Express Yourself!

"The youth of today are the leaders of tomorrow."— Nelson Mandela   Youth leader and radio host, Keerthi, discusses her leadership jobs from kindergarten to high school. What she's learned is that leadership teaches time management. She's learned to be calm under pressure, how to communicate effectively, how to delegate, and of course, to fake it until you make it. Youth leadership shapes your fut...

Effervescent teen host, Julia Howe, orchestrates a lively radio broadcast focused on movies and interviews two radio reporters from KIDS FIRST. Julia says that teen movies shape the way teens think about growing up, relationships, and offer a sense of identity. The movies she highlights have been a mirror to high school lives and, at times, an escape from them. From Ferris Bueller, The Breakfast C...

Hosts Saanvi Phaneendra and Keerthi Eranivan weigh in on how teens can save the planet while being grateful for our glorious planet earth. Saanvi starts off the discussion with her Space Spotlight segment. While today's conversation is rooted in healing our planet, we can't ignore the skies above us-because what happens in space impacts Earth more than we realize. She shares that over 100 million...

"Wherever you go, no matter the weather, bring your own sunshine" – Anthony D'Angelo   Woohoo! It's Spring Break! For young people and families, this is a favorite time of year to travel. Sharanya hosts a program full of fantastic ideas about where to go in the United States and what to do. From hidden gems to nature refuges to fun in the sun, Sharanya shares an experience for every taste. Sharany...

"Volunteering is at the very core of being a human.  No one has made it through life without someone else's help." – Heather French Henry   Not all volunteer experiences are created equal. Julia hosts a program about teen volunteerism. Reporter, Armine, joins the conversation in segment two. Julia discusses mandatory volunteerism, whereby many schools require many hours of community service to gra...

"Skill is the unified force of experience, intellect and passion in their operation." - John Ruskin What is a life skill and how do you develop one? Host Diya with reporters Kirpa and Milan tackle these critical questions for teens. A life skill will help you throughout life whether it is something very important, or something simple. It can be learning how to cook, manage money, or how to be a go...

Self-care is the art of nurturing your mind, body, and soul to achieve inner harmony. Host Diya talks about one of the most important actions that play into everyday life: the practice of self-care and building healthy relationships. Some ways to create healthy relationships include having open communication, respect, and most importantly trust. Having meaningful communication opens our minds so t...

"AI is not a threat, but a tool—one that amplifies human ingenuity and expands the boundaries of what's possible." — Satya Nadella   Host Saanvi Phaneendra tackles one of the most debated and mind-blowing topics in the world of technology; Artificial Intelligence. Reporter Milan provides the benefits of A.I. and also the negatives. Deep fakes are a problem and hacking is increased with artificial...

"You have within you right now, everything you need to deal with whatever the world can throw at you."— Brian Tracy Host Julia Howe starts by discussing teen health and doctor appointments. She offers these tips: Prioritize mental health by finding a support system and knowing when to ask for help. Build habits that future-you will be grateful for, like staying active, eating well, and actually sl...

"Let us always meet each other with a smile, for the smile is the beginning of love." —Mother Teresa   Julia Howe hosts a program focusing on love. We are celebrating Valentines day. It's that time of the year, outside it's freezing cold, yet we're talking about red hot LOVE! In segment 1, Julia talks about situationships, what they mean for teenagers, and why they are impossible. In segment two,...

  Teen hosts were under the weather for today's broadcast, so producer, Cynthia Brian, interviewed reporter Milan about plans for 2025. It's been 25 years since the millennial celebration, many years before our young volunteers were born. A quarter of a century is a long time! Milan talked about resolutions that most people make and offered a few of his own. Cynthia is working a new book, her 12 t...

"The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes." – Marcel Proust Imagine this: a powerful ancient civilization, built on advanced technology and opulence, suddenly disappearing beneath the waves of the Atlantic Ocean, leaving behind only mysterious legends and unanswered questions. Hosts Saanvi Phaneendra and Julia Howard dive deeply into the histories...

"The Earth is the cradle of humanity, but mankind cannot stay in the cradle forever."   ·       Host and reporter of Space Spotlight, Saanvi Phaneendra, embarks on a journey beyond our planet to explore sustainability in the universe. Whether it's surviving on Mars, creating self-sufficient space stations, or even living on an exoplanet, sustainability is a critical element. Space missions teach u...

