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Radio Rookies

Radio Rookies is a New York Public Radio initiative that provides teenagers with the tools and training to create radio stories about themselves, their communities and their world. Beginning this past fall, The Door partnered with Radio Rookies to bring the voices and stories of Door Members to New York City's airwaves.

The core Rookies workshop began in August, with the new Rookies traveling to The Door from different neighborhoods across New York for the opportunity to create radio documentaries. During the first month of workshop the Rookies met 15 hours a week to learn interview skills and recording techniques, and to develop their story ideas. Then it’s time to record, record, record, sometimes more then twenty hours of audio that will whittled down into a 7-9 minute story. The stories aired on WNYC in February 2008.

To listen to the Radio Rookies, please click on the links below. To save the files to your computer, PC users right-click, and Mac users option-click to save the file.

"Emancipation Proclamation" by Jordan Teklay

At 15 emancipation has brought both freedom and hardship for Jordan. Now 17, he's trying to understand what it means to be an adult.

"Growing Up in The System" by Shirley Diaz

Shirley’s life has been shaped by the tragedy of her mother’s murder and having been raised in several foster homes. To avoid being consumed by loss, Shirley tries to make sense of it all.

"My Not So Sweet Home" by Krystle Monclova

Fourteen-year-old Krystle has been living in a group home in Manhattan since last summer. She never expected to wind up in "the system," but when conflicts between Krystle and her mother reached a boiling point she found herself separated from her family. In her radio story, Krystle documents what life is like in the group home and how she might be able to move back to her family.

To learn more about Radio Rookies, please visit WNYC's website.