirley Diaz's life has been shaped by the tragedy of her mother's murder and the difficulty of growing up in six different foster homes, separated from her six younger siblings. To avoid being consumed by loss, Shirley tries to make sense of these events and find refuge in home and family as she finds them. HOST INTRO: Radio Rookie Shirley Diaz is on the brink of aging out of the foster care system when she turns 21. Many young people face huge challenges when they leave the system. And a disproportionate number of New York City's 17,000 kids in foster care struggle with homelessness at some point in their lives. Braced for adulthood, Shirley whose nickname is Star looks to herself for support.

Sex Without Condoms is the New Engagement Ring

From Youth Radio | Part of the Youth Radio's the Best of "What's the New What?" series | 03:03

Youth Radio's Pendarvis Harshaw says that for a lot of his friends, the transition from having sex with a condom to sex without, is seen as a symbolic "engagement."

Pendarvis2_small

Provocative yes, but balanced and interesting, this story commanded the top of NPR's most viewed list for the better part of a week and it sparked hundreds of online comments when it first aired.  While many listeners were angry and shocked, just as many were in agreement with Pendarvis' premise and thankful for real and honest youth reporting.

This story is part of Youth Radio's Best of What's the New What? series, which asks what new trends in youth culture are replacing old trends. In short: What's the New What?

Running from Myself

From 826NYC | 17:51

For most of his high school career, Louis lived in a way that he later came to regret. He looks hard at why he did what he did, what made him stop, and if he's really changed for good. From 826NYC.

Default-piece-image-2 For most of his high school career, Louis lived in a way that he later came to regret. This piece is his investigation into why he did what he did, what made him stop, and, most importantly, if he's really changed for good. Louis tells his story in a straight-forward and engaging manner, often using conversations and interviews conducted with various figures in his life.

A day in the life of the youngest super delegate

From Y-Press | Part of the 2008 Democratic National Convention series | 04:06

What's a typical day at the convention like for the youngest super delegate of all? Y-Press journalists Katie Bolinger, 18, David Glass, 18, and Hrishi Deshpande, 13, report.

Default-piece-image-0 At 21, Jason Rae is the youngest super delegate. Having interviewed him in 2004 when he was a guest of the Wisconsin delegation,Y-Press spent the day to find out what a typical day at the convention and how youth are helping to influence this year's Democratic party values.

Should I Stay or Should I Go (To the Prom)

From Blunt Youth Radio Project | 05:19

It's considered by many to be a rite of passage, but Blunt reporter David Barber-Callaghan isn't sure whether he wants to go to his senior prom.

17167675bbe7ce0344b_small It's considered by many to be a rite of passage, but Blunt reporter David Barber-Callaghan isn't sure whether he wants to go to his senior prom. In search of advice he turns to his classmates, past graduates, and his own mother. Photo Credit: Wade Kelly

Growing Up Without A Father

From Listen Up New Orleans! | 04:49

James Garner's father was incarcerated from the time he was 2 until he was 11. Now 13, he's trying to understand his relationship with a man who's been absent. From Listen Up New Orleans!

Default-piece-image-1 James Oliver, 13, tells the story of his relationship with his father, who has been absent for the bulk of James's life ? in part due to a stay in prison. From the time James was two years old, until he was eleven James's father was in prison.

Swatch

From Littleglobe | 06:59

An original radio drama that explores the truism "you don't know what you have until you lose it." Produced by the Youth Media Project in partnership with Santa Fe High School's Film and Radio class.

Playing
Swatch
From
Littleglobe

Default-piece-image-2 Swatch is the basic old saying "you don't know what you have until you lose it". It tells the story of Trevor and how he comes to meet a girl named Kendra who is really sweet and pretty which is basically his dream girl. Trevor then finds this watch that turns him into a "jock" i guess you could say. He wakes up the next morning and he's buff and cute and etc. Well this gets to Trevor and he becomes someone he's not because of the watch. He gets the attention of the hot girl in the school but loses Kendra. Trevor realizes the watch is bad for him and he returns to his normal self and wins Kendra back. I think Swatch is just a good story overall because when you listen to it, it makes you think about what you have and if something in your life has changed who you really are and if that something is impacting your life in a good or bad way. We wrote Swatch in Santa Fe High School's Film and Radio class. Swatch was a real just go with it piece. At first when we all sat down in front of a dry erase board we had no clue what we were going to start with. We basically started drawing stick figures and started developing the story. By the end of the class period we had our whole piece drawn out on the dry erase board. Then the piece really just took off from there. I think by having the story in a high school setting everyone can relate to the theme doesn't matter who you are. Being a senior in high school i can look back and see how different things have changed me in good and bad ways and i think that everyone goes through this and can relate to the pie

The Good, The Bad & The Junkie

From WAMU | 06:17

WAMU Youth Voices reporter Catherine Grubbs interviews a father and son about the son's abuse of the Attention Deficit Disorder drug Ritalin.

