The Talk
The Birds and the bees: Youth Radio's Johanna Greenberg took an informal poll at her high school in Portland, Maine and talked to her friends about sex education at home. (March 8 on NPR's Morning Edition)

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 15-year-old daughter Angelica shared their thoughts on what the president had to say, and what he left out.

Frozen in Debt
Clare Robbins graduated from a private liberal arts college with a typical debt load – tens of thousands of dollars. In light of this week’s congressional hearing about student loan debt, she sent us her reflections on how these leftover college bills and her strategies for paying them make her a financial advisor’s nightmare. (January 16 on Marketplace)

Cafe Reconcile
Youth Radio’s Patrick Johnson reports from New Orleans on life after Hurricance Katrina. During his visit to the city, Patrick talked to young people from Cafe Reconcile, a non-profit employment training program located in one of the most violent neighborhoods in New Orleans. 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. January 5 on Marketplace

No Christmas
Seventeen-year old Brittany Lamb is a devout Christian, but her family doesn't celebrate Christmas. They believe that Christmas celebrations focus too much on American materialism instead of traditional Christian values. Last year, however, Brittany broke her family's rules and celebrated the holiday at her grandmother's house...and learned an important lesson about holiday celebration, and her family. (December 25 on NPR's Morning Edition)

Energy Brat
As winter draws nearer, many families will be checking their household energy use to curb costly energy bills. Youth Radio’s Antony Jaureguí grew up in sunny Southern California, and has never worried much about where energy comes from and how much he uses. But on a recent trip to his parents’ hometown in Mexico, he begins to question why he never questions his energy use. (December 1 on Living On Earth)

N-Bomb
Youth Radio’s Pendarvis Harshaw has been thinking about how the N-word keeps passing from one generation of African Americans to another…despite the ongoing controversy over its use. And while the old debate continues about when and where it should be used, Pendarvis would like to take the word out of commission...starting with himself. (November 30 on NPR's Morning Edition)

Casting My Vote
Politicians and political pundits are expecting rural voters to make a sizeable impact in the November 7 election. Youth Radio's Autumn Campbell lives in rural Kentucky and hopes that means her vote will carry more weight, because she has a list of issues she'd like the government to address. Autumn sends her reflections from the Appalacia mountains. (November 1 on NPR's Day to Day)

Survivor
Even if you're not a Survivor fan, you may have heard about CBS adding a twist to the beginning of the season when the show separated contestants by race. But the segregated teams kicked up controversy when big sponsors, like General Motors and Coca Cola, pulled out before the season started - taking nearly $26 million with them. Youth Radio's Jordan Monroe reflects on Survivor's racial divisions...and why the show de-segregated teams after a few episodes. (October 19 on Marketplace)

Job Search
A college degree can open a lot of doors, but keeping them open is another story. All across the country, recent college graduates face the grueling search for work: There's the resume, the cover-letter, the follow-up calls, the first interview, the "don't call us, we'll call you." Youth Radio's Latifah Muhammad says she's trying to stay positive about the hunt, and is moving to the Big Apple to follow her dream career as a writer.

First Time on a Farm
For youth living in cities, the experience of farm living can be as foreign as life in another country. Youth Radio’s Jennifer Obakhume recently spent a weekend on an organic farm in central California. This was Jennifer’s first time on a farm. She’s also preparing for another first away from home: her first year of college. Here are her thoughts on stepping out of the comfort zone, and into nature.

Return of the "Girly Girl"?
Sesame Street, the iconic children’s show, is taking a risk this season. Facing stiff competition from newer kids programs like Dora the Explorer, the show has developed a new female character named Abby Cadabby...a "girly girl" who has stirred up debate in PC circles. Youth Radio's Alix Black takes Sesame Street's new development as an opportunity to describe the balance she has found between her own girly tendencies (Alix wears a tiara on a regular basis) and her feminist beliefs.

Teachers and Summer Jobs
Summer's long gone, and fall's now here-- which means back to school. To those of us who look back on our summer, and get depressed because we didn’t get to take any good vacations, the life of a teacher sounds ideal. Tons of vacations and summers off, right? Well, not necessarily. You might be surprised to find that a lot of teachers spent the past few months working alongside their students in summer jobs to supplement their salaries. Youth Radio's Julie Civiello finds out how the tables are turned when students and teachers are working equally hard for summer tips. (August 11 on Marketplace)

Changing the Channel
Youth Radio's Sandra Quel says that Spanish language TV producers in the US need to pay attention to immigrant groups and their children, because the number of Latinos born here is growing faster than the number of new arrivals to the country. Sandra thinks the second generation viewers have different tastes than their parents. She has a few suggestions on how Spanish language corporations like Univision could target a younger generation of US-born Latinos.