RadioActive
Stories produced by students participating in our youth media program. Meet the current youth producers, and learn more about the intensive, fun and free introductory radio journalism workshops we offer throughout the year.
Episodes
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One breakfast, divided. How social media polarizes us
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.
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RadioActive's 2020 through stories and photos by teens
Even though we couldn't meet in person for most of the year, RadioActive Youth Media still worked with about 300 young people in 2020 - creating 29 original radio stories, podcasts, and photojournalism essays. If you missed any of these incredible perspectives from young people, catch up here.
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'Gracias por todo.' Delivering food during the pandemic was worth it to hear my mom say these words
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.
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'Pretty certain there was going to be an outbreak.' 2 college students on navigating the pandemic
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.
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I stayed sober through the pandemic
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
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I was pregnant on 9/11. Here’s how I see my anxieties in expecting parents today
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.
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'Still looking toward the future.' Stories by teens during the pandemic
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.
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A poem for my mother, a Vietnam boat refugee
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 interviewed her about that experience, and wove her answers into a spoken-word poem.
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‘Life goes on.’ How my abuelita challenged gender roles in Mexico
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.
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My aunt helps immigrant students get the type of education she deserved as a child
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.
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At 17 my dad had to choose: leave his family to escape the war, or become a soldier
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. When he left home, my dad walked 15 days without food, surviving off of dirty water.
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‘History isn't one story.’ What my Korean family's immigration story taught me about my biracial identity
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 a sophomore. I talked to her about her immigration story, and what it can teach me about my own racial identity.