Express Yourself!

It's time to get healthy, get in shape, and our teen reporters don't disappoint. At a time when about 12.5 million American kids are dealing with obesity, and schools' physical education programs are being eliminated, the Center for Disease Control released findings that less than 25% of America's youth ages 12-15 are getting even 30 minutes of exercise a day. Hosts Katelyn Darrow and Youngjoo Ahn gets us ready for balanced eating and exercising regimes. Katelyn, who is an advocate of volunteerism, discovered a fantastic app called Charity Miles that helps you stay on task while earning money for specific charities. New health and fitness reporter, Henna Hendal encourages everyone to find an activity that is enjoyable and stick with it…dancing, skating, jogging…anything that gets you moving. Rachel Glass is getting toned and healthy with her pescatarian diet and regular exercise. Health Beat reporter, Nicole Eubanks doesn't eat cafeteria food and warns about the high amounts of fat, sugar, and oils in pre-packaged and fast food meals. It's a new year and health is wealth. Get up, get out, and be healthy.

If you are like most of us, you have asked yourself this inevitable question: "What do I want to be when I grow up?" Hosts Youngjoo Ahn and Rachel Glass discuss their interests, their curriculum paths, and their dreams of professions. Teen writer and health advocate, Henna Hundal, talks about her desire to help young people lead healthy, happy lives while they are considering their options for their future work experiences. Caie Kelley, the What's Poppin' reporter, gives insights into celebrities who took a risk to become the stars they are. The girls chat about their classes, goals, and how they can get real world experience while they are still young. What will you be and do when you grow up?

February is the month of love and Americans buy 58 million pounds of chocolate to flaunt their cupids. The Express Yourself!™ hosts and reporters, Youngjoo Ahn, Rachel Glass, Caisseen Kelley, Hanna Li, and Nicole Eubanks share their ideas on successful dating. Topics covered included how to staying connected via social networking, impressing by dressing appropriately and authentically, embracing healthy eating and exercise habits, going on active excursions, and crafting original artsy gifts. When not in a romantic relationship, it's important to savor happy platonic relationships with friends and family. The girls bring a refreshing slant to young love and they all agree loving and being loved makes us glow from the inside out. And that is a reason to get up in the morning! Happy Valentine's Day!

Advertisers pay over $4 million for a 30 second spot. Approximately $400 million is added to the host city coffers. And 4 ½ million pizzas are ordered from pizza chains. What's the big event? The Super Bowl, of course, where players from The American Football Conference vie with players from the National Football Conference to become the champions of the National Football League. Hosts Youngjoo Ahn and Katelyn Darrow learn from sports reporter, Hart Main, notable events from past Super Bowls, while social media reporter Alex Lee recalls famous tweets and posts. In Economic Tune-Up, Alex Pawlakos puts a dollar value on the game and Book-It Reporter, Courtney Cheng offers ways for football widows to enjoy the day without watching the tube. It's an American tradition but not every teen is tuned in.

Human trafficking is a $32 billion industry annually, second only to drugs. The perpetrators are violent kidnappers and pimps who steal children, sometimes from their front years, and force them into sex slavery. Most of these children are never recovered. Host Youngjoo Ahn interviews Asya Gonzalez, teen creator of She Is Worth It, a Preventative Awareness campaign against Child Sex Trafficking and backlogged rape kits. Asya shares pertinent information on this tragic epidemic-the who, what, where, and how. New Techie Talks reporter, Caiseen Kelley, reveals how seemingly safe popular teen apps such as Snapchat could put youth in danger, and What's Poppin' reporter, Caie Kelley talks about the celebrities who make headlines with their efforts to combat human trafficking. America needs to take a stand against sex slavery. Human trafficking is happening in the USA at truck stops, in neighborhoods, and major venues such as the Super Bowl, Olympics, and sporting events. Tune in to find out how to recognize and stop forced sexual slavery. Our children depend on us for protection against predators.

