Reporter's Notebook
Youth Radio's Jennifer Marshall visited New Orleans for the first time, and reflects on her trip. Jennifer says that she expected to find destruction and remnants of an abandoned city ruined by the storm. Instead, she found that New Orleans was filled with a sense of hope and rebirth.

Bounce Music
When Youth Radio’s Jiarra Jackson talks about her native New Orleans coming back to life, she loves to explain how bounce music is the ultimate pick-me-up for young people. In fact, in the months she spent away from New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina, listening to mixed tapes of bounce music made her feel at home again. In this essay, Jiarra explains the roots of bounce music.

Cafe Reconcile
Youth Radio’s Patrick Johnson talked to young people from Cafe Reconcile, a non-profit employment training program located in one of New Orlean's most violent neighborhoods. This organization is holding its own in some of the city’s most competitive industries post Katrina...and helping transform the city's social landscape.

College Student Conversation
Before Katrina, Angel Fascio, Christie McKinley, Shukurat Adamoh-Faniyan, and Jiarra Jackson discussed shopping and what they were going to wear to the club. Now their conversations revolve around topics like affordable housing and FEMA trailers. The four University of New Orleans students discuss the city’s development plans, endangered cultures, and lack of opportunities.

God and Katrina
Youth Radio’s Brandon McFarland found that in New Orleans, youth are struggling to understand the spiritual toll of the destruction wrought on their city. He listened to young people reflect on what role they thought God played in Hurricane Katrina, and sent these responses.

Jay's House
Jay Alcazar grew up in the Lakeview area of New Orleans. His family home stood less than half a mile from the 17th Street Canal, which breeched during the storm. Jay’s home was damaged so badly that wrecking crews completely leveled their property. Youth Radio follows Jay over a period of months, checking on his family’s progress in rebuilding their home.

Neighborhood Violence Post Katrina
In 2006, New Orleans had one of the highest murder rates in the country, even though the city's population dropped by 57%. In this special report, New Orleans youth discuss the rise of post Katrina violence, and the recent shootings and killings in their neighborhood.

- Check out the New Orleans Kid Camera Project, that works with children from flooded neighborhoods to address the psychological and emotional impacts of Hurricane Katrina.

New Revolution
Seventeen-year-old Querido Arias, who goes by "Q," is a senior at the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts (NOCCA). Arias brings us his spoken word poem, New Revolution. (Please note that this poem contains content that may not be appropriate for young listeners.)

The Robinson Family
The Robinson family stayed in their home for seven long days after the hurricane, waiting for help, before they evacuated to Memphis for six weeks. Fifteen-year-old Angelica Robinson takes us back to those moments, and explains how the experience changed them all.

Troy Andrews On Jazz
Youth Radio’s Brandon McFarland sat down with Troy “Trombone Shorty” Andrews, a 21-year-old New Orleans musician who has been a fixture in the city’s jazz scene since he was a child. Andrews talks about New Orleans’ contribution to his sound; leaving the city during Hurricane Katrina; and the healing power of music. Interview also includes cuts from his latest LP, “Orleans & Claiborne.”

- To hear more music by Troy Andrews, check out his website, Trombone Shorty.

Village de l'Est: Landfill Battle Reveals A New Generation of Community Leaders
For months after the storm, Village de l’Est was one of the only places where you could find open businesses and life in the New Orleans East region. More recently, the community has successfully fought to shut down a toxic landfill within two miles of their borders. Youth Radio's Susan Do brings us their story.

Interview with Kiersta Kurtz-Burke
Check out this in-depth, special web coverage on New Orleans! Youth Radio's Nishat Kurwa sat down and talked with Kiersta Kurtz-Burke, a doctor who was stationed at Charity Hospital in New Orleans when the hurricane hit in 2005. In this interview series, Kiersta reflects on being stranded at the hospital; the evacuation process; and the problems that New Orleans' doctors and patients face today with health coverage and insurance.

Chapter 1, Chapter 2, and Chapter 3

State of the Union: Reactions from New Orleans
President George W. Bush addressed the nation with a State of the Union speech this week, laying out some new domestic initiatives like tax breaks for health care coverage. But he left out some major issues worrying Americans, like the slow pace of rebuilding in the Gulf Coast. Youth Radio producer Brett Myers spent time with the Robinson family in New Orleans as they listened to the President’s address. They were among the first families to return to the 9th Ward after Hurricane Katrina hit. Robert, the Dad, Angelique, the Mom, and their 14-year-old daughter Angelica shared their thoughts on what the president had to say, and what he left out. (January 24 on NPR's Day to Day)

Music Served New Orleans Style
Youth Radio's Brandon McFarland surveys the New Orlean's music scene as he tours through NOCCA, the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts, and meets many inspiring young music professionals who study traditional sounds from the Gulf Coast - like jazz blues, Zydeko, and Cajun. Brandon also gets a special introduction to music through Youth Radio's Bookkeeper and New Orleans-native, Al Lazard.

Eating Up New Orleans
From visiting local high schools and interviewing students to eating tons of pralines and drinking rare brands of soda...Youth Radio's Patrick Johnson is loving New Orleans as he reflects on his experience through this latest blog. As Patrick gets ready to leave and return to the Bay Area, he gives thanks (and props!) to all the people and institutions that showed him the culture and spirit of New Orleans...beyond tourism cliques.

Photos From New Orleans!
Check out this slide show of New Orleans photographs by Youth Radio and Kid Camera. This project features images of the Hurricane aftermath, one year after Katrina, and the storm recovery process.

