RadioActive Youth Media

10/09/2024

It’s our final story from the vault: another RadioActive showcase!

You know those “Choose your own adventure” books?

In this hour of youth-made radio, join adventurers Olivia Asmann, Sidh Shroff and Aaron Ton as they navigate through nine stories — all about teens at forks in the road.

Grab your map and compass and join us at KUOW.org/RadioActive or wherever you get your podcasts.

09/15/2024

Congratulations to Lily Turner for winning a national Edward R. Murrow award for Best Student Audio Feature Reporting for her story “Changes are coming to Seattle Public Schools’ s*x education courses.”

🎧 Find Lily’s story at the link in our bio, and join us in celebrating Lily’s work.

🏆 Special shout outs to RadioActive’s Nyla Moxley, who was interviewed for this story, and to RadioActive’s Emily Chua, who coordinated all of our award submissions this year. And to Eilís O’Neill, Jennifer Wing and Kelsey Kupferer for editorial and production support.

09/15/2024

It’s a new RadioActive showcase!

This hour-long special written and hosted by and Phillip Zhou highlights nine RadioActive stories produced in 2023. They even bring and .villaloboss into the studio to talk about their experiences!

This showcase was in the vault for a little bit, but it’s out now. Listen now at KUOW.org/radioactive 🎙️✨

06/20/2024

We are thrilled to share that ’s story about her grandfather’s experience in the Jim Crow South was broadcast nationally on . We couldn’t be prouder.

04/25/2024

And just like that, another season of the RadioActive podcast is complete. Thank you for listening 🎙️🎧🎉🥲

02/21/2024

🏆 In 2023, four RadioActive stories were honored with national awards.

The stories, produced by Alayna Ly, Lily Turner, Simone “Frankie” St. Pierre Nelson, Rahmah Abdulazeez, Colin Yuen, and Morgen White, were recognized by the Public Media Journalists Association and the New York Festivals Radio Awards.

1️⃣ “My high school doesn’t serve halal meat. Here’s why I wish it did” by Rahmah Abdulazeez won Second Place for Best Student Interview Podcast from PMJA.

2️⃣ “’Missing out.’ Some students with disabilities felt left behind during online schooling” by Lily Turner won a Bronze award for Social Justice Student Content from New York Festivals.

3️⃣ “We need to think about the ethics of true crime” by Alayna Ly, Colin Yuen and Morgen White was a finalist for Best Student Documentary from New York Festivals.

4️⃣ “Quarantine from the closet: A love story told through missed calls” by Simone “Frankie” St. Pierre Nelson was a finalist for Best Student Drama Program from New York Festivals.

🎧 Check out the winning stories at kuow.org/radioactive or at our link in bio.

02/15/2024

George “Hot Dog” Moxley. A nickname born in the Jim Crow South and given to a boy who defied the unspoken laws of the time.

From 1877 through the 1960s, Black Americans were still not entirely free. Slavery was abolished, but Jim Crow laws were put in place by white leaders to uphold that same violent oppression of Black bodies.

RadioActive’s Nyla Moxley shares the story of one summer her grandfather spent in the Jim Crow South.

Find the full story on KUOW.org/RadioActive, on the “RadioActive” podcast, or at our link in bio.

Image 1: A 10-year-old George Moxley (center) with his father (right) and older brother in Columbus, Ohio in 1951.

Image 2: Columbus, Ohio and Lexington, Kentucky are separated by 150 miles, the Ohio River, and prejudice.

Image 3: George Moxley recently in front of his house and prized cars in the South End of Seattle. Here we can see three prominent aspects of his life: he works on and races cars, hosts family gatherings, and was born and raised in Ohio.

02/09/2024

Back in 2018, RadioActive’s Annika Prom brought listeners the story of Venerable Prenz Sa-Ngoun, a then 20-year-old Cambodian-American Buddhist monk.

During a Khmer student conference in 2013, Sa-Ngoun realized that many Cambodian-American youth were out of touch with their culture.

He decided that the best way to build a bridge between generations was to go where the youth were spending a lot of time — social media.

Through YouTube videos and Instagram posts, Sa-Ngoun explained Buddhist practices and principles to viewers.

A lot has changed since Prom’s story aired six years ago. One major thing — Sa-Ngoun is no longer a monk. Meanwhile, Prom graduated from college. Both are still devoted to serving the Seattle area’s Khmer community.

Today, Sa-Ngoun works for a local food bank, and Prom is a program coordinator for the Cambodian American Community Council of Washington.

They run into each other from time to time, but they haven’t had a chance to sit face to face and catch up in years. So Annika Prom and Prenz Sa-Ngoun sat down in KUOW’s studio to talk about Sa-Ngoun’s decision to leave the monastery, and how they both continue to explore their identities as Cambodian Americans.

Find the full story at kuow.org/radioactive, on the “KUOW RadioActive” podcast, or at the link in bio 🎧

02/08/2024

Fatuma Yusuf embraces the challenges of being a woman who wears the hijab in the modeling industry.

