tbh

Today, we're bringing you a special episode of a new podcast from Oregon Public Broadcasting. It's The Class Of 2025. Students who are expected to graduate high school in 2025 were halfway through middle school when COVID-19 shut down classrooms. At first, it seemed like an extended spring break. But weeks turned into months of students staring at computer screens and the same walls of their homes. We hear from Anais, Rayshawn, and their families about what it’s like trying to learn during a global pandemic.

This year has marked a turning point in how American athletes have engaged in political issues. Over the summer, the NBA's Milwaukee Bucks refused to play to protest the police shooting of Jacob Blake in Wisconsin. Soon, other teams followed in an unprecedented wildcat strike. In this episode of tbh, Maddie Johnson catches up with a Bay Area group that has been organizing basketball-themed Black lives matter protests around the country.

America’s entrenched institutional racism has roots in its schools. In this episode of tbh, Masiyah Edwards reflects on how too often, students in the Bay Area experience severe consequences for their "bad" behavior rather than understanding, mentorship and help.

Oakland Tech is one of the most diverse schools in the country, and Chosang Tenzin, a Tibetan American and high school senior, had looked forward to going there. But, she was disappointed. The high school's academic tracking programs, which schools often use to attract more affluent parents, contributed to in-school segregation. In this episode of tbh, Chosang talks to her friends and education experts to understand what the school can do to be better at integrating.

2020 is the 30th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act, an important landmark for inclusion. In this episode of tbh, Avery Dauer tells the story of how Paralympic coach Trooper Johnson came to train young athletes like himself, and what that means to him.

Is cancel culture a valid form of activism? In this episode of tbh, Ava Richards explores a question that's on the minds of millions, as new controversies about the influential and not-so-influential surface on a daily basis.

The video game industry is a multi-billion dollar enterprise, and has been growing during the pandemic. It arguably plays a bigger role in our lives than the movie, music and book publishing industries. But much of the public discussion about inclusion and diversity is still relegated to Hollywood. In this episode of tbh, Hannah Ni looks at the storylines and characters from some of the most popular video games and finds that they're riddled with stereotypes, and they still suffer from a lack of character diversity. And she talks to entrepreneurs who are trying to change that.

Watching the hearings about Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh, and reading about the assault allegations against the two U.S. presidential candidates, student Zara Ahmed wonders why it all seems so downplayed. Then a light bulb went off: It's what we're taught — or not taught — that explains our cultural conditioning. In this episode of tbh, Zara says that we need to talk to teens more about sex and healthy relationships, not less, if we want to see change.

This season, we’re thinking about the election and we’re here to talk about the social justice issues that matter to us. Like rooting out sexual assault in high schools, ending the school to prison pipeline, and protesting on the streets for racial justice. Whether or not we’re old enough to vote, we have a lot at stake this November.

tbh Season 2 drops on KALW 91.7 FM on Thursday, September 17 at 5 p.m. Subscribe on your favorite podcast player.

Bay Area schools are shut down until at least May. That leaves tens of thousands of students at home, finding ways to learn, to cope, and to find joy. This is a special episode dedicated to life during the coronavirus crisis.

Picture a mariachi band. You probably think of older men dressed in fancy clothes, playing their instruments and singing in a restaurant to a group of people at a table. But that isn’t all mariachi players, and that’s not where most mariachi music is performed. Samaria Pineda tells it like it is in a story she made when she was a senior at Immaculate Conception Academy in San Francisco.

Hip-hop is one of the most popular genres in the country. Matthew Policarpio, a senior at Abraham Lincoln High School, wanted to understand why so many of his friends are die-hard rap fans.

Treasure Island is an artificial island built on a natural reef between Oakland and San Francisco. Landon Neill discovered old film footage that sent him on a mission to understand the forces that shaped the island’s history.

Recently, the World Health Organization declared that obsessive gamers suffer from an addiction called “video game disorder.” Some psychologists fired back, arguing this diagnosis ignores more serious mental health problems. San Francisco teenager Jiahao Chen wanted to know: are his friends just having fun playing Fortnite, or can zealous gaming really be an addiction? 

The sneaker industry is expected to be valued at $95.15 billion dollars by 2025. It’s been decades since sneakerheads could claim to be members of a small subculture. San Francisco high schooler Bryan Ng looks into the resilience of sneaker culture. 

Social media has revolutionized how activists get messages out in the world. Chosang Tenzin, a junior at Oakland Technical High School, wanted to understand the differences between being woke behind a screen — and on the street.

When it comes to running for office, there are certain standards women have to deal with that men don’t. Hannah Ni, a senior at Presentation High School in San Jose, says young, female debaters like her face similar instances of sexism and misogyny. 

We’re trying to find our place in the world, and we’re here to talk about the issues that matter to us.

How can we change the world with our activism? With our commerce? With our culture? There’s a lot to talk about. This podcast is made by, about, and for teenagers. And for anybody else who wants to hear what’s on our minds.

The first episode airs on KALW 91.7 FM on Monday, February 10 at 5 p.m. Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.