  "Ask not what your country can do for you – ask what you can do for your country." – JFK   Host Keerthi travels back to the inauguration of George Washington to give a humorous, yet informative history of Presidential inaugurations in the United States. She even talks about the fashions, frills, and forgettable faux pax, including the lessons from the 2021 storming of the Capitol with the not-so...

A recent Gallup poll indicates that " approximately 85% of employees are unhappy in their jobs". STEM fields play a crucial role in addressing global challenges, including technological advancements, medical breakthroughs, environmental protection, sustainability, and even living in outer space! Host Saanvi Phaneendra and reporter Armine investigate the future of STEM and environmental jobs truly...

The best way to spread cheer is singing loud for all to hear. — Elf (attributed to Buddy the Elf, written by David Berenbaum) Express Yourself! teen radio host, Julia Howe, is part of a Grammy-winning choral group who have recently been nominated for Best American Roots Song and Best American Folk Album for the 67th Grammy Awards as we were featured on folk artist Aoife O' Donovan's recent album A...

"The joy of brightening others' lives becomes for us the magic of the holidays" WC Jones Have you ever spent the holidays in a different part of the world from your home? Sharanya and Diya share fun places where they have traveled for Christmas and where they plan to go this year. Diya also talks about other holidays that she wants to celebrate and funny traditions. Sharanya talks about books that...

"Blessed is the season which engages the whole world in a conspiracy of love." –Hamilton Wright Mabie Ah, the holidays. For some, it's the most magical time of the year—twinkling lights, cozy nights, and the smell of cookies baking in the oven. But if you're a teenager? Let's be real—the holidays can be a bit...complicated. Join host, Julia and guest Steffi as they discuss the joy and angst teens...

"The poll that matters is the one that happens on election day." – Heather Wilson Teen radio host Keerthi discusses the results of the 2024 election and reports on how teens are reacting to the results. She first provides a humorous rendition of the history of America's election system and the grand experiment of democracy. For all its flaws, America's election system is a beautiful, chaotic mess....

"Gratitude is when memory is stored in the heart and not in the mind." – Lionel Hampton Julia hosts a special Thanksgiving program focused on gratitude and thankfulness. Julia tells the true history of the first Thanksgiving, which is a bit different from what we were taught. This is a "Truth-giving". instead of celebrating the myth, we celebrate the truth. Thanksgiving is a day of gratitude—and J...

Preserve and cherish the pale blue dot, the only home we've ever known. -Carl Sagan As humanity ventures deeper into space, a big challenge has become the effects of space debris. Saanvi Phaneendra discusses what space debris is and why it is so dangerous. What is space debris? Simply put, it's any man-made object in orbit that no longer serves a purpose. This includes everything from old satellit...

"Young people are not just the leaders of tomorrow; they are the change-makers of today." – Barack Obama Julia and Keerthi host this election episode to discuss how teens influence election outcomes. Julia focuses on the new media company Jubilee, which is shaking up political discourse online and inspiring a new level of engagement among young people. Through debates on hot-button issues, like ab...

"Technology, like art, is a soaring exercise of the human imagination" - Daniel Bell Saanvi Phaneendra, host for today's AI presentation , is the founder of Galactic Getaway, a nonprofit dedicated to inspiring curiosity and passion for space exploration. Galactic Getaway brings hands-on learning experiences and new-generation interactive rocket model displays to communities, helping youth engage w...

Hosts Julia, Keerthi, and Sharanya, along with volunteers Ella and Sean star in this special edition of Express Yourself!™ Teen Radio as they reminisce about the extraordinary celebration in which they participated on September 28, 2024: the Parade and Pear Festival hailing the 50th anniversary of the Town of Moraga and the 25th anniversary of Be the Star You Are!® charity. It was a day beyond eve...

Challenges are what make life interesting and overcoming them is what makes life meaningful. – Joshua J. Marine Host, Saanvi Phaneendra with reporters Diya and Hasini tackle a topic that every teen can relate to: challenges. Challenges come in all shapes and sizes, from small daily struggles to monumental obstacles that seem impossible to overcome. But here's the thing about challenges: they're no...