A teen dissects the challenges and gifts of intersecting identities.

[link removed]
[link removed]
Where local teens voice their passions, concerns and prospects. Catch up with the kids these days.

Welcome back! We're happy to be in your inbox with a brand new episode of From the Source podcast, another exclusive peek into the episode and a sit-down with our director of revenue and operations. Pittsburgh-area teens have shared their opinions and ideas for solutions to the critical issues they feel are shaping youth culture today. Now, I'm sharing their voices with you. Every other Wednesday.

Hear the episode and let me know what you think. We'll be back with this newsletter in a few weeks, too.

As always, stay safe, be well and thanks for listening,
Jourdan Hicks, your host
Immigration through a teen’s eyes

One teen speaks on the concept of culture and why intercultural exchange is critical
[link removed]

For some young people, intercultural exchange is rare. They may come across a foreign exchange student in school or take classes to study another language. But for teens who immigrated or whose families immigrated, the exchange can be a major cornerstone of their experiences and identity. This week features Pittsburgh Allderdice High School senior Sam Alawadhi who speaks about the challenge and gifts of having intersecting identities — as a Yemeni and an American — and what he thinks about his peers’ understanding of the concept of culture.
LISTEN TO THE EPISODE ([link removed])
[link removed]
Read related stories:
* Ginny’s work values, shaped by childhood responsibilities ([link removed])
* The name, the records, the future — a candid reflection from a trans Pittsburgh teen ([link removed])
* Seeking closure: The pandemic changed me from a teen excited by the prospect of change to one made anxious by it ([link removed])

FROM THE SEASON

The Teens Speak
[link removed]


** Episode 4: When teens and social media collide, what happens to self-image and worldviews? ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------

[link removed]


** Episode 3: A high school senior’s perspective on how adults frame gender roles and talking with teens about sexual safety ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------

[link removed]


** Episode 2: A freshman’s take on teen mental health 101, and spoiler, it’s not constant positivity ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------

[link removed]


** Episode 1: These teens are fighting to change the rhetoric and reality around youth violence in the Pittsburgh area ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------

Hear the episodes ([link removed])
Finding the connections

Meet Jennie Liska, PublicSource's director of operations. The Pittsburgh native spent her adolescent years devouring Madeline L’Engle books, shopping at Ross Park Mall and playing the clarinet.
* List 3 words to describe yourself as a teen.
Bookish, musical and ready to leave Pittsburgh. I left for about 10 years but found my way home.

* What would you tell your 14-year-old self?
So much of what you end up doing in life will develop from connections between your interests, passions, what you want and who you meet.
* What’s something unique Pittsburgh taught you about the world that you could have only learned here?
Take time to figure out how you're connected with a person. People always tell me that I look familiar. Since moving back to Pittsburgh, I realized that often when people say that, I really do have a connection with them and it's usually pretty incredible. When someone says, "You look familiar," now I stop and try to figure it out. You never know where it's going to lead!

* What were you passionate about when you were a teen in high school? What worried you?
I was always a reader and high school was when I really started picking up a news-reading habit. It took another few decades before it became part of my job. I think I worried about typical teen things – being left out, not doing well in school, not figuring out what came next.
* Do you see similarities in the things that your kids are passionate, or worried about?
Yes, my kids love reading and I think they care about the world and the people around them. I've been really impressed with the tools that they have at a young age to #BeTheKindKid ([link removed]) and give back in their community.

Signing off...

Change and challenge can often go hand in hand. This generation has been gracious enough to share their stories with me of how the two collide. What do you think of the season so far? We want to keep the conversation going. What table talks are you having?

Share this letter with a Pittsburgh family you love, and send us the names of your favorite Pittsburgh teen. They may just end up on an episode of From the Source ([link removed]) .

See you soon,
Jourdan

============================================================
Support our work
** GIVE NOW ([link removed])
Donations by check can be made payable to PublicSource and mailed to our office at 1936 Fifth Ave., Pittsburgh PA 15219. So that we can credit you properly, please include your email address with your gift.
** View this email in your browser ([link removed])

This email was sent to [email protected] (mailto:[email protected])
why did I get this? ([link removed]) unsubscribe from this list ([link removed]) update subscription preferences ([link removed])
PublicSource . 1936 5th Ave . Pittsburgh, PA 15219 . USA