by Sarah Mende | 16 Jan 2020 | China, Human Rights, Podcasts, School Year Abroad, Student Posts, Youth Voices
Censorship in China allows the government to control the media narratives. How can democracies protect free speech and sort fact from fiction online? A protester demonstrates against censorship, Johannesburg, South Africa, 1 July 2016 (AP Photo/Denis Farrell) Welcome...
by Margaret Hartigan | 9 Jan 2020 | Health and Wellness, Youth Voices
Nearly half of type 1 diabetics lack access to insulin, especially in developing countries. Non-profits are trying to help, but there are no easy solutions. A patient holds a vial of insulin outside a pharmacy in Windsor, Canada, 28 July 2019. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)...
by Lindsi Reyes | 20 Dec 2019 | Personal Reflections, School Year Abroad, Student Posts, United States, Youth Voices
My father used to tend our garden. Then he was taken from us — changing what I understood about America’s fundamental covenants. He doused the roots of his white carnations, careful not to soak the generous stems that lived inside this hanging pot. They...
by Sadie Dyson | 16 Dec 2019 | Health and Wellness, Student Posts, Youth Voices
At age 15, I was no longer me. Learning about depression taught me about myself, my support group and growing efforts to fight mental illness. The Resilience Project board at Utah Valley University lets students know it is OK to struggle. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)...
by Christine Fernando | 12 Dec 2019 | Contest winners, Indiana University, Student Posts, United States, Youth Voices
Immigrants can struggle to work as professionals in the U.S. But there’s no quick fix to “brain waste,” which can punish the economy and migrants. (Photo provided by Uthpala Amarasinghe) This piece tied for first prize in News-Decoder’s...
by Sarah Mende | 6 Dec 2019 | Americas, Greens Farms Academy, Human Rights, Podcasts, Student Posts, Youth Voices
The crisis in Venezuela has exploded into a global, humanitarian emergency. Giavanna Bravo reports in this episode of “The Kids Are Alright.” Years of political and social instability have forced millions of Venezuelans to flee their country. But where are...
by Ariella Metovic | 2 Dec 2019 | Environment, Youth Voices
The world was once an unlit candle. Now, the earth is burning. The wax has disappeared. I’m shouting but Mother Earth is shouting louder. Is It Too Late for the Earth? The world was once an unlit candleStarting off with a lot of wax and a strong foundation of...
by Claire Wang | 28 Nov 2019 | Contest winners, Economy, Europe, France, Politics, School Year Abroad, Student Posts, Youth Voices
I thought yellow vest protesters in France were a uniform group of angry radicals. But I talked to citizens and discovered it’s much more complicated. A newspaper stand burned down by protesters in France (photo by Claire Wang) This piece tied for first prize in...
by Daisy Lawrence | 25 Nov 2019 | Contest winners, Environment, Student Posts, Thacher School, Youth Voices
Gen Zers care about climate change, but we fuel the fast-fashion industry, a contributor to global warming. Are we ready to shift our fashion choices? Customers in a clothing store in Tokyo, Japan, 23 August 2005 (EPA/EVERETT KENNEDY BROWN) This story was runner-up in...
by Sarah Mende | 22 Nov 2019 | Environment, Podcasts, Thacher School, Youth Voices
Is the meat industry destroying Earth? Two committed vegetarians come to surprising conclusions in this episode of “The Kids Are Alright” podcast. Cattle graze among wind turbines near Castro Valley, California, 28 March 2018 (EPA-EFE/MIKE NELSON) A cattle...