Express Yourself!

Freshwater science is essentially the study of freshwater environments such as lakes, rivers, streams, wetlands, and groundwater. It examines the plants, animals, microorganisms, chemistry, and natural processes that make these ecosystems work. Express Yourself!™ Teen radio host, Diya, shares her experience working in a freshwater lab. She worked with sturgeons, walleyes, and yellow perch with her main job being fish nutrition. Scientists study freshwater to understand pollution, climate change,

Abuse of power is more often quiet than loud. Sometimes it takes the form of work being handed down or a decision made without a team’s consent. Radio host, Allison Lu interviews Kyle Bernshteyn, who explains why leaders drift into abuse of power, how to spot it early, and what to do when they outrank you. In segment two, Allison investigates the story centered around a former Cornell student, identified as Jane Doe, who filed a lawsuit this September alleging that, in 2024, she was drugged and

“Even when I was little, I knew that teenagers sparkled. I knew they knew something children didn’t know, and adults ended up forgetting.” – Lorde Allison hosts a special program focused on hunger and food policy. She interviews teen Louis Rotgin, who, through volunteering, journalism, and independent research, works to raise awareness of youth food insecurity and the importance of nutrition. His goal is to encourage informed conversations that help improve food access and opportunity for stude

“There is always light, if only we’re brave enough to see it. If only we’re brave enough to be it.” – Amanda Gorman Allison Lu hosts a program about sports, specifically adaptive sports. She interviews Max Liu, who is the founder of SportsForAll, a program that bridges the gap between wheelchair basketball and able-bodied players. Their motto is Protecting Athletes, Powering Performance, where they offer injury prevention, adaptive equipment, and unified support to expand collegiate and pro whe

Climate change is intensifying. Sea levels are rising. Droughts, extreme rainfall, heatwaves, and fires are increasing and unpredictable. Food and water insecurity cause massive human displacement. Radio host Allison Lu tackles these threats and discusses how freshwater scarcity worsens hunger and poverty, creating vulnerable refugees. In segment two, she talks about “risk multipliers” and how they apply specifically to displaced populations. She shares information about the recent horrific glac

Confidence isn't something that just happens. It must be rebuilt after being bullied, criticized, excluded, or made to feel like you're not good enough. Radio host Kirpa Gill discusses the importance of empowering girls and maintaining a healthy mind, body, and spirit. She talks about the platform she created to do that, LeadHer Up, focusing on female empowerment, mental health awareness, confidence, leadership, and building healthy relationships. The message is “Breaking stigma, building sister

“Sports are a great place to show that equality can happen.”— Venus Williams NIL (Name, Image, and Likeness), is the policy that allows collegiate athletes to make money through endorsements, sponsorships, and social media without losing their athletic eligibility. This has created a rippling effect throughout college sports. Host Julia Howe interviews teen George Fogarty about NIL in college sports. Julia shares her experience receiving the Billie Jean King Youth Leadership Award at the ESPYs.

“Where you see wrong, inequality, or injustice, speak out, because this is your country. This is your democracy.” – Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall Courts are one of the most important institutions protecting American democracy, but if our entire strategy for preserving democracy is basically, “Hopefully the Supreme Court figures it out,” then we have a much bigger problem. Keerthi Eraniyan hosts an important informational program focused on maintaining a democratic country and how the c

“Ignore those who tell you which way to go without first understanding where you are.” - James Pierce Teens are facing numerous challenges, and in this episode of Express Yourself!™ host, Diya and reporter Allison are talking about the issues surrounding academics, friendships, family, social media, A.I., and more! In Allison’s segment, The New Classroom, she shares the statistics that the U.S. is home to upwards of 5.3 million multilingual learner students, representing more than one in ten sc

Impact of Financial Literacy "An investment in knowledge pays the best interest." – Benjamin Franklin Were you taught about finances when you were a teen? The majority of schools don’t teach financial literacy, which is a critical skill for life success. Host Julia Howe interviews teen, Sahishnu (Sai) Manivannan, who discusses how financial literacy, combined with early educational intervention and opportunity access, is the key individuals need to build stable financial habits to be passed do

"The future belongs to those who prepare for it today." — Malcolm X Radio host Saanvi Phaneendra welcomes Express Yourself’s newest reporter, Allison Lu as they discuss what the future will look like. Saanvi talks about AI data centers in space in her segment Space Spotlight, while Allison discusses equality in educational systems in her segment, The New Classroom. Saanvi talks about the earliest chapter of what could become a totally new kind of space race. Not a race to the moon or to Mars, bu

What is the difference between arguing and negotiating? Host Keerthi, (our Be the Star You Are!® queen of debate) interviews Ryan Chang about how teens can learn to negotiate to better approach problems and collaborate for the best results. Negotiation is a commonly misunderstood idea. Most believe it is a method to win. But in reality, it is a mutually beneficial compromise made to resolve a conflict. When people change their mindset, negotiation becomes a vital asset in everyday life, especial