Her sister, RadioActive’s Maymuna Yusuf, has her story.

Find the full story at kuow.org/radioactive, on the “KUOW RadioActive” podcast, or at the link in bio 🎧

[RadioActive Youth Media is KUOW’s radio journalism and audio storytelling program for young people. This story was entirely youth-produced, from the writing to the audio editing.]

Image 1: Fatuma Yusuf poses for an editorial test shot for her portfolio in New York City on July 26, 2022. Photo by Monika Lis.

Image 2: Fatuma Yusuf poses for a test shoot by photographer Jessy J on June 27, 2023.

Image 3: Fatuma Yusuf smiles for the camera while waiting for boba with her sister Maymuna in Tukwila, Washington on January 4th, 2023.

02/01/2024

A lot of young people grow up thinking deeply about their racial identities.

But what if your family’s identity is mixed? It can be complicated.

RadioActive’s Gavin Muhlfelder tells his family’s story.

Listen at kuow.org/radioactive, on the “KUOW RadioActive” podcast, or at the link in our bio 🎧

Image 1: Gavin Muhlfelder’s family at a University of Washington family photo day in 2016.

Image 2: Gavin Muhlfelder (right) and his twin brother James Muhlfelder climbing a tree near their preschool in Seattle, Washington in 2009.

Image 3: Josh Mulfelder (right) holds Gavin Mulfelder alongside Amelia Gavin (left) on vacation in upstate New York in 2008.

01/25/2024

Stephanie Hogan was born in America and raised Jewish.

But after living abroad and watching senseless violent events unfold, she began to question and change her identity and beliefs.

Now ‘Ms. Hogan’ teaches history at Mount Rainier High School, where she met RadioActive’s Daniel Colindres-Flores.

Daniel talked with Ms. Hogan about her lifelong process of self-discovery.

Find the full story at KUOW.org/RadioActive, at our link in bio, or on the “KUOW RadioActive” podcast 🎧

Image 1: Stephanie Hogan posing with her daughter, showing off her pro-woman, anti-apartheid shirt in Lanzhou, China in May 1990.

Image 2: Stephanie Hogan and Tim Hogan pose for a photo in front of a large sign that says “China/Avant-Garde” in Beijing, China in February of 1989.

Image 3: Stephanie Hogan poses in front of the Ta’er Si Lamastery (Buddhist Lama Monastery) in Qinghai Province, China in May 1989.

Image 4: Stephanie Hogan and Tim Hogan with other teachers from Lanzhou University pose for a photo at Tibetan areas in Gansu, China in the fall of 1989.

01/18/2024

Not everyone has the same relationship with their hijab. Some people feel confident wearing the hijab at a young age, and others are still on that journey.

In this personal essay, RadioActive’s Jehan Hashi talks with her best friend, Ameera Ahmed, about how they both found power and freedom in wearing their hijabs.

Find the full story at KUOW.org/RadioActive, on the KUOW RadioActive podcast, and at the link in our bio 🎧🎙️✨

[RadioActive Youth Media is KUOW’s radio journalism and audio storytelling program for young people. This story was entirely youth-produced, from the writing to the audio editing.]

01/15/2024

Do you know what glossophobia is? You might have it. It’s the fear of public speaking.

RadioActive’s Josue Villalobos talks to his sisters about their shared anxieties, and how they overcome them.

Find the full story at KUOW.org/RadioActive, on the KUOW RadioActive podcast, and at the link in our bio 🎧

01/08/2024

Seven years ago, Aaliyah and Najmah Messiah entered into Taniya Guster’s life. They started as housemates, but they quickly became like family.

RadioActive’s Taniya Guster has this conversation with two of the most important women in her life.

Find the full story at http://KUOW.org/RadioActive, on the KUOW RadioActive podcast, and at the link in our bio 🎧

01/04/2024

As a kid, RadioActive's Phillip Zhou didn't know much about his dad's immigration story — they never really talked about it.

But that all changed recently when Phillip learned about a big choice his dad made for their family.

Find the full story at KUOW.org/RadioActive, on the KUOW RadioActive podcast, or at the link in our bio 🎧

01/04/2024

As a kid, RadioActive's Phillip Zhou didn't know much about his dad's immigration story — they never really talked about it.

But that all changed recently when Phillip learned about a big choice his dad made for their family.

Find the full story at KUOW.org/RadioActive, on the KUOW RadioActive podcast, and at the link in our bio 🎧

01/02/2024

"When I went to Concrete Elementary, I was a library kid. I’d spend hours reading there after school. To me, it was a pathway to the world. I remember begging Miss Moffitt to let me check out more than five books... These days, the library doesn’t look the same as when I went to Concrete. It is mostly used for storage and meetings. The walls are bare and the desk where Moffitt used to check out books is now filled with boxes."

