These fresh, thought-provoking voices can inspire your students to share what they think about timely issues related to their lives, community and country.
Youth Have A Lot to Say About Civic Issues
These selections from the Let’s Talk About Election 2020 youth media challenge feature student commentaries from around the country that tackle a range of civic issues. These young people researched, wrote and produced a perspective piece that encapsulates how current policy debates impact their lives.
- Pollution is Harming Our Environment by Beni R., Purvis Middle School (Purvis, MS)
- Let’s Talk About Systematic Oppression by Fredrick S., Lee M. Thurston High School (Redford, MI)
- In the End, We Are All the Same by Chalaun M. and Shayla Q., Lee M. Thurston High School (Redford, MI)
[/media-credit]Want more youth voice? Check out these Youth Takeover stories.
These pieces were co-produced by San Francisco Bay Area teens with KQED staff as part of the annual Youth Takeover of KQED. All pieces are showcased on KQED digital, and some were aired on radio or TV.
- My Natural Hair Journey by Autumn S., El Cerrito High School (El Cerrito, CA)
- Two Bay Area Teens on Figuring Out Gender Identity — and High School — Together by Sam M. and Ragan F., El Cerrito High School (El Cerrito, CA)
- Is ‘Blackfishing’ Cultural Appreciation or Appropriation? Interview on KQED Forum with Jasmine P. Bishop, O’Dowd High School (Oakland, CA)
Classroom Supports
- Join the Let’s Talk About Election 2020 youth media challenge
Get access to a full suite of free curricular resources and classroom tools, and share your students’ media on the national showcase. - Dangerous Discussions: Voice and Power in My Classroom by Ursula Wolfe-Rocca
This thoughtful essay from the National Writing Project Network gives teachers practical tips for how to create the conditions for fair and balanced discussions when talking about issues like race, identity and representation in the classroom.