People who are conventionally attractive are often treated differently — treated better — than people who aren't. That's "pretty privilege." In this episode of the RadioActive podcast, Nyla Moxley, Jana Le and Taniya Guster discuss pretty privilege, how it affects them and how it relates to colorism and femininity.

Language is the foundation of life. All of our actions, perspectives, and cultures stem from how we communicate with others. Our communities are tied to their methods of communication. But what happens when we lose our ability to speak? In this episode of the RadioActive podcast, Maymuna Yusuf, Red Debebe and Eliham Mohammed reflect on the trials and tribulations of staying connected to their native languages.

Tweens growing up with social media deal with rapidly changing beauty standards and social pressures. In this episode of the RadioActive podcast, Jehan Hashi, Josue Villalobos and Vivi Cardenas-Habell look into how tweens navigate this digital space, and why it matters.

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.

The Lambert House in Seattle's Capitol Hill neighborhood is a place where LGBTQ youth can 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.

The process of becoming a U.S. citizen is often a long and complicated one. RadioActive’s Eva Solorio talked with a family member about his journey to becoming an American citizen after immigrating from Mexico at eight years old.

High school students in Seattle Public Schools are taught sex education once, in ninth grade health class. RadioActive's Lily Turner recently graduated from Nathan Hale High School, where she saw the lack of sex ed throughout high school cause confusion and misinformation among her classmates. But all this is about to change.

Young Women Empowered, also known as Y-WE, is a youth development organization that’s been around for about 10 years. Their mission is to cultivate the power of diverse young people to be leaders and changemakers. RadioActive’s Sadeen Al Ziyad has more about how Y-WE uplifts youth, especially youth of color, through programs that offer skill-building, joy, and a sense of belonging.

It’s easy to slip into a cycle of going to work or school and then coming home, day after day. You might feel the need for another place to go, to get away from that routine. But during the pandemic lockdown, there were suddenly a lot fewer of these ‘third places.’ RadioActive’s Gideon Hall looked at one of his ‘third places’ – a Seattle music organization – and how they’re coming back from being online.

At least 53,000 people experienced homelessness in King County last year. And that number is on the rise. RadioActive’s Hayden Yu Andersen talked with two people who are dedicated to addressing the region's homelessness crisis.

Last fall, King County Metro and many other Washington transit agencies made fares free for youth 18 and under. Fabian Hernandez-Angel is one of the young people who uses this program to get to and from school. But he’s turning 19 soon, meaning he’ll no longer be eligible for the program. RadioActive's Colin Yuen has more.

For many first-generation Americans, it can be hard to balance multiple cultures. Amadou Gaye was the first member of his Senegalese family to be born in the United States. Growing up, his mom stressed the importance of prioritizing his education while maintaining a connection to his Senegalese heritage. RadioActive’s Idrissa Gaye has this story about what he learned from his older brother.

When you think of hula, you might picture dances you’ve seen in Disney movies, or on a summer trip to Hawaiʻi. But that’s just scratching the surface of what hula is. There’s so much more. And RadioActive Youth Media’s Terina Papatu is here to show you.

Growing up, RadioActive's Indigo Mays loved going to the doctor’s office. She went to the Odessa Brown Children’s Clinic in the Central District. But that location has been closed for more than a year. Now, Mays explores the history, recent controversy, and legacy of the Odessa Brown Clinic.

A festival featuring six plays written, produced, and performed by Deaf creatives is back. Deaf Spotlight, a Seattle arts non-profit, hosted its third Short Play Festival in March. It was in-person this year, after moving online due to the pandemic. RadioActive’s Dash Pinck takes us there.

In February, the city council voted to make Seattle the first city in the country to ban discrimination based on a person’s caste. The vote was a watershed for those who say that caste discrimination exists even in the United States. And for one supporter of the measure, it was a chance to open up about an identity that she had kept hidden.

What happens when RadioActive youth producers can make *anything* they want? Some weird and wonderful radio magic, that’s what. Listen to an hour of our creative, experimental, and just-plain-weird audio stories on this RadioActive showcase.

Soundside is teaming up with youth-produced RadioActive to revisit some of the young people featured on the youth-produced show in a segment called "RadioActive Rewind." In this episode, producers tracked down Seattle Youth Poet Laureate Sah Pham, who is celebrating the release of her first book of poetry, "LOVELIKE."

It’s been nine years since Merk Nguyen shared her father’s journey with KUOW listeners. And since then, water has taken on a whole new meaning for Merk as she’s continued to grow as a daughter, friend, and creative.

In August 2021, the United States’ longest standing war came to an end as the military withdrew from Afghanistan and the Taliban fundamentalist group returned to power. Thousands of Afghan people became refugees and came to the U.S. One of those people is Abdul Nasir. RadioActive’s Micah Riggio lives with Abdul, and has this story of how his family hosts refugees like Abdul as they begin new lives in Seattle.

RadioActive's Ada Walther loves horror films. Ada sat down with local filmmaker Abie Ekenezar to talk about the genre. They talked about how Abie got into making horror films, and what they see as the future of horror, sci-fi, and speculative fiction.

The decision to leave home is never an easy one. Immigrating 6,000 miles for a chance at a better life is a significant risk. RadioActive’s Idrissa Gaye tells the story of how his mom, May Gueye, said goodbye to friends, family and a stable job in Senegal to pursue higher education in the United States.

Today, we’re revisiting a feature story from RadioActive alum April Reyes. It’s about how one conversation with a classmate changed Reyes’s junior year, and ultimately — her life.

In the luxe hills of Calabasas, California, near the homes of Hollywood stars, there are treatment centers for teens who are struggling with mental health and addiction. RadioActive’s Caden LaMar talked to Kai, an alumni of one of these residential treatment centers, about his experience there.

We all deserve a space where we can be unapologetically ourselves. Sylvie Crowe, a director, costume designer, and actor at Bellevue Youth Theater, is part of a new generation of creatives who are fighting to create that space for disabled and LGBTQ+ people. RadioActive's Dashiell Pinck talked with Sylvie, and has more.