Combining ethnic studies with outdoor ed to foster connection, inside and out

SHOW: Queer Surfers, and First Time Voters

It’s California’s primary election day. Today, we hear how first time voting can be daunting... and depending on where you are, a potentially baffling experience. Plus, we paddle out with the Queer Surf Collective.

TBH: New Voters

Figuring out where and how to cast a ballot can be difficult to navigate, especially when we are leading busier lives and also investing time to make informed voting decisions. It gets even trickier when it is your very first time casting a vote, like many California teenagers that have just turned 18.  So our first story today is from TBH, our podcast, by, about and for teenagers. But before we get to that we are excited to announce that after two years of being dormant, we have put together a new cohort to work on a brand new season.  Stay tuned for that, but for the California Primaries we bring you a story from the last season, about how some teenagers feel underqualified or not educated enough to cast their first ballot. It was reported by TBH producer Charlotte King during the 2024 presidential election, she shares how she and her friends were thinking about voting for the first time, while they also go ready to leave for college.

Queer Surf: From the bars to the beach

Two Bay Area surfers are opening up the possibilities at the shoreline. Kyla Langen and Nic Brisebois are the founders of the Queer Surf Collective. They invite all bodies, all and boards to surf differently, and more inclusively. In 2024, Reporter Leenah Bassouni learned how they are pushing queer culture from the bars to the beach.

SHOW: Nurturing Belonging, Progress, and Pride

Today, one school program in San Francisco is connecting ethnic studies and environmental science, to nurturing belonging. Then, an immersive play that brings audiences to an important moment in local trans history. And, we hear about a little piece of fabric that represents the living history of San Francisco, and LGBTQ+ pride.

Combining ethnic studies with outdoor ed to foster connection, inside and out

The Bay Area is known for its beautiful natural places and for being the birthplace of many social movements. One school program has found common ground between the two. For over 25 years, two high schools in the city have combined ethnic studies with environmental studies. Reporters Paula Sibulo and Olivia Mendez are recent graduates of San Francisco State. In this story, they wanted to explore how this helps young people feel a stronger sense of connection and responsibility to the land and themselves.