Summary: Radio storytelling is an excellent teaching tool for young people in practically any classroom. It builds skills in writing, research, public speaking, interviewing, interpersonal communication, time management, information management, media literacy... shall I go on? Brian Spilbeler gets this. He teaches radio at Carmel High School in Carmel, Indiana, just north of Indianapolis. He's also the manager of the the school's radio station, WHJE. Brian's students produce all kinds of radio including public radio-style commentaries and features. In addition to all the life and learning skills provided by radio storytelling, Brian says radio helps young people find their voice, literally and figuratively, which is important for personal development. One of the better pieces to come out of his program is "Different, Not Disabled" by Ian Kathen, who is now a senior at the school. We're featuring Ian's story on this edition of HowSound along with a short primer on youth radio with Brian and Jones Franzel, the Director of Generation PRX, an initiative to support youth produced radio. I hope you'll be inspired to check out more youth radio after listening to the podcast: Youth Radio Blunt Youth Radio Radio Rookies Stories at PRX tagged "youth-produced" Youthcast, a PRX podcast featuring youth radio stories Here's to your happy ears! Best, Rob
