Dear Friends,

You may know KQED for our journalism and programming, but we're also committed to serving the next generation so young people can become active and responsible participants in civic life. With the new school year starting soon, I want to share how KQED is empowering youth and elevating their diverse voices and ideas.

KQED provides free, high-quality resources that strengthen media literacy skills and encourage civil discourse. One way we're doing this is through our new Call for Change Youth Media Challenge, which invites students nationwide in grades 6-12 to share their ideas for making the world a better place. All submissions are published on our public showcase, and some are selected for our digital and broadcast channels. Last school year, we shared youth media with more than 1.5 million people!

We also reach students by supporting educators with award-winning, free, teacher-tested courses on KQED Teach. This online platform is where K-12 educators can learn to make media and teach media literacy principles — from fact checking to combating misinformation. We also keep educators up to date with our podcast MindShift, which explores the future of learning and how we raise our kids.

Additionally, we produce the youth-centered Above the Noise, an Emmy Award-winning YouTube series that investigates complex topics to help young people — and the rest of us — understand the facts and history behind issues so they can make up their own minds and be better prepared for our shared civic life.

These are just some examples of the ways we serve young people and educators. If you'd like to see more of the impressive youth-created content, please go to the KQED Youth Media Challenge Showcase. And, if you'd like to see or share our resources for educators, visit kqed.org/education.

None of this work is possible without the financial support of our community. Just as you rely on us, we depend on you. On behalf of KQED, thank you for trusting and believing in our public service.