Youth Speaks Out

Philo, CA, 2000

Youth Speaks Out (YSO) is a collaboration between Mendocino County Public Broadcasting (KZYX) and the Mendocino County Youth Project (MCYP) to engage teens as "Youth Partners" in the greater community discussion of issues related to youth substance abuse. The project brought the often-overlooked voices and opinions of youth to radio, expanding communication among diverse community groups on the very pressing and complex issue of teen substance abuse in this rural northern California county.

Professional radio staff trained high school and community college students in radio techniques. The youth then produced radio programming that incorporated taped youth commentaries and diaries, interviews with county policymakers and educators, and listener call-ins. They also learned about teen-related county resources and how to access them. Key teachers at local high schools involved their students by assigning them to listen to shows and write commentaries as part of classroom curriculum.

MCYP supervised YSO Youth Partners in organizing and facilitating four community-based advocacy activities that included Youth Partners distributing harm reduction materials at a three-day rock concert and presenting to a local school board on the state of drug education in the schools. The youth also hosted a multigenerational community forum on substance abuse.

YSO emphasized young people's strengths and abilities to contribute to solutions for their community. YSO involved Youth Partners, the listening audience, high school classrooms and county policymakers in a unified effort to appraise and address teen substance use and abuse in Mendocino County. The collaboration has activated rumblings of change within county human service systems—harm reduction is being discussed, needle exchange programs are being developed, and youth forums have been held to involve teens in problem-solving.

Contact Information

KZYX-FM
Dan Roberts, YSO Project Director
Tel: 707-895-2324

Mendocino County Youth Project
Leslie Rich, YSO Outreach Consultant
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