In Spring  2009, eighteen third, fourth and fifth graders from Pittsburgh Lincoln and Pittsburgh Stevens (Pittsburgh Public Schools) took part in It’s Cool to Care, a creative project designed to expose young girls to the career opportunities focused on helping others, tools for good decision-making, audio technology, and verbal literacy.

These students participated in a process during which they explored social issues through (1) a community meeting in which they determined and ranked issues that mattered to them, (2) research about organizations and people working to address these issues, and (3) a series of hands-on youth radio workshops that guided girls through the process of researching, writing and voicing Public Service Announcements (PSAs) to be broadcast on the radio.

Below are the 23 PSAs that these students produced during this project.

Alexis: MADD [audio:http://archived.slbradio.org/mp3/cooltocare/alexismadd.mp3]

Alexis: PA Cleanways [audio:http://archived.slbradio.org/mp3/cooltocare/alexispacleanways.mp3]

Brittney: MADD [audio:http://archived.slbradio.org/mp3/cooltocare/brittneymadd.mp3]

Catherine: Family Resources [audio:http://archived.slbradio.org/mp3/cooltocare/catherinefamilyresources.mp3]

Catherine: The Mentoring Partnership of Southwestern PA [audio:http://archived.slbradio.org/mp3/cooltocare/catherinementoring.mp3]

Catherine: YMCA [audio:http://archived.slbradio.org/mp3/cooltocare/catherineymca.mp3]

Chantelle: Gwens Girls [audio:http://archived.slbradio.org/mp3/cooltocare/chantellegwensgirls.mp3]

Dimira: Bethlehem Haven [audio:http://archived.slbradio.org/mp3/cooltocare/dimirabethhaven.mp3]

Dimira: Family Resources [audio:http://archived.slbradio.org/mp3/cooltocare/dimirafamilyresources.mp3]

Dimira: PAEYC [audio:http://archived.slbradio.org/mp3/cooltocare/Dimira PAEYC.mp3]

Jamira: YMCA [audio:http://archived.slbradio.org/mp3/cooltocare/jamiraymca.mp3]

Jasmyn: Focus on Renewal [audio:http://archived.slbradio.org/mp3/cooltocare/jasmynfocusonrenewal.mp3]

Jasmyn: Just Harvest [audio:http://archived.slbradio.org/mp3/cooltocare/jasmynjustharvest.mp3]

Kiona: Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater PGH [audio:http://archived.slbradio.org/mp3/cooltocare/kionabbbs.mp3]

Kiona: Contact PGH [audio:http://archived.slbradio.org/mp3/cooltocare/kionacontactpgh.mp3]

Liberty: Humane Society of Western PA [audio:http://archived.slbradio.org/mp3/cooltocare/libertyhumanesoc.mp3]

Quinita: Child Watch of PGH [audio:http://archived.slbradio.org/mp3/cooltocare/quintinachildwatch.mp3]

Rionna: MADD [audio:http://archived.slbradio.org/mp3/cooltocare/rionnamadd.mp3]

Tatiana: Focus on Renewal [audio:http://archived.slbradio.org/mp3/cooltocare/tatianafocusonrenewal.mp3]

Tiara: Construction Junction [audio:http://archived.slbradio.org/mp3/cooltocare/tiaraconjon.mp3]

Tiara: PAEYC [audio:http://archived.slbradio.org/mp3/cooltocare/tiarapaeyc.mp3]

Tyra: Greater PGH Community Food Bank [audio:http://archived.slbradio.org/mp3/cooltocare/tyrafoodbank.mp3]

Zharia: Women’s Center and shelter of Greater PGH [audio:http://archived.slbradio.org/mp3/cooltocare/zhariawomensshelter.mp3]

Special thanks to Lorraine DeFilippo, Kimberly Dixon and Sally Mole.

This project was made possible by a grant from Sarah Heinz House via The Heinz Endowments under its 2008 Summer Youth Philanthropy Program.