Local teens voiced their passions, concerns and prospects. Catch up with the kids these days.

The goal of our season was to gain a a deeper understanding of what teens say are the issues shaping their culture, who they are and who they want to be. Throughout the season, we had the opportunity to speak with 21 students from different schools, districts, interests and social experiences about the inner world of teens.

We're excited to share moments from our season wrap party and share a few standout episodes. Join us as we reflect on what our guests have taught us and explore the themes and trends that emerged from our conversations.

We're grateful for our listeners and, most of all, for the young people who trusted us and our community with their stories and thoughts. If you have any feedback, please reach out to me at [email protected]. 

Sincerely,

Jourdan Hicks
Host, PublicSource community correspondent

A season of growth

Teen co-hosts reflect on their contributions and celebrate their growth throughout the season.

Read related stories

FROM THE SEASON

The Teens Speak

This preteen is proud of her police officer dad, and also has ideas for better policing | S4, Ep. 7

A freshman founder takes us on an entrepreneurial journey of doubts and triumph | S4, Ep. 10

Episode 2: A freshman’s take on teen mental health 101, and spoiler, it’s not constant positivity

Episode 1: These teens are fighting to change the rhetoric and reality around youth violence in the Pittsburgh area
HEAR THE EPISODES
Finding the connections

Meet Eric Jankiewicz, PublicSource's economic development reporter. A native New Yorker, Eric moved to Pittsburgh in 2017 and has since fallen in love with his adopted city, even if the city hasn’t yet fallen in love with him.
What would you tell your 14-year-old self?
  • Those people you hang out with aren’t really your friends and trying to be cool is a waste of time.
What were you passionate about when you were a teen in high school?
  • The injustices and flaws brought about and revealed by the War on Terror. Things like news bias and nationalism drown out rational debates. I remember always yelling about the Patriot Act and how it destroyed the Constitution.
What were you insecure about when you were a teen in high school?
  • A whole lot. My posture and not being a fast enough swimmer because I was too busy cutting class.
List 3 words to describe yourself as a teen.
  • Angry, stubborn, curious.
What’s something unique Pittsburgh taught you about the world that you could have only learned here?

  • Some of the people you’ll get along with most don’t always agree with you politically and that’s OK.
Signing off...

I want to take a moment to express my heartfelt gratitude to all of you who have supported us this season. It means the world to me.

Through our interviews with teenagers, I've learned to be patient with my inner child, to respect my capacity to show up for others and to reach out to my trusted circle for help when I need it. I've also realized that many of the issues our teen cohort spoke about are struggles that never truly go away, even when we're considered "grown-ups." 

So, to all of our season 4 listeners and supporters, thank you for holding these teen truths with compassion and empathy.

With warmth and gratitude,

Jourdan

 
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