First Christmas
For many of us who have grown up celebrating Christmas, we know the holiday routine. But for hundreds of thousands of new immigrants to the United States, Christmas this year will be spent away from the familiarity of their home country. Youth Radio’s Cassandra Gonzalez spent some time with Juliana, a 21-year old who just five months ago arrived from Mexico with her young son. She asked that we not use her full name. The two women compared notes on the holiday, from both sides of the border. (December 23 on The World)

Headed Back
After almost three years of fighting the war in Iraq, many military personnel have come home only to be sent back again. The rollercoaster of coming home and returning to war can be conflicting for the soldiers and their families. Marine Sgt. Daniel Price talks about his experience going back and forth, and the realities he's learned to face. (December 13 on NPR's Morning Edition)

Living with PTSD
23-year-old Jesus Bocanegra spent four and a half years in the military, including a year as a cavalry scout in Iraq. He’s now out of the military and living with his family in the town of Elsep in South Texas. But the war is still with him, so much so that he’s been treated for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. He shares this story. (November 23 on NPR's All Things Considered)

Life After Katrina
Hosted by Youth Radio's Anyi Howell and Sophia Chakos Leiby, this special one-hour broadcast is dedicated to the voices and perspectives of young people around the country whose lives were affected by Hurricane Katrina. (November 9 on Public Radio International)
» Online Exclusive: View more stories from our special series Youth Voices on 'Life After Hurricane Katrina'.

Black Market for Junk Food
Corporate sponsorships have brought soda and fast food into a lot of schools over the years, but that trend is changing fast as many school districts start banning junk food. In California, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger just signed a bill to get rid of soda machines and improve cafeteria options on all school campuses. And even the U.S. Congress is sitting on two bills that propose restrictions on food sales in schools to address childhood obesity. But Youth Radio’s Jennifer Obakhume wonders if this will really change the diet of America’s students. (November 7 on NPR's Morning Edition)

Memories of Dad and Home
Childhood memories of home can be powerful reminders of relationships with parents and siblings. Calen Robertson in Austin, Texas thinks fondly of the days when his father didn’t have a permanent home. He reflects on a childhood spent hopping from home to home, when his father would house sit for months at a time while the owners were away. (October 8 on NPR's Weekend All Things Considered)

Latinos and AIDS
A report earlier this year in Los Angeles County shows cases of AIDS in the Latino community have outpaced those in any other ethnic group, putting the percentage of Latinos living with AIDS in Los Angeles well above the national percentage. Youth Radio’s Luis Sierra has worked on the frontlines as a HIV and AIDS educator for seven years in various communities around the county. He isn’t surprised to see the report cites a major cause of the increase as lack of information and communication about HIV/AIDS. (September 23 on Latino USA)

The Rise of a Soldier
There’s a new video game coming out that could lead the young techies you know to a military career. At least that’s what the U.S. Army thinks might happen when they rollout, America’s Army: Rise of a Soldier. It’s not the action that makes it unique - the game allows players to personalize the experience by creating a soldier and following the character through an army career. Youth Radio's Trevor Garner tells us what he thinks of this new game. (August 27 on Public Radio International's Weekend America & November 18 on Georgia Public Radio)

Innovative Approaches to School Lunches
Youth Radio reporters from DC, LA and Atlanta were featured on NPR's Talk of the Nation talking about innovative approaches to school lunches alongside renowned chef Alice Waters, founder of Chez Panisse and the Edible Schoolyard. Youth Radio is gathering youth responses to this new approach to school food, while also updating listeners on the reality of school lunches in cities around the country. (June 28 on NPR's Talk of the Nation)

Tattling for Cash
Teens might be great at keeping secrets, but what happens when they are PAID to tattle on friends? Do they cave to the temptation of instant cash, which makes their coffee shop paychecks look like a joke? Some schools across the country, from New Mexico to Florida, are having great success with crime stopper programs paying anywhere from five dollars to a thousand dollars for exposing classmates' crimes from dealing drugs to vandalism. These programs boast hundreds of tips and cases solved. Youth Radio’s Natalie Streiter brings the story of young people in Georgia where tattling for money is paying off in some schools, and sparking curiosity in others where the program doesn’t exist. (June 20 on Marketplace)

A Place to Call Home
Deported to Tijuana from L.A., 23 year-old Jorge Nuñez has had a year to adjust to life in city where he was born but has never lived. Back in the U.S. he was in a gang and served time in prison. Now he dreams of starting an organization where cholos and gang-members learn to build homes for poor families in neighborhoods like the one he lives in now. (June 6 on Latino USA)