MIT's Terrascope Youth Radio Turns Local Teens into Hosts, Producers

What does being green mean to teens? MIT students mentored local youth over the summer to pose that very question to teens nationwide and produce an hour-long radio program about their findings. The work was part of Terrascope Youth Radio (TYR), a teen outreach program run as a collaboration between the MIT Terrascope Program and the City of Cambridge Youth Programs. TYR is radio about big issues and everyday stories, such as how to be more environmentally conscious in your own home.

The program, called Fresh Greens: Teens and the Environment, will be broadcast and distributed by New Hampshire Public Radio (and streamed on NHPR.org) on Friday, Sept. 4, at noon and Saturday, Sept. 5, at 4:00 p.m. You can also listen to clips online.

The answers teens gave about their views on environmental issues might surprise you. Kids say being green is not merely remembering to recycle. It's about listening to the experience and wisdom of others and believing one person can make a difference, then spreading the word.

The program is hosted by two TYR members, Hichem Hadjeres and Manon Bonnet, and youth radio groups across the country submitted pieces for inclusion in the special. TYR interns—most of whom had no previous radio experience before the five-week program—helped select and edit the pieces, write the script, choose music, and mix the program.