Youth Radio is 25 years old this year, which makes us one of the oldest youth-driven media organizations in the country. And yes, we know you love us (thankyouthankyou). But even in a long-term relationship like ours, there can be some surprises.
Like did you know…
1. We’re not a terrestrial radio station.
We used to have a radio show on KPFA back in the day, but now we’re a national production company that makes news, commentaries, video, art, music, and web interactives. We do run AllDayPlay.FM, an Internet radio station where the freshest DJs in the Bay spin live from our street-level studio in downtown Oakland. But to hear our news content, you gotta go to youthradio.org or tune in to stations like KCBS, KQED, or your local NPR affiliate.
2. Our alums help shape the Bay Area music scene
Music production and Youth Radio go way back. Every year, our young artists release a mixtape of their top tracks. Some of our alums include Iamsu!, 1-O.A.K. and the Honor Roll Collective, and Rayana Jay. You can read more about our arts programming in this Fader article.
3. We teach kids how to code.
Our Interactive department has been teaching young people how to code mobile apps, websites, online games and quizzes since 2010. Currently, our interactive interns learn data visualization and front-end development (HTML, CSS, and Javascript). Check out their portfolio site if you don’t believe us.
4. We. Pay. Our. Interns.
Forget that unpaid internship nonsense. At our Oakland headquarters, we train teens to go from media consumers to makers and PAY them to make content for us. If you’re a young person and interested in getting involved, get in touch: pitch us a story or apply to be a part of our training program.