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What You Don't Know: Youth Speaks Out


Philo, CA, 1998

KZYX is a small, rural community station serving Mendocino County-a large and sparsely populated area in northern California. In partnership with the Mendocino County Youth Project (MCYP), we produced a monthly one-hour radio program, What You Don't Know: Youth Speaks Out, exploring youth health issues related to substance use/abuse. Our project goals were to:


  • model and discuss healthy decision-making by young people;
  • provide a forum where sensitive topics could be discussed;
  • model peer helping techniques; and
  • advocate for peer counseling among youth, parents, and decision-makers.

Peer counselors from four schools produced and hosted the series, defining the program according to their own understanding of substance abuse. Each month a different youth taped interviews and personal thoughts on a topic of his or her choice, such as getting clean and sober, homeless and runaway youth, eating disorders, and coping with stress or grief.

KZYX staff edited the student tapes to a 20-minute segment that opened each program. Three youth hosts then discussed the taped subject and took listeners' calls. Copies of each program were provided to individuals and groups working with youth.

KZYX administered the project-training youth hosts/producers, editing tapes and producing the live call-in shows, and providing publicity and tape distribution. MCYP acted as liaison with the schools, advisors, and hosts/producers, and provides ongoing promotion of the tape series. Challenges included building a young listenership, geography (some hosts lived 100 miles from the station), and finding time to integrate schools and policy makers thoroughly into the project.

Community feedback indicates that we have provided valuable information and insight, and continue to do so. Participating youth were exposed to the magic of radio; most loved the experience and gained both peer-counseling skills and self-esteem. The project supported MCYP's belief that youth voices need to be heard and that substance use/abuse needs to be talked about in a more holistic way. This project has also built MCYP's name recognition and strengthened its grant proposals and current activities. KZYX benefited through gaining listenership and identifying the station's involvement with youth and the community.

Other Profiles

Contact Information

What You Don't Know: Youth Speaks Out
Jill Hannum, Project Coordinator
Tel:707-895-2324

Mendocino County Youth Project
Leslie Rich, School Services Manager
Tel:707-463-4915

Awards:

KZYX Round Two
2000 Special Merit, Live Local Public Affairs Programming
— National Federation of Community Broadcasters
2001 Special Merit, Live Local Public Affairs Programming
— National Federation of Community Broadcasters

Round One
$2000
— Mendocino County Community Foundation