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Where we are and where we are going… 

In July 2015, twenty-one recent high-school graduates created these radio features while serving as Summer Interns at The Heinz Endowments. The resulting features cover a range of community issues. While SLB provided training and coaching, the features presented here were conceived and created entirely by the students in a single week.

 Fostering Higher Education for All

Jamee, Kelly and Andrew interview Josh Lord (Virginia Tech engineering student), William Battles (Education Liaison, Allegheny County Dept. of Human Services) and Jim Zuzack (Duquesne University) on difficulties faced by students within the foster care system when applying for college loans.

 Balancing Forces: Women & Policing

Javier, Azania and Sophie interview Katherine Spillar (Feminist Majority Foundation, National Center for Women & Policing), Robert Swartzwelder (City of Pittsburgh Police Officer), Karen McClellan (retired City of Pittsburgh Police Officer) and Pittsburgh residents about the impact female officers can have on citizen-police relationships.

 Transgender Students: Experiences and Resources

Kailyn, Miciah and Freesoul interview Dylan Flunker (Rainbow Health Initiative), anonymous student, Isabelle Moldovan (art teacher, The Ellis School), and Caiden Fratangelo (Habitat for Humanity) about experiences and resources for transgender students as they navigate education systems designed in an era prior to their consideration.

 Family Matters: Raising Children with Mental Illness

Dante and Sara interview Ruth Fox (Allegheny Family Network) and Sean DeYoung, MSW, LCSW (Familylinks) on challenges and resources for parents raising children with mental illness.

 Pittsburgh’s Somali Bantu Students

Anna, Christina and Siraji interview Greg Jones (Past President, Keep it Real tutoring program, University of Pittsburgh), Jonathan Covel (ESL Director, Pittsburgh Public Schools), Nancy A. Hubley (Education Law Center, Pittsburgh) and Fatuma Muya (former refugee and Pittsburgh Public Schools graduate) to provide background and context on how Somali Bantu refugees are learning and thriving in Pittsburgh. Music excerpt from: Tanzania Haya traditional dance and Swahili Saida Karoli Mapenzi Kizunguzungu.

 Protecting Pennsylvania’s Children through Background Checks

Marcus, Emanule and Isaiah interview James Doyle (Coordinator of After-School Programs, Pittsburgh Public Schools), Pennsylvania State House Representative Dan L. Miller, Pamela Komar (Pittsburgh International Children’s Theater) and Pennsylvania State House Representative Ed Gainey on the impact and effectiveness of recent revisions made to Pennsylvania’s Child Protective Services Law.

 Invisible Victims: Children of Incarcerated Parents

Paige and Stephen interview Nazgol Ghandnoosh, Ph. D., (The Sentencing Project) and Kayla Bowyer (Amachi Pittsburgh) on logistical, financial and emotional challenges faced by children with an incarecerated parent. Audio excerpt from: What is Incarceration?, Little Children, Big Challenges: Incarceration (c) 2015, Sesame Workshop.

 #BlackGirlsMatter: The Criminalization of Black Girls

Amma and Marna interview Leigh Loman (Education Law Center, Pittsburgh), Ashley Sawyer (Education Law Center, Philadelphia), Maheen Kaleem (Human Rights Project for Girls) and Linda Lane, Ed. D. (Superintendent, Pittsburgh Public Schools) on why many black girls are suspended, institutionalized or incarcerated without consideration of underlying behavioral norms or trauma.