Snapshots Of New Orleans
Youth Radio's Brandon McFarland visits New Orleans for the first time and blogs about his experiences: Including staying up late and going dumb to New Orleans' bounce music - a particular flavor of hip-hop that grew out of the Gulf Coast region... But Brandon also reflects on the connections between New Orleans and his hometown, Oakland, as he explores the city's religious communities and enters into the homes of Hurricane survivors.

The Politics of Story-Telling
In a blog straight from New Orleans, Youth Radio's Patrick Johnson reflects on the media coverage of post-Katrina destruction. After watching a group of photo journalists hit up the 9th ward, Patrick wonders - even though he prides himself on being a reporter with a conscious - is he telling the story any better than other media? But Patrick's coverage of the Hurricane aftermath takes a twist as the stories he collects from New Orleans' residents begin to shift away from the damage and destruction.

Life After Hurricane Katrina
A special broadcast dedicated to the voices and perspectives of young people around the country whose lives were affected by Hurricane Katrina.

New Orleans Visitor
When Hurricane Katrina hit, refugees ended up spread all over the Southeast. Thousands came to Georgia, mostly Atlanta. Many Atlanta households became crowded as families took in guests, who in some cases were strangers. And a lot of teenagers came home to find new housemates and a change in their daily lives. That’s what happened to Youth Radio Atlanta’s Alexandra Black. She sent us her story. (December 16 on Georgia Public Broadcasting)

Hurricane Awareness
Hurricane Katrina has awoken the nation to the reality of natural disasters. Because of the devastating effects of the storm, many across the country, including Youth Radio's Katie Soo, have gotten to thinking about what they would do if they were caught in a similar situation. "I have begun to think about where to go or what to pack in case of emergencies. I remember thinking to myself, if I got a phone call notifying me to evacuate right away, what would be the necessities to take?"

Evacuating New Orleans
Youth Radio’s Julie Civiello brings the story of another college student who evacuated New Orleans after the storm. She profiles Julia Takada, an evacuee who was set to begin her second year of college at Tulane University. Instead of attending classes, Julia found herself traveling from the Southeast to Boston to escape the storm and start over at Boston University.

The Apocalypse is Now – and It’s Green
Growing up on a Navajo reservation, Youth Radio's Jihan Gearon has taken great care towards preserving the environment. With the recent tragedies brought on by Hurricane Katrina, Jihan discusses how she hopes this event will wake the youth up to their responsibilities to the earth for a better future. "As a young person, I believe it is my responsibility to pay attention to the world around me, to have hope for the future, and to effect positive change."

Katrina, Race, and High School
The devastation left by Hurricane Katrina has brought up a national dialogue on social inequalities like race and class. Some people have criticized the government's slow disaster response as a form of racism against southern black communities. The controversy has made Youth Radio's Bly Lauritano-Werner take a second look at the role race plays in her high school.

Helping Out Victims of Hurricane Katrina
"Naturally, when the wave of evacuees brought plane loads of the affected into the Austin-Bergstrom airport and the doors of the Austin Convention Center opened to offer them food, clothes, and shelter, I had to help. On Monday morning, I found myself in the broad, sunny lobby of the Convention Center filling out my volunteer registration form. We were given bright purple wristbands and ushered into a volunteer waiting room, where the smell of coffee and sharpies (used to write makeshift name tags) mixed with the early morning chatter of those eager to help."

Responding Through Education
In most schools around the country, students were just heading back to school when Hurricane Katrina hit in late August. For teachers, the question became whether or not to abandon/scrap their prepared lesson plans to examine the issues the disaster raised. Even though it meant extra work, many teachers around the country saw the unfolding events as a rare opportunity to connect usual classroom material to a live national conversation around questions of race, economics, the environment, and the role of government in disaster response.

Stranded After the Storm
The recent disaster of Hurricane Katrina hit home for Youth Radio’s Director of Strategic Initiatives, Jayme Burke, when she discovered that her sister was stranded in a hospital in Louisiana. Dr. Kiersta Kurtz-Burke stayed with her patients during the harrowing ordeal of Hurricane Katrina, risking her life to care for her patients and to ensure their safe evacuation. Read a follow-up letter from her husband, Justin Lundgren.
» Online Exclusive: View photos of vibrant New Orleans from the photo project, "Greetings from New Orleans: An Experiment in Found Art."

Beautiful
In light of the recent tragedy of Hurricane Katrina, Youth Radio delved into our archives and found this piece by Newbian Productions, a fellow youth media group. Based in New Orleans, Newbian Productions works in collaboration with SAC and 90.7 WWOZ-FM. In honor of Newbian Productions, WWOZ-FM and New Orleanians everywhere, we'd like to share this piece about a young woman finding true beauty in herself and her ancestors.

Young Evacuees Arrive in Los Angeles
Hurricane Katrina left thousands of residents in the Southern states without a place to call home. Stranded, without anywhere to turn, many found themselves traveling to different places just to get a hot meal and clean clothes. Eighteen-year old Tyler Seaberry, along with his 25-year old brother, hit the highway and hitchhiked across the country from New Orleans to Los Angeles to escape Hurricane Katrina. Here's Tyler's story as told to Youth Radio.

Life After Hurricane Katrina
This week’s coverage of Hurricane Katrina’s disastrous aftermath has mostly been focused on the people who have left homeless and aid difficulties in the Gulf Coast region. But we’re not hearing much from young people. Youth Radio’s Sophie Simon-Ortiz was able to reach 21-year Ashley Smith. She’s been stranded since Sunday at a New Orleans hospital for low-income residents of the city where her mother is a physical therapist.