Do you listen to audio books? The growing audio books industry offers unique rewards and challenges for performers. Hosts Youngjoo Ahn and Katelyn Darrow interview critically acclaimed narrator of over 700 audio books, Simon Vance. Simon is the winner of forty-seven AudioFile Earphones Awards, and a ten-time Audie Award recipient including the 2012 Audie Award for Best Solo Male Narration. The brother,sister duo Becca and Alec King of This Boy That Girl are on the show have been storming through Hollywood and blazing up Indie radio stations coast to coast with their hit single Music is My Language! Their music already scored 9 Indie Music Channel 2013 Nominations including… Best Teen Band, Best Teen Recording, Best Teen Pop Song, Best Teen Wrap song. Book It Reporter, Courtney Cheng chimes in with her reading/listening favorites as the three girls discuss what's on their reading and listening lists for 2014

Every one has faced a challenge in life from moving to an entirely new place, making new friends, overcoming health issues, conquering that impossible class, or even picking out which shade of nail polish would look best with that pair of shoes. Hosts Youngjoo Ahn and Ryan Sim interview Book It! reporter, Courtney Cheng who has suffered from scoliosis, twins Jamala and Jasmine Davis who were diagnosed with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis as kids, and teen heart throb, Matt Ryan King who had surgery for a heart defect at age three. Each individual is an inspiration as they strove to overcome any roadblock to being the stars they were born to be. Courtney is an accomplished musician, book review coordinator with Be the Star You Are!, and student at CAL Berkeley. Twins, Jamal and Jasmine Davis launched a movement to flaunt your illness called ChronicGirlz and IllnessGang. On their 21st birthday they met with the OMG Girlz Whatever your obstacle, you can overcome it. Remember everything is a blessing and a lesson if we grow and learn from it. Here's to Being the Star You Are!

Happy New Year! Can you believe that we already are in 2014? Youngjoo Ahn and Alex Lee co-host a program filled with great ideas for making goals and completing your resolutions. Guests include teen authors/entrepreneurs, Jordan Williams and Brandon Iverson who wrote Who Needs an Allowance? A Teens Guide to Starting Their Own Business. They started their first company at age 15 and encourage teens to become business oriented. Hart Main, our newest sports reporter, interviewed personal trainer, Nichelle Harris. He shares tips on how to exercise and stay healthy. Finally, Book It! reporter, Courtney Cheng, discusses the movie New Year's Eve, and shares resolutions.

When talk centers around the holiday season, teens get excited. Christmas, Channukah, Winter Solstice, New Year, Kwanza-whatever the celebration, youth around the world are participating. Hosts Youngjoo Ahn and Alex Lee mingle with reveler reporters Jane Fessenden, Asya Gonzalez, and Sara Trail in this Yuletide extravaganza. You'll learn about the history of the various traditions, both religious and secular, the favorite moments, tree decorations, home made gifts, yummy treats, and the special family traditions that make holiday festivities unique. The New Year is upon us and as the ball drops in Time Square, what will you be doing and thinking? Deck the halls, grab a cup of hot cocoa, jingle the bells, and join our party! Happy Holidays to one and all. Ho, ho, ho!

Teens have been talking and expressing their viewpoints for 100 shows on Express Yourself! Teen Radio. Two original reporters, Rachel Glass and Courtney Cheng describe the importance of a platform for allowing young people to speak, debate, and express themselves. Co-hosts for our 100th program celebration, Youngjoo Ahn and Rachel Glass interview thirteen-year-old actor and philanthropist, Jonathan Morgan Heit who has starred in Shawn Levy's Date Night, Garry Marshall's Valentine's Day and Adam Shankman's Bedtime Stories" as well as Disney's feature The Search for Santa Paws" and "Super Buddies". In TV, Jonathan played the lead role in "Granite Flats" and guest starred in Nickelodeon's "Deadtime Stories". Other TV credits include Monk, How I Met Your Mother, ER, General Hospital and Close to Home. His voice over roles include Cubby in Jake and the Never Land Pirates, "Escape from Planet Earth" and over 20 "Family Guy" episodes, among others.