STEM is 'on the air' at Youth Radio

It's after school, but this building in downtown Oakland, California is buzzing with enthusiastic teenagers raring to go... learn! On any given day, these kids are working under tight deadlines that would make many adults sweat. Welcome to Youth Radio, part of a youth media project funded by the National Science Foundation to engage underrepresented 14-24 year olds with training and hands-on experience in engineering, and the social, physical and biological sciences.The project is designed around core practices that engage youth in original research and inquiry through experimentation, development, and creative use of new technologies and tools to communicate STEM to the public. This innovative new model for collaborations between STEM researchers and under-represented youth results in digital media that impacts the youth as well as the public's understanding and engagement in science.Youth Radio serves intensively 300 youth at its Oakland, Calif. headquarters, 92 percent of whom are low-income and/or youth of color, plus an additional 4,000+ through outreach in schools, community centers, workshops and presentations across the country.