Show 55: Favorite Featured Stories

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DURING THE HOLIDAYS we get together with our loved ones to celebrate the season, eat good food, reconnect and to share our favorite stories again and again. It’s one of the best parts of this time of year, don’t you think?

We at Kids These Days! gathered up the favorite featured stories that we produced throughout the year and brought them together for a very special episode. These are the pieces that you listened to the most according to our website stats and just like that priceless story your older sister, grandpa, or aunt likes to tell about that one time way back when... we’re telling these stories again. 

FEATURED STORIES:

- Hannah Goes to College (Show 46: Special Education)

Hannah was born with cerebral palsy and has been in a wheel chair her entire life, even so she is starting her first semester at the University of Washington with a full scholarship that she received from the Stamps Foundation for her leadership skills. Contributor Ann Kaiser spoke with Hannah.

- Teen Boys Talk About Manhood (Show 21: Dads These Days)  

Contributor Ben Anderson went to Service High School to find out what teenage boys have to say about being a man. He spoke with seven teen boys, ages 15-18, asking the following questions: When do you become a man? How do men provide for their families? What if your wife makes more money than you? Would you ever be a stay-at-home dad? 

- Assistive Technology Helping Deaf Students Succeed (Show 39: Deaf & Hearing Impaired Children)  

At the Linguistic and Assistive Technologies Laboratory or LATLab at the City University of New York in Queens, lab director Dr. Matt Huenerfouth is studying how to produce software that would generate animations of sign language for the deaf and hearing impaired population. There is a need for this type of technology because for those who have been deaf their whole life, reading written English is a challenge. Producer Sarah Gonzales reports on his work, and the local technology available via UAA.  

- Singer/Actress Shanae'a Moore (Show 47: Young Artists & Arts Education in AK)

Recently graduated from Juneau-Douglas High School, Shanae'a spent part of her summer working with kids at a fine arts camp and this fall she’s working as an activities coordinator with the elderly to whom she often sings. She’s saving up some money to start theatre school in Texas. Shanae'a spoke with host Shana Sheehy before graduation.

- Singer/Songwriter Selah Rees (Show 18: The Value of Music) 

You will very likely be hearing about "Selah Rees from Alaska" in the music news within the next few years. This talented young musician and graduate of South High School, has peformed all over Alaska and her new full-length album (including the song "Ballad of the Heart" heard on KTD) is now available for purchase.   

- The Princess Marketing Phenomenon & Young Girls (Show 38: The American Kid) 

Kids are the targets of a LOT of marketing. Each new kid movie comes with a whole line of merchandise around it – with pictures on everything from tooth brushes to cereal boxes to bathing suits. The Disney “princess phenomenon”, especially, has been the subject of much parental hand-wringing and writing. Contributor Jessica Cochran took a closer at the whole “princess” thing.  

- Teaching the Yup'ik Language in the Lower Kuskokwim (Show 2: The Infant Brain and Early Language Acquisition)  

Abby Augustine is the Yup'ik Language Education Specialist for the Lower Kuskokwim School District. She shared with producer Sarah Gonzales what she knows about getting kids excited to speak a second language - hint, it involves humor and acting...

- Family Wellness Warriors (Show 30: Suicide Prevention)  

The Family Wellness Warriors Initiative has an ambitious goal: end domestic violence, child sexual abuse and child neglect in Alaska in this generation. It’s a program of Southcentral Foundation, the native non-profit health care organization for the Cook Inlet region. As contributor Jessica Cochran tells us, it’s all based on sharing stories.

- Chef KTD: Chocolate Ganache (Show 20: Love and Family Relationships) 

Chef KTD Liz Madsen (formerly sous chef at the Crow's Nest and currently pastry chef at Kinley's Restaurant) along with her 5-year old son, show producer Sarah Gonzales how to make an interactive, assemble-your-own dessert that has more uses than just dipping fruit. Chef KTD says you can save the leftover ganache for up to a month in the fridge and use it to frost cupcakes and fill cakes; or let it re-soften, cut up more fruit and you've got an impromptu and elegant dessert.

You can listen to any or all of the KTD episodes (and featured stories!) produced to date by checking out this complete list.