Youth Voice Amplified

After more than three years behind the mic, Brian Johnson records his final episode of Youth Voice Amplified.  Join Gennessa and Brian as they revisit the early days of building the podcast from scratch, laugh through behind-the-scenes travel mishaps and recording bloopers, revisit powerful conversations with youth and adult allies, and hear surprise messages from former guests whose lives Brian touched along the way.  It...

In Part 2 of our special live series from the 4th Annual Youth Against Commercial Tobacco Summit, Brian and Gennessa sit down with members of Students Working Against Tobacco (SWAT), the youth-led coalition helping organize the event from behind the scenes.

Together, they talk about what it’s really like to plan a youth conference, why tobacco prevention matters so deeply to them personally, and how students can use their voic...

What happens when students are handed the microphone and asked to speak up about an issue impacting their generation? 

In this special live episode of Youth Voice Amplified, Brian and Gennessa sit down with students from across Kern County at the 4th Annual Youth Against Commercial Tobacco Summit in Bakersfield, California hosted by the Blue Zones Project Bakersfield, Kern County Public Health, Kern County Superintendent of Sch...

In this episode of Youth Voice Amplified, we sit down with Gabe Adame and Paola Caballero from Youth 2 Leaders Education Foundation (Y2L) to explore what it really takes for students to see college as possible and actually get there.

For decades, Y2L has supported students across Kern County with financial aid, career exploration, and confidence building, but this conversation goes beyond programs. Paola shares her powerful...

In this special compilation episode, co-host Brian Johnson takes the mic solo to share some of his favorite moments from Youth Voice Amplified — all centered on the themes of hope and resilience.

You’ll hear powerful clips from youth storytellers and adult allies who remind us what’s possible when young people are seen, supported, and believed in. From Angela’s journey toward peace and purpose, to Dak...

Ever since launching Youth Voice Amplified, we dreamed of featuring a student who would take their passion for youth voice and turn it into real, lasting change. In this powerful follow-up to Episode 20, we welcome back Carter Beardsley—now a college student, Education Navigator, and still a full-force advocate for youth voice.

Carter discusses how his high school work in leadership, literacy, and advocacy led to the creation ...

In this powerful kickoff to 2026, Youth Voice Amplified sits down with Chief Brent Stratton of the Bakersfield Police Department for a raw and deeply hopeful conversation about how communities and the youth in them can break the cycle of gun violence.

Assistant Chief Stratton opens up about the Gun Violence Reduction Strategy (GVRS), a bold, multi-agency collaboration that’s already led to a dramatic drop in homicides in Baker...

This December, Youth Voice Amplified heads to Delano, California, for a heartwarming holiday special featuring the beloved "Foster Youth Fairy Godmother" herself—Tina Tyler Smith.

As the Director of Student Support Services and Foster & Homeless Youth Liaison for Delano Union School District, Tina shares how she and her team create joy, connection, and belonging during the holidays for students experiencing homelessness an...

In this powerful Homeless Youth Awareness Month episode, we sit down with members of the Youth Action Board (YAB), a group of young leaders with lived experience with homelessness who are driving real change in Kern County. From survival and stigma to policy and peer support, this roundtable dives deep into the realities of youth homelessness, what needs to change, and how youth are using their voices to reshape the system.

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We pick up right where we left off...at Pablo's turning point. After years of bouncing between foster homes, group homes, and incarceration, he shares what helped him break free from the cycle.  In this episode, Pablo talks about his college journey, his work supporting other students, and the advice he would give to youth who feel stuck like he once did. He also speaks directly to educators, social workers, group home staff, ...

In this powerful first half of his two-part episode, we meet Pablo who learned to survive every crashing wave life threw at him. From navigating the foster care system to experiencing incarceration, Pablo opens up about what it was like to grow up feeling invisible, unheard, and alone. But even in the darkest moments, his story is filled with honesty, insight, and strength.

Warning: This episode contains discussions of topics that m...

This month on Youth Voice Amplified, Gennessa takes the mic for a special episode highlighting one of her favorite themes—human kindness. She revisits some of the most moving moments from past youth storytellers and the adult allies who walked alongside them, weaving together a powerful compilation of real-life experiences where kindness changed the course of someone’s day… or even their life. 

From neighbors...

After surviving a car crash that nearly ended her life, Angela faced even more challenges. But Angela didn’t just survive—she found her voice. In this powerful conclusion of her story, Angela reflects on forgiveness, healing from trauma, and the quiet strength it takes to rewrite your future. From walking again after her accident to walking into classrooms as a future educator, Angela shares how faith, love, and communi...

 In this powerful first episode of a two-part series, Angela reflects on her journey through childhood trauma, navigating life in the streets, and the time she spent in juvenile detention. As a teenager searching for connection and safety, she found herself pulled into a world that made survival feel like the only option. But a near-death experience changed everything—forcing her to confront her past and begin a new path...

In honor of National Foster Care Month, this special Youth Voice Amplified episode brings you a powerful live panel from the 10th Annual YES! (Youth Empowering Success) Conference. Host Gennessa joins fellow foster youth alumni Cynthia and Rubi to share raw, real stories of resilience, healing, and hope. Moderated by award-winning speaker and former foster youth Kevon Lee, this conversation dives into the challenges of foster care,...

In this special episode of Youth Voice Amplified, host Gennessa sits down with Alyssa and Siena—two incredible student leaders behind Kern County’s Leaders In Life Conference, a groundbreaking event created by teens, for teens. Now in its 25th year, Leaders In Life is one of California’s largest youth-led conferences and has empowered over 85,000 students through powerful workshops, meaningful leadership experienc...

In this uplifting episode of Youth Voice Amplified, we sit down with Jordynn, a young mom who turned her experience with homelessness into a powerful voice for change. As a dedicated youth advocate, Jordynn shares how she balances the challenges of parenting, school, and work—all while using her story to support and uplift young parents in her community.

Jordynn’s journey is all about resilience and hope. She ope...

In this special episode celebrating Youth Voice Amplified's 2nd anniversary, we’re honored to feature Dakota, a high school senior navigating life as an unaccompanied homeless youth. Dakota shares his incredible journey of resilience and determination, from losing both parents to finding stability through his school’s McKinney-Vento program. His openness about overcoming stigma, reclaiming his education, and creating a ...

Kick off 2025 with an inspiring story of youth leadership! Tita, the first-ever Student Champion on the Kern County Board of Education, joins us to share how she’s amplifying student voices and making an impact for over 200,000 students.

From leading as ASB President to balancing her passion for filmmaking, Tita opens up about her journey, the pressures of leadership, and how she stays “humbly excellent” while advo...