by Joyce Yang | 5 May 2023 | Podcasts, School Year Abroad, Students in the Spotlight, Youth Voices
For one American student in France, writing for publication is about processing the world around her — and stepping out of her comfort zone. News Decoder · Decoder Podcast: Clover Choi The Decoder Podcast features conversations with students about their experiences...
by Keya Dutt and Lusha Greer | 2 May 2023 | Contest winners, Europe, School Year Abroad, Student Posts, Youth Voices
In Palermo, paying “pizzo” or protection money used to be common practice. But now businesses say to the Mafia: Addiopizzo! This article, by high school students Keya Dutt and Lusha Greer, was produced out of News Decoder’s school partnership program....
by Patricia Cîrtog | 28 Apr 2023 | Climate champion profile, Contests, Europe, Writing's on the Wall, Youth Voices
Florin Stoican tirelessly worked to create Romania’s first citizen-led national park in a country that’s home to 65% of Europe’s virgin forests. Florin Stoican. Courtesy of Florin Stoican. This article, by author Patricia Cîrtog, was the Gold Prize...
by Clover Choi | 24 Apr 2023 | School Year Abroad, Student Posts, Youth Voices
Weekly protests in France are now about more than pensions. For French citizens it is about democratic ideals and a government that represents its people. Protesters in Rennes, France march over pension reforms and more, April 2023. All photos by Clover Choi. This...
by Skyler Kelley Duval | 20 Apr 2023 | Educators' Catalog, La Jolla Country Day School, Media Literacy, Politics, United States, Youth Voices
When the business model for news corporations depends on blurring the lines between fact and opinion, how can we move from partisanship to problem solving? Photo illustration by News Decoder. In 2017, the political landscape collectively scoffed at Donald...
With news media inundating our feeds with content, youth guest author Skyler Kelley Duval dissects the blurred lines between fact and fiction. Central to being able to responsibly consume media is investment in critical thinking and media literacy education in schools. Are your students media literate?
Exercise: Read the article with your class, then introduce the CRAAP test to your students as a tool to evaluate media sources. The CRAAP test assesses sources for Currency, Relevancy, Authority, Accuracy and Purpose — with a goal of determining trustworthiness. You can find an example of the CRAAP test here. Consider analyzing a media source together as a class using the test.
by Emily Yang | 14 Apr 2023 | Contest winners, Realgymnasium Rämibühl Zürich, Student Posts, Youth Voices
The galgo is a popular hunting dog in Spain. But a worldwide network of dog lovers march each year to stop a practice they believe is inhumane. On the left Eden, a rescued Spanish Greyhound, was found covered by ticks when rescued from a pound in Almeria, Spain. On...
by Samantha Crystal and Phoebe Diamond | 12 Apr 2023 | Contest winners, Hewitt, Student Posts, Women, Youth Voices
Women and girls across the world are lobbying to make menstrual products free or at least tax-free. Illustration: News Decoder This article, by high school students Samantha Crystal and Phoebe Diamond was produced out of News Decoder’s school partnership program. The...
by Kamuskay Kamara | 28 Mar 2023 | Africa, African Leadership Academy, Youth Voices
Overdevelopment has caused so much destruction. It is time to replant the trees we have cut down and be better stewards of our land. Volunteers search for bodies after heavy flooding and mudslides just outside of Freetown, Sierra Leone, 15 August 2017. (AP...
by Micah Earnest | 24 Mar 2023 | Educators' Catalog, Health and Wellness, Student Posts, Tatnall School, Youth Voices
Extracurricular activities and sports can help students gain admission to university. But is the need to ace exams and win one for the team too much pressure? Photo illustration of teen athletes against a backdrop of grades and college application. This article, by...
Youth correspondent Micah Earnest of News Decoder partner The Tatnall School gives us a glimpse into the life of a student athlete in an article that asks us to redefine “success” for young people. With mounting pressure to succeed in academics and extracurricular activities, some student athletes with college aspirations are seeing declines in mental health. What can we do to change that?
Exercise: Have students read the article, then launch a discussion to answer the question that appears at the end of the text: “What can we do for people now and future generations to make schooling a better learning space for high schoolers who want to succeed without feeling inferior to others if they do not do a sport or reach the top 1% of their class?” You may consider using the Think-Pair-Share protocol for this discussion (i.e. Students think and jot down notes independently, discuss with one partner and finally, volunteers share ideas with the class.).
by Pénélope Flouret and Goldie Zarabi | 14 Mar 2023 | Contest winners, Health and Wellness, Hewitt, Student Posts, United States, Women, Youth Voices
If you are in need of an abortion in the United States, you might have to travel cross the country to get one. Or a clinic could be just blocks away. A woman enters Alamo Women’s Reproductive Services, Thursday, 7 October 2021, in San Antonio, Texas. The clinic...