Laura Moffitt dedicated her career to the elementary school library, in the rural Washington town of Concrete. A lot of that time was spent trying to save it. Today the school library is no longer staffed. And Concrete isn't alone: a rising number of schools across the state and country don’t have librarians.

RadioActive’s Natalie Lahr attended Concrete Elementary, and she has the story. This story was co-reported and co-produced by KUOW Education Reporter Sami West.

12/17/2023

NEW from RadioActive: Fiction: 'The Human Show' (2033)

Welcome to "The Human Show," the first-ever live radio program written by Artificial Intelligence. Don’t resist progress! Before it's too late...

Don’t miss this smart, satirical, laugh-out-loud audio drama produced by Olivia Asmann, Aaron Ton and Natalie Lahr.

Listen at KUOW.org/RadioActive or at the link in our bio 🎧🤖

12/15/2023

Get ready for season 4 of On Our Minds, an award-winning podcast about youth mental health and wellbeing co-created by teens, from PBS NewsHour (SRL). We're proud to share that season 4 is produced in collaboration with RadioActive Youth Media!

In the first episode of season 4 you'll meet Bree and James, the new hosts of On Our Minds. Last month we welcomed Bree and James to RadioActive's studios in Seattle for a weekend of skill-building and studio recording with RA's very own Merk Nguyen. We had a blast with these two awesome teen podcast hosts, and we can't wait for you to meet them!

Listen to "Pass the Mic," the first episode of On Our Minds season 4, at the link in our bio or wherever you get your podcasts

12/09/2023

NEW from RadioActive: A walk down Jackson Street: exploring Seattle's jazz legacy

Join Daniel Colindres-Flores, Rediet Giday and Sidh Shroff as they walk down Jackson Street and explore its rich cultural history.

Listen at KUOW.org/RadioActive or at our link in bio 🙏🏻

11/30/2023

NEW from RadioActive: Seattle Unplugged: What exactly is ‘Seattle culture’?

Trees? Water? Coffee? Tech?

In this episode of the RadioActive podcast, Phillip Zhou, Gavin Muhlfelder and Alex Mengisteab go from neighborhood to neighborhood gathering stories about everything that makes the Emerald City unique.

Listen to the full episode at KUOW.org/RadioActive or at the link in our bio 🎧

11/01/2023

A NEW season of the RadioActive podcast starts today with a story for Día de los Mu***os by Josefina Gonzalez.

Last year, a pillar of Seattle’s Mexican-American artist community passed away.

Francisca Garcia was well known for making the annual Día de los Mu***os ofrenda at El Centro de La Raza in Beacon Hill, as well as curating ofrendas for other events, like Folklife, and the opening of the Sea Mar Museum of Chicano Chicana Latino Latina Culture. She also spent eight years as manager of the Rainier Arts Center.

RadioActive's Josefina Gonzalez, a young artist herself, tells the story of what’s been lost and how to move forward.

🎧Listen to the full story at https://www.kuow.org/stories/francisca-garcia-thank-you-for-inspiring-us-to-be-artists

***os

A pillar of Seattle’s Mexican-American artist community, Francisca Garcia, passed away last year. RadioActive's Josefina Gonzalez, a young artist herself, has the story of what’s been lost and how to move forward.

11/01/2023

RadioActive has big news to share: We are making some program changes this year.

RadioActive is evolving from a journalism ⚡discovery⚡ program for teens to a journalism 🎤career training🎤 program for young people.

The program re-design will allow RadioActive producers to gain deeper radio journalism skills and to contribute more regularly to the KUOW newsroom.

Our workshops are currently paused as we re-design our program alongside members of our community. We will not host an Intro to Radio Journalism Workshop in summer 2024.

We expect to have more information to share about the new program this spring.

To learn more about these changes, visit bit.ly/ra-transition. And at kuow.org/radioactive you can sign up for our newsletter and be the first to know about any updates.

We're still figuring out exactly what the new version of RadioActive will look like. As we work to plan this new program, we will remain focused on maintaining our core values and the things that make RadioActive so special.

As we sit in this space of ambiguity and discovery, we ask for your patience and trust as we build the next generation of the RadioActive program.

If you have questions or comments you can reach out at [email protected].

09/20/2023

As summer turns to fall, we’re missing our summer 2023 RadioActive crew.

You’re gonna wanna hear their stories. The new season of the RadioActive podcast starts in November 🎧

09/07/2023

NEW from RadioActive: How the Lambert House found a new life online during the pandemic

The in Seattle's Capitol Hill neighborhood is a place where LGBTQ youth find community, belonging, and support.

It's been around for more than 30 years, but it shut down at the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic.

During the pandemic, Lambert House found a new life online. Their programs reached more youth than ever before.

RadioActive's Ada Walther takes us into the Lambert House and introduces us to someone who found a home there.

Listen to the full story at KUOW.org/RadioActive, or at the link in our bio 🎧