Default-piece-image-2 The National Institute of Mental Health estimates that two million American children currently are diagnosed with Attention Deficit Disorder. ADD, as it's called, can be defined simply as an impairment that affects one's ability to focus or maintain attention. This story is one young man's experience with ADD and the drug Ritalin. His name and his father's have been changed to protect their identities. Youth Voices reporter Catherine Grubb spoke to all the key players...

God Is...

From Vermont Folklife Center Media | Part of the Youth Radio Vermont series | 03:13

Janell Miller describes what God means to her, and the occasional wish that she'd grown up going to church. From Youth Radio Vermont.

Kidsrecordingtinmouth_medium_small Janell Miller describes what God means to her, and the occasional wish that she'd grown up going to church. This piece was created during a religion unit in Kate Toland's world history class at Winooski High School in Winooski, Vermont.

What About the Guys?

From WAMU | 04:40

The US has the highest teen pregnancy rate in the western industrialized world. But what about boys who become teen fathers? Youth Voices Reporter Wenda Thompson takes a look.

Playing
What About the Guys?
From
WAMU

Default-piece-image-0 The National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy says the United States has the highest teen pregnancy rate in the western industrialized world. The DC Department of Health reports that 1,304 girls in the district between the ages of 15 and 19 became mothers in 2005. But what about boys who become teen fathers? Youth Voices Reporter Wenda Thompson takes a look at them and what if any programs are designed for their needs...

Chasing the Crescent Moon: The Story of Dr. Frempong and Sickle Cell Disease

From Aaron Schwartz | 59:00

A documentary exploring sickle cell disease and an extraordinary doctor who is fighting the illness in Philadelphia and West Africa. From producer Aaron Schwartz.

Crescentlogowithoutfill_small A genetic disease mostly affecting those of African descent, sickle cell produces debilitating pain and a life sometimes cut short, especially for the undiagnosed. And as a burden largely borne by the underprivileged, sickle cell is not just a medical problem, but a social one. Chasing the Crescent Moon explores the challenges posed by sickle cell through the story of one physician and the lives he has touched. Dr. Kwaku Ohene-Frempong grew from a child of Ghanaian cocoa farmers to become a Yale scholar, an Olympic athlete, and one of the most important international warriors against sickle cell. He also bore a son who suffers from the disease. In his greatest accomplishment, Dr. Frempong established the only city-wide newborn screening for sickle cell in all of West Africa, where 1 in 50 babies suffers from the illness. The documentary relates Dr. Frempong's remarkable journey as well as the dramatic stories of his coworkers, staff, patients and their families. Set in Ghana and Philadelphia, the documentary travels from the high tech Comprehensive Sickle Cell Clinic that Dr. Frempong heads at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia to his overcrowded Ghanaian clinic. The stories educate, advocate and entrance, conveying the unusual medical and social burdens faced by those fighting sickle cell. Available free to all stations. The program includes two 59-second breaks (with music beds) at 22:56 and 40:49.

Riot Boy

From outLoud Radio at Youth Radio | 06:16

One boy's unlikely connection with the music of northwest feminists. From Diego Ruiz of outLoud Radio.

Diegoyeebfacepic_small A hero's journey of self-discovery (sifting through Riot Grrrl records in his mom's attic). Features killer tracks from Sleater-Kinney and Bikini Kill, and compelling interviews with original Riot Grrrls.

If I could talk to a presidential candidate

From Alaska Teen Media Institute | 02:06

Tonei Glavinic knows what he would talk about with a candidate for president, if any candidates would bother to campaign in Alaska. From the Alaska Teen Media Institute.

Tonei1_small Tonei Glavinic knows what zie would talk about with a candidate for president, but zie isn't likely to meet up with one in Alaska.

Lanzhou Handdrawn Noodle House

From Chinatown Youth Radio Philadelphia | 04:10

The freshest bowl of noodles in Philadelphia Chinatown. From Xiaojuan Ke and Hansi Lo Wang of Chinatown Youth Radio Philadelphia.

Bowl2_small Xiaojuan Ke tells us about a small noodle house where you can often find long lines outside the door.