“Democracies may die at the hands not of generals but of elected leaders—presidents or prime ministers who subvert the very process that brought them to power. “ - Steven Levitsky

Host Keerthi brings substance and humor to a very serious topic: democracy. Democracy is a mess. It’s a beautiful, chaotic, meme-worthy mess. Democracy has made mistakes. Big ones. But she’s evolving. Citizens should be worried about voter suppression, disinformation overload, political polarization, cynicism, and apathy. Democracy isn’t perfect because people aren’t perfect. When this country was founded, there was one clear goal: No kings. Because, despite all the chaos…

• More young people are voting than ever before.
• More women and people of color are running for office.
• Protest movements—from climate to racial justice to gun reform.

Democracy isn’t dying, but it is up to us to protect it.

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"To every child – I dream of a world where you can laugh, dance, sing, learn, live in peace, and be happy" - Malala Yousafzai

Host Sharanya Roy doesn’t believe brilliance is limited by borders. She recently returned from Africa where she witnessed children eager to learn and study, with a profound quest for knowledge. Learning is freedom. It’s power. And it deserves to be shared. To bring computer science education to underprivileged societies, Be the Star You Are!® teenager, Sharanya, founded the organization PlotLyft. She is currently working with the young Maasai students in Ngorongoro, Tanzania. She says, “We have so much to learn from each other. Real impact doesn’t come from giving things. It comes from listening. From sharing. From showing up, and staying committed.”

If you’d like to help bring education to the Maasai in Africa, please visit

https://www.gofundme.com/f/together-lets-bring-classrooms-to-the-maasai

You can also email Plotlyft@gmail.com for more information or to get involved in the program.

Africa didn’t just teach Sharanya how to help others. It taught her how to be grateful and be a better human.

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“The body achieves what the mind conceives!” Napoleon Hill

Julia and Kirpa host a program about how to stay fit during the summer and beyond.

Reporter Milan talks about ways to exercise, participating in sports, enjoying healthy foods, and having fun. Kirpa shares that summer is a great time to switch up your fitness routine and take advantage of the outdoors. To stay motivated, she encourages exercising with a friend, joining a summer fitness challenge, or even mixing in fun outdoor sports can keep you accountable and inspired. Summer heat can pose real risks during physical activity. Overheating or heat exhaustion happens when your body can’t cool down fast enough. Kirpa also tells us that sleep is just as important as your workouts and nutrition. Julia chimes in with important intel about the darker side to the idea of staying fit, “winter arcs” and “summer bodies,” and what that means for everyone. Our bodies aren’t seasonal products. They don’t need to be “summer ready” or “bikini approved.” The “summer body” mindset is problematic. Every BODY is a summer body!

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Ah, summer. The season of beach days, barbecues, road trips, and popsicles that melt faster than you can eat them. But while you're out there living your best summer life, the sun is doing its thing too, shining bright and sending down those sneaky UV rays. Host Kirpa and reporter Milan discuss ways to have fun in the sun while protecting your skin and body.Your eyes, skin, and immune system can all be affected by sun exposure. Sunscreen, sunglasses, long-sleeved shirts, and a hat are critical when spending time in the sun. An umbrella will help with sun protection. Slather on the SPF. Go for a broad-spectrum sunscreen with at least SPF 30, all year around, even on cloudy days. Stay away from tanning beds. Keep your water bottle close and sip throughout the day. Coconut water, fruity mocktails, and watermelon are also great! You don’t have to hide from the sun to enjoy summer—you just have to play it smart. Protect your skin now, and Future You will be smooth, happy, and forever grateful.

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“We travel not to escape life, but for life not to escape us.”

— Anonymous

Travel is more than just moving from one place to another—it's a doorway to discovery, growth, and wonder. Every journey, no matter how short or far-flung, carries the potential to shift perspectives, awaken the soul, and spark adventure in the most unexpected ways.

Reporter Kirpa Gill hosts her very first episode of Express Yourself!™ Teen Radio with a topic of traveling. She shares how, beyond the thrill and excitement, travel deepens our understanding of the world and ourselves. We begin to see how diverse, yet connected, humanity truly is. She then interviews her cousin, reporter Milan Bains, who talks about their recent vacation in Greece, which included amazing cuisine and historical places, and antiquities.

Traveling expands our horizons and deepens our understanding of the world and ourselves. Where will you go next?

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“In 1919, when the world was grounded by war and pandemic, a few brave souls looked up—and dared to fly into history." – inspired by The Big Hop by David Rooney

In 1919, in Newfoundland, four teams of aviators raced to be the first to fly, non-stop, across the Atlantic. Only one team, after a death-defying flight, made it to Ireland. Host Saanvi Phaneendra interviews author, David Rooney, about his book THE BIG HOP, the inspiring story of the pathbreaking journey and the aviators who risked their lives to make history. In segment two, Saanvi flies from the edges of the solar system to the pulse of distant planets. She dives into the incredible stories behind six spacecraft that didn’t just leave Earth, they rewrote how we understand the cosmos and our planet. They aren’t just metal and machinery floating in space… they’re storytellers, detectives, and explorers. These missions show that space exploration isn’t just about reaching the stars. It’s about understanding where we come from, how our planet is changing, and what’s still waiting out there. History isn’t just in the past. It’s in every takeoff, every challenge, and every leap we make.

Bio: David Rooney is a British historian and museum curator. He was born in north-east England and moved to London in 1995 to take a traineeship at the Science Museum, where he encountered—and was later responsible for—the airplane flown across the Atlantic in 1919, the subject of his book, THE BIG HOP. www.davidrooney.uk

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“ The environment is no one’s property to destroy; it’s everyone’s responsibility to protect.” - Mohith Agadi

· In most cultures around the globe, the planet Earth is portrayed as a powerful female god, a nurturer, and a creator. These powerful symbolisms and beliefs remind us that the natural world provides humans with the necessities, tools, and well-being for survival. Diya hosts a program about the responsibility of humans to care for Mother Earth as our planet takes care of us. This interdependence among the living organisms and our planet impacts our daily lives. Reporters Kirpa and Milan join the discussion. Kirpa focuses on climate change, environmental impacts, biodiversity, and ways that young people can contribute to protecting the Earth. Milan talks about what can happen when we don’t take action. He encourages reducing, reusing, and recycling while making a case for saving our most precious resource: water. Together, we can reduce our carbon footprint and take responsibility for this beautiful home we call EARTH.

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Summer

• “And so with the sunshine and the great bursts of leaves growing on the trees, just as things grow in fast movies, I had that familiar conviction that life was beginning over again with the summer.”
• ― F. Scott Fitzgerald

Keerthi and Julia offer a fun-filled sunshine show about summer. Keerthi starts off with a hysterical riff on how she is now a senior citizen at the old age of 16 with all the wisdom that entails. With oodles of humor with concrete ideas on how to spend a productive summer. A few of her suggestions include starting a business, volunteering, reading, interning, and sleeping. Then Julia takes the stage to share her experiences with triathlons. Swimming, running, and biking are the stuff of superheroes, and Julia breaks it down with tips on how to get started this summer. She says that the triathlon is one of the hardest things she’s ever done and the most rewarding. Learn how to suffer and smile. Move forward when your body screams stop. Fall apart and keep going anyway.

Don’t miss this fabulous program with two terrific teens who express themselves.

Happy summer! May your sunscreen be strong!