KQED’s Youth Advisory Board is our group of young leaders who come from across the Bay Area and serve as the youth voice of KQED. While serving on YAB, they’ll spend the year:

Learning about the world of public media through conversations with KQED staff
Building communication and leadership skills through content advisory
Producing their own original content for our most popular programs during Youth Takeover Week in April.

As they prepare for Youth Takeover, our 2022-2023 Youth Advisory Board will come together and represent KQED in their schools, at live events, and on our airwaves. They’ll break into small production groups and receive hands-on professional guidance from KQED program producers from pitch to publication.

Last year’s members were featured on Forum, Arts & Culture, and more. Check out their work and more youth-made content on the Youth Takeover homepage.

We asked our young people: what interests you most about joining the KQED YAB? Hear from them and get to meet some of the high schoolers representing Gen Z at KQED.

Asha D, Sophomore at Valley Christian HS, Alameda County: I am interested in bringing awareness to current events, especially heart touching stories. I enjoy speaking and presentations and being a part of KQED will give me the opportunity to not only help write but also present certain current events I am interested in.

Carlos E, Junior at Jefferson HS, San Francisco County: I am the type of person who can’t settle on doing one thing for the rest of my life. I want to find the loophole in all of that, something I can do accompanied with all the other passions I have. I think KQED YAB would be a great opportunity to gain experience and skills I can use in the future.

Catherine H, Senior at Crystal Springs Uplands School, San Francisco County: I enjoyed connecting with high schoolers from across the Bay Area who were as passionate as I am. I bonded with many of them at our meetings and events which allowed me to form new friendships and learn about topics that interested them and were also mutually intriguing. I was able to learn more about media in general and specifically creating audio media with KQED Forum. It gave me more confidence in using my voice and encouraged me to continue to do so in the future.

Dena A, Senior at Sacred Heart Schools Atherton, San Mateo County: My generation is sometimes known for abusing social media, and not caring about hard news or current events. I believe that Gen Z is often unable to consume news in the traditional forms from the past. Podcasts and social media serve as our main mediums for communicating current events. I believe through KQED’s YAB, I can spearhead new ideas for teenage outreach, uplift important voices and create real change throughout the Bay Area, not just in the small town I live in.

Emiliano M, Senior at Burton HS, San Francisco County: I’m most interested in getting involved in the community and getting to work to create a project and I’m very interested about what it’ll be like working with KQED.

Esha P, Senior at Mission San Jose HS, Alameda County: Because media is integral to our society, I’m constantly inquiring about the role that it plays in my many fields of interest, which range from art to computer science to the environment. I’m excited to gain first-hand experience in YAB because it will help me answer the interdisciplinary questions that are at the forefront of my mind.

Finn D, Junior at Marin Academy HS, Marin County: It’s an opportunity to hone my passion for multimedia journalism and learn about that in a professional and local setting while building community and networks with other writers, youth, and professionals in the Bay Area. YAB will allow me to collaborate with peers who share similar passions while simultaneously having different backgrounds and experiences to learn from.

Finn M, Freshman at Lick-Wilmerding HS, San Francisco County: I have always loved writing and how it can be used to express self, lift up voices, and show different perspectives. I am interested to learn more ways writing can positively impact the world and about journalism and its career paths. I would be excited to share my voice with other youth.

Jacquelin T, Senior at John Henry HS, Alameda County: I’m interested in finding and expanding the true meaning of the media and how you can use it for anything.

Jessica L, Junior at Woodside HS, San Mateo County: Having been on YAB from 2021-to 2022 I was able to have so many real-world opportunities, such as working with real producers and media managers at KQED. During my time at YAB, I felt like I could use my voice and help others find their voice too. I really enjoyed being able to connect with other young advocates and I’ve been able to make so many bonds.

Kaitlyn N, Junior at Milpitas HS, San Mateo County: I’m interested in joining this program because KQED helps to empower youth to share their ideas and perspectives on local and global topics. Growing up in a wheelchair and as a part of many minority groups, I’ve faced many challenges and prejudices but I have learned to overcome them. When watching shows online, I’ve seen a lack of representation for disabled people. By joining this program, I want to share my experiences and inspire others so they can see themselves through media.

Khadeejah K, Junior at Santa Clara HS, Santa Clara County: I am interested in joining the KQED Youth Advisory to expand my experience with journalism and learn new perspectives through meeting students all across the Bay Area. During my first year, I learned numerous skills that would help me become a better thinker and writer in regards to creating media pieces and approaching content creation. To me, a second year on YAB means applying these skills and learning even more from those around me.

Mahi J, Sophomore at Monte Vista HS, Contra Costa County: Last year, I had the opportunity to connect with other students who were passionate about using their voices to bring awareness to different issues. Personally, I have used my voice, quite literally through hosting my podcast She Can Ball. However, through YAB I met with people who used writing, art, and acting to express themselves, and I am proud to call some of the people I met last season here at KQED some of my closest friends.

Michael W, Junior at San Leandro HS, Alameda County: I would love to expand in the world of photography and journalism on a widely known media platform like KQED.

Olivia H, Senior at Skyline HS, Alameda County: I love sharing my voice in my school newspaper, but I know there is so much to be learned, and the Youth Advisory Board seems like the perfect opportunity to learn more about becoming a better writer, current events, change-making, and to share my voice with a wider audience. I am also hoping to improve my confidence when it comes to public speaking and sharing my ideas with a large group.

Rajvi K-S, Senior at Cupertino HS, Santa Clara County: I am excited about media! Through YAB, I will create cybersecurity content for KQED, an important topic not yet covered. I’m a firm believer in amplifying youth voices and want to reach out to teen audiences about important issues by serving on YAB.

Ronald S, Sophomore at Oakland Technical HS, Alameda County: I’m interested in creating my own content.

Ryan H, Sophomore at Saratoga HS, Santa Clara County: I was referred to the KQED Youth Advisory Board as a place to move further on a journalism project I am working on.

Yulieth A, Senior at Leadership Public Schools Hayward, Alameda County: I think what interests me most about joining the KQED Youth Advisory Board is to be able to get that hands-on experience again within the Journalism industry. I was in the YAB two years ago as a sophomore and coming back as a senior, I think my perspective on current issues has changed from what it was. So to be able to bring in a different perspective is what interests me most about joining the YAB again.

Zoya S, Freshman at Urban School, San Francisco County: The KQED Youth Advisory Board is interesting to me because of how it helps high school students find their voice through media. As a kid, I often found myself struggling to be heard, which was difficult for me until I found journalism. I now have a way to speak and share my opinions on topics that mattered to me and my identity.

Youth Takeover will broadcast on KQED from April 24th through April 28th, 2023.

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