Politics: Action! Not Apathy
Get informed, get organized, and get involved in politics on the local and national level! Co-hosted by youth advocate and actor Malik Yoba, this episode highlights young people who are making a difference: the country's youngest mayor, a group of Boston teens who speak out at the Democratic and Republican Conventions, and students who are working with school boards and city halls to make positive changes actually happen. For the inspired and motivated, we map out practical tactics and steps you can take to make your own mark.
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Retro Music
Over the last few years, In the Mix has hung out with some of the hottest artists in the world of music. Some have been one-hit wonders and have dropped off the music radar. But others, from Tori Amos and Natalie Merchant to Will Smith, the Beastie Boys, and Coolio, are still in the spotlight. We thought it would be fun to revisit past In the Mix interviews with these artists. Enjoy as we take a trip down memory lane!
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School: Making the Grade
How cool is your school? "Clueless" star Donald Faison and In the Mix hosts check out unique school programs that are working to help students improve their grades, keep them from dropping out, and communicate better with teachers – and teach the teachers a thing or two about relating to their students! We also talk to two young people whose lives were headed down a one-way track to nowhere until the right help at the right time turned them around. See what answers we get when we ask teens: What would you change about your school if you were in charge?
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Self-Esteem: Building Strengths
Three key strengths -- physical, mental, and emotional -- are important to a healthy self-esteem. In this episode, In the Mix follows teens as they participate in a special strength-building program of challenging activities and workshops. On hand are experts to answer questions, and celebrity role models such as athletes Tiffeny Millbrett and Lisa Leslie, who give personal advice on setting goals, coping with mistakes, negative thinking, bullying, choosing friends, dealing with emotions, problem solving and other big issues. Guys and girls also speak out about the pressure to fit in and other stresses.
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Showbiz 101: No Guts, No Glory
More than just talent and luck, it takes a hard-nosed attitude to break into show business. In this episode, we shine the spotlight on teens trying to make it as dancers, singers, rappers and stand-up comedians to find out what drives their hearts and minds when auditioning and performing. We also meet three talented teens in the world famous Cirque du Soleil and see how they balance the rigors of touring with their personal lives. With lots of advice from talented teens and established professionals, this episode offers a head start to those interested in a career onstage.
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Soccer: Kickin' Butts
Soccer stars from the women’s and men’s national teams relate how their involvement with soccer has helped them resist the pressure to smoke. Viewers will also meet teen soccer players who volunteer as anti-tobacco advocates, spreading the message about the dangers of smoking. Experts explain how cigarettes, as well as second-hand smoke, affect athletic performance and debunk popular myths about addiction. Finally, we take a look at two organizations that are bringing soccer to the inner city as a healthy alternative to smoking.
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Teen Solutions To Racism
It's your city, your country, your world...and young people everywhere are working to fight racism and "Increase The Peace". In the Mix stows away with the "Kids to Korea" program, finds out how the "Seattle Young People's Project" is challenging their school board to establish a multicultural curriculum, visits a high school where students work as peer educators in anti-prejudice and anti-violence workshops, and attends the SING competition, where skits and dances promote cross-cultural awareness. An attention-getting PSA shows us how racial misunderstandings run rampant in everyday life, and celebrities David Alan Grier, Henry Rollins and Run DMC give us their own takes on how the issue affects them.
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Teens Around the World
What would it be like to grow up in the Philippines, Russia, Namibia, Korea, Egypt, India, or London? Come globe-trotting with us as we visit with teens from these countries, getting a peek at their home, school, and social lives. Although each culture is unique, we'll see that some things are universal and there's lots of common ground for all of us to stand on.
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Teens Around the World
What would it be like to grow up in the Philippines, Russia, Namibia, Korea, Egypt, India, or London? Come globe-trotting with us as we visit with teens from these countries, getting a peek at their home, school, and social lives. Although each culture is unique, we'll see that some things are universal and there's lots of common ground for all of us to stand on.
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Voices From Inside: Incarcerated Teens Speak Out
With the 'get tough' legislation spreading across America, more teens are being tried in court as adults, with 77,000 youths incarcerated in adult jails and prisons. This program features teens, as well as former inmates, sentenced to juvenile and adult detention facilities in California, New Jersey, and New York for crimes such as burglary, assault and homicide. They expose the grim truth about life in prison, shattering the unrealistic illusions of others who might view prison as a badge of honor. They also send a strong message to teens to think about the consequences of their actions and gang associations that could have an impact on their lives and families forever.
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Voices From Iraq
This program explores what happened when teens in Baghdad met with their peers in Bloomfield, Connecticut via videoconference just before the war began. During this live face-to-face interaction the students discussed their similarities and differences, and U.S. teens learned about the Iraqi teens’ culture and daily lives, going into their homes and schools. In the process, many stereotypes were dispelled. The teens spoke about what it is like to be a teen in the present day and their hopes for the future. We also catch up with the same teens after the war.
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The Way We See It: What Makes A Teacher Worth Listening To?
All too often, schools are highlighted for their shortcomings and failures. For this program, student filmmakers produced short documentaries about what they think makes a great teacher. In Oakland, we meet two teachers who transfer their knowledge into interactive teaching techniques to create a successful learning experience. On the East Coast, a French teacher shows how to grab students’ attention. In Utah, teachers use art, music and dance to make poetry come alive. Finally, we see how a New York City video center helps a gang member, at risk of dropping out of school, turn around to achieve academic and creative success. As youth speak out on education, these documentaries serve as testimony that students care about their education and their teachers. For more information, visit this episode's companion Web site at ListenUp.org.
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