Students are no strangers to stress and burnout. It's hard to find the energy and willpower to do everything we should, especially when we aren't doing what we love and are stretched too thin. This episode features high school and college student interviews and stories about how they cope with stress and figure out how to keep going, even when feeling helpless.

How do we fight against societal messages that make us feel like we aren't beautiful? In this episode, we interview teens and family members and tell our own stories about experiences with body image and how we accept who we are, despite cultural stereotypes.

Why do young people want to speak up? In this episode, we hear from high school students about why they think their voice matters and what stands in the way of being heard. Members of our podcast team, Lindsey Lam, Sophie Ciurlik-Rittenbaum, and Hawi Abraham, share their own stories as well as how other teens wish to use their voice to express underrepresented views.

This episode is about gender identity and people's struggles to understand and express gender. You'll hear from our field reporters Sophie Ciurlik-Rittenbaum and Robson Swift, who interview transgender teens about their experiences with gender expression and coming out, reflecting on how different people relate to gender.

In this episode, we’ll be answering the question “who are you?”. You’ll hear from our field reporters, Sophie and Hawi, who focus on their names as a source of their identity. They’ll also interview other San Francisco Bay Area teens who base their identity on their goals, their heritage, and their actions.

Finding your voice is easier said than done. In this guest interview, former high school public speaker George Elsbury explains concrete tips and techniques for figuring out what to say and how to feel more confident performing in front of others.

Awkwardness. We all feel it at some point in our lives. Members of the podcast, Ava Remler and AnnMarie Baines, share some of their awkward moments. Lindsey Lam connects their stories with words from the experts and some awkwardness of her own.

Public speaking is scary, but somehow we make it through. Two high school students, Lindsey Lam and Ava Remler, describe what they did to overcome their fear of public speaking. AnnMarie Baines, Executive Director of The Practice Space, connects their stories to broader research on communication anxiety, which reminds us that we aren’t alone.

While we all have moments when we find it hard to listen to others, we may not know why. AnnMarie Baines, Executive Director of The Practice Space, offers research and analysis behind the listening challenge we face every day. Two high school students, Lindsey Lam and Ava Remler, share personal stories and discuss why we need better listeners in today's world.

Find Resources mentioned in this episode at www.practice-space.org/why-listening-is-hard/