Radio Rookies from WNYC

Real stories by New York City teenagers take listeners inside their lives and their communities in this Peabody Award-winning youth journalism initiative. For teens, by teens and about the challenges of teen life, Radio Rookies gives students the tools and the training to share their own stories through the medium of audio. WNYC Studios is a listener-supported producer of other leading podcasts including Radiolab, Death, Sex & Money, Snap Judgment, Here’s the Thing with Alec Baldwin, Nancy and many others. Find these and more great shows at wnyc.org © WNYC Studios

The Mary Jane Mindset: Rookies report on Marijuana

Temitayo and Gemma spoke with nearly three dozen high school students who smoke weed to learn more about what they call "the Mary Jane mindset".

03-05
10:19

Father's Day from Radio Rookies: Trying to Do it Right and Not Repeat a Father's Mistakes

When people think about teen parents, they usually picture a young mom. But what about the dads?

02-20
12:14

Tough to the Corps: Teen Girl Wants to Join Marines

Cece Rodriguez may be tiny at 5 ’4”, 100 lbs, but she’s physically strong. Despite her family’s concerns, she dreams of testing her toughness by enlisting in the U.S. Marines.

02-06
08:21

Sickle and Me

Nearly 100,000 Americans suffer from a disorder called Sickle Cell Anemia. Radio Rookie Bree Person hates talking about Sickle cells – but she put together this report nevertheless.

12-12
09:02

American Dream - Minus My Mom

At 17-years-old Tangeneka Taylor moved to the U.S from Guyana with her dad and sister. Along with having to adjust to a new country, she’s had to adjust to life without her mom.

12-09
08:26

Eyes Off the Goal: When Sports Rule and School Suffers

Fresh grass. Freedom. Success. That was the sensation Edward Munoz experienced every time he walked onto a soccer field. But in school, he felt like he wasn’t meant to be there.

11-28
09:29

My Education, Uninterrupted

In New York City the high school graduation rate for black males was 28 percent in 2010. Radio Rookie Mike Brown is a young black man living in Harlem and being raised by a single mom.

11-14
08:23

Not the 'Right' Kind of Gay

In some ways, being feminine made life harder for Dakota than his sexuality.

10-31
08:27

We Just Don't Talk: One Family's Silence about Dating Abuse

When 18-year-old Radio Rookie Mari Santos recognized that her older sister Alison was in abusive relationship, the hardest part was figuring out how to talk to her about it.

10-17
09:05

Seeking an End to Cycles of Abuse

Destiny Mabry had a lot in common with her older sister: a love of dance, a bright smile, and excellent jump rope skills. They also both had experience with abusive relationships.

10-03
10:22

Why Do I Stay?

Rainy wanted to understand why she stayed with an older boyfriend who humiliated and physically abused her. So she spent two years reporting from inside the relationship.   

09-19
29:28

Sexual Cyberbullying: The Modern Day Letter A

Many teenagers live half their lives on social media sites, and they're writing the rules as they go. One online trend Radio Rookie Temitayo Fagbenle finds disturbing is "slut-shaming" 

09-05
10:30

Nine People, One Bedroom: A Teen's Take on Life In Poverty

Jairo Gomez's nine-person family lives in a one-bedroom apartment. He knows education is the way out of poverty, but sometimes being poor makes it difficult to make good choices.

08-22
09:52

American Heaven

Aired December, 2012. Danielle was 13 when she left her home and her mother in the Congo.  She came to New York to pursue the American dream, but she wound up living in a homeless shelter. 

08-08
09:49

The ABCs of Chinese Americans

Aired October, 2010. Radio Rookie Helen Peng lives in Flushing, Queens and calls herself an ABC, or American-born Chinese. But a lot of FOBs, or Fresh-off-the-boat Chinese people, also live in her neighborhood. Helen identifies with both the ABC and the FOB cultures and struggles with how to identify herself.

12-22
07:13

Breast-Fed Language

Aired October, 2010. Radio Rookie Andrea Lee's parents came here from the Philippines in the 1990s. She is not sure she agrees with at least one decision her parents made - not teaching her their language.

12-08
09:21

Level Up

Aired September, 2010. Although 40% of all game players are female, players of hardcore games like Grand Theft Auto are mostly male. That means the games are designed with boys and men in mind. Rookie Reporter Jessica Cernadas finds that very frustrating.

11-10
08:55

The Potential Diplomat

Aired September, 2010. Rookie Reporter Melissa Best has always dreamed of becoming a US diplomat — living abroad and helping people; but then she found out how much work it is to become one. Melissa wonders if she can really live up to her high–achiever persona.

10-28
07:51

Interview With a Teenage Vampire

Aired June, 2010. Radio Rookie Hawa Lee reports on the sometimes spooky connection between vampires and teenagers.

10-14
08:59

Back to the Middle East

Aired June, 2010. 18-year-old Radio Rookie Alexis Gordon is struggling to understand her dad's decision to stay in the Army and go back to the Middle East.

09-29
09:07

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