RadioActive

During the pandemic, school lunch became free for all students, regardless of their family’s income. That was thanks to federal government waivers. But those waivers expired on June 30th. RadioActive Youth Media’s Colin Yuen spoke to advocates for keeping school lunch free for all. Episode webpage: https://www.kuow.org/stories/universal-school-lunches-are-more-than-just-a-meal-they-are-students-fu...

When you think about libraries, you might picture the maze of bookshelves, the tables and chairs. Or maybe even the squeak of an ungreased wheel as a librarian walks by with a book cart. All that went away when the pandemic hit. But teenagers in King County eventually found a new way to hang out at the library. RadioActive Youth Media’s Emily Chua has more. Episode webpage: https://www.kuow.org/st...

For many students with disabilities, online classes during the pandemic came with new challenges, and a loss of their usual, face-to-face classroom support. KUOW Radio Active Youth Producer Lily Turner, who is deaf in one ear and has trouble hearing in the other, has this story about lessons learned during the pandemic and how schools can do better to make sure all students can fully participate.

It’s Pride Month, and thousands of people of all ages are participating in LGBTQ Pride events across the region. RadioActive Youth Media ’s Lyn Strober-Cohen looked into how the queer experience has changed — and stayed the same — over the decades. Episode webpage: https://www.kuow.org/stories/pride-and-joy-50-years-in-the-making RadioActive Youth Media is KUOW's radio journalism and audio storyte...

The first time my grandfather showed me the ocean, I was underwhelmed. I was 12 years old and totally unimpressed. But the second time we went, three years later, it just hit different.

Around two million high school graduates go on to attend college each year in the United States. Jakha Tunkara is a recent high school graduate who feels that the school system failed to properly prepare her for college. RadioActive's Muhammad Tunkara talks with his sister Jakha about the obstacles she faced.

Muslim women are powerful and can choose to wear a headscarf or not, says RadioActive’s Rahmah Abdulazeez. Rahmah wrote a poem about how she and her sister deal with discrimination as hijabis in the United States. Rahmah wove her poem together with moments from a conversation with her sister, Zahraa Abdulazeez.

Hugo Guerra grew up with a tough home life in Guatemala. He used his guitar to help cope and to overcome challenges as a teenager. When he immigrated to America, it became a tool to survive. RadioActive's Adrian Guerra tells his dad Hugo's story.

There are currently more than 400,000 children and teens in foster care in the United States. Kemijah Slaughter was one of those children. As a senior in high school, Kemijah is empowered to tell her story on her own terms. 

RadioActive's Leila M’baye comes from three generations of successful businesswomen. Participating in the family business is something of a tradition in Leila’s family. Leila talked to her mom about her great-grandma, the woman who started it all.

Mia Crump is a musically talented teen determined to claim her space in the music industry, despite not seeing herself and other people with disabilities represented in it. Her friend since middle school, Lily Turner, shares Mia’s story of determination for making and playing music.

When RadioActive 's Eva Solorio was in middle school, she developed an eating disorder. Her mom, Ana Iglesias, stepped up to support her. And as Ana and Eva learned more about eating disorders, they confronted their own family's stigma against seeking care for mental health.

Yuk and Cho Yuen have run a barbershop out of the basement of their Beacon Hill home for 40 years. Colin Yuen talked to Yuk, his grandma, about her immigration story, her love story, and what he has to learn from her.

Nik ẹ Adejumobi’s hair and self-esteem were damaged. 

Elementary teacher Fernell Miller noticed the lack of mental health support for students of color during the pandemic and decided to do something about it. The Root of Our Youth, an organization Mrs. Miller started 30 years ago, offers students a space of healing, joy, and connection.

Michell Nguyen sets high standards for her daughter, RadioActive 's Jennifer Nguyen. Jennifer sat down with her mom to talk about where those standards came from: Michell's experience working in a sugar factory in Vietnam at age 13.

Petty Officer Serigne Diakhate spent nearly a year out at sea on an extended deployment. Navy Deployments usually last about six months but because of Covid, this became the longest Naval deployment since the Vietnam War. RadioActive’s Khassim Diakhate tells his brother Serigne's story.

My best friend and I are Muslim teens who attend a mostly non-Muslim school. Here's how we're making our school a more inclusive place for Muslim students like us.

In 2020, only about a quarter of professional computing jobs in the United States were held by women, according to the National Center for Women and Information Technology. One Seattle group is trying to change that and ensure women, people of color, and gender-diverse people are able to show up as themselves in this industry.

Educators and parents hoped being back in classrooms would be a positive change for teens — but everyone is learning it’s not so straightforward.

Away from school hallways and cafeterias, some young people took time during quarantine to explore their identities. That was the case for RadioActive youth producer Antonio Nevarez, who wanted to know why understandings of masculinity seem so limiting.