NEXT GEN RADIO IS A FIVE-DAY, AUDIO FOCUSED DIGITAL MEDIA PROJECT

OUR THEME: WHAT IS THE MEANING OF “HOME”?

Alana Washington sits among a group of students in a classroom. She is smiling and vibrantly colored speech bubbles flow across the room. Towards the back of the classroom is a whiteboard that reads “Save a Life.”

ALANA WASHINGTON CREATES A HOME FOR STUDENTS, DEDICATED TO A BROTHER WHO DIED BY SUICIDE

Pictured is Next Generation Radio participant Kait Lavo.

by RITA HANCH

As a second-year middle school teacher, Alana Washington knows how much trauma her Southeast Kansas City students can go through on a daily basis. She started the Save a Life Mentorship to foster an environment where students can find a home within themselves.

Anna is the central figure overlooking a housing commune that extends from Kansas to Missouri, little people figures dot the landscape. Pathways and streets grow and stretch out towards the houses and families.

FROM ADOPTEE TO COMMUNITY BUILDER: WHY THIS RUSSIAN-AMERICAN SAYS HOME IS NOT COMPLETE WITHOUT BELONGING

by ZOË SHRINER

Spending the first five years of her life in a Russian orphanage, Anna McCune learned that having the support of people who care about you is what turns the four walls of a “house” into a “home.” Now she’s pouring her passion for acceptance and belonging into Kansas City’s unhoused youth and families.

A drag queen in a large blonde wig speaking into a microphone as she addresses the crowd. In her other hand she holds a purple butterfly net behind her head used to collect money.

A LOCAL BUSINESS OWNER CREATED A ‘HOME’ IN THE CROSSROADS. WHAT DOES HER FUTURE LOOK LIKE?

by XIAO FARIA DACUNHA

Megan Hedden turned her dream into a reality by building an event venue in a historic building in the Crossroads Arts District. Her business has witnessed precious moments for her and her clients. Now, potential customers have stopped calling because of a proposed baseball stadium that could demolish a large portion of the neighborhood.

‘IT’S ALL GREEN’: DUSTIN SHERIDAN FINDS NEW COMFORT BY BUILDING A SPACE OF HIS OWN

by ROSIE PASQUALINI

Home is something that Dustin Sheridan has created by degrees, culminating in living on his own. Sheridan, who has Down syndrome, has spent decades finding the right tools and opportunities to allow him to live independently. Now, he’s formed a close-knit group of friends, looks forward to his job at McDonald’s, and, now that he lives alone, is finally able to keep his space as meticulously tidy as he likes.

Two figures, one Clarisa Evans—the midwife—and the other a woman late in her pregnancy. Both look calm and happy surrounded by a garden of lush flowers, shrubs, and herbs.

GROWING HOME

by LAUREN WINSTON

Clarisa Evans is a midwife and new gardener who supports families through at-home births using a holistic approach. Evans uses herbal remedies and encourages familial involvement to help families feel safe during one of the most transformational moments of their lives.