Mic Drop

Fifteen-year-old Tai Poole won’t rest until he’s uncovered the mysteries of the universe, one probing question at a time. In Season 4 of his Webby-winning podcast, Tai talks to everyone from NASA scientists to stand-up comedians to his equally curious little brother Kien. If you’ve ever wondered if we can keep eating meat without destroying the planet or if we’re alone in the universe, Tai has you covered. More episodes are available at hyperurl.co/taiaskswhy

The class action lawsuit you’ve heard Mikaeel talk about here is La Rose et al. vs. Her Majesty the Queen. It argues these youth are already being harmed by climate change, and the federal government is violating their rights to life, liberty and security and is failing to protect essential public trust resources. The youth also allege that their government’s conduct violates their right to equality, since youth are disproportionately affected by the effects of the climate emergency. You can read more about that lawsuit and get involved in your own way tackling climate change here. Now, as we come to the end of this unforgettable year, we must let you know we’ve come to our final episode. We would like to thank all the tweens and teens who had the courage to share their stories with us. Many of them had to become their own recording engineers during the pandemic, too. Hopefully their journey into podcasting doesn’t end here. Thank you for subscribing to CBC Mic Drop. It has been such an honour to be able to share these stories with you. You can continue to reach us at micdrop@cbc.ca and be part of our little universe @cbcmicdrop on Instagram. Happy holidays from all of us! Until we meet again, stay strong, stay kind, and be true to yourselves. Shari, Carrie and Ellen, the CBC Mic Drop team.

Benji is passionate about graphic design and eager to help other young creators get started. He started out using Autodesk Sketchbook and also recommends trying Canva for free templates or ibisPaint for illustrations. His business is called Certified Designs and you can find Benji on Twitter @certifiedbenji_ and on Instagram @Certified.Benji The success of Certified Designs helps Benji support his parents and his three siblings. It also made it possible for him to participate in a trip to the Philippines, where he volunteered at an orphanage. Benji says that trip opened his eyes and has inspired him to do more - he wants to make positive change around the world. You can check out photos and videos from Benji’s trip here.

Bullies at school target Talia because she is Jewish. It’s a painful struggle that affects her mental health, but Talia fights back in a way that makes school safer for everyone. *Warning* This episode contains descriptions of hate speech, and might be upsetting to some listeners. We advise that you find an adult to talk through any uncomfortable feelings that come up with what you hear.

“It’s something you normally keep to yourself and don’t really tell anyone.” Alex has noticed there’s stigma around mental health and neurodiversity. She’s heard how some people hide their anxiety, ADHD and Dyslexia. When she receives some results of her own, she’s able to put her fears aside and connect more deeply with her friends when she discovers how common those kinds of diagnoses actually are.

12-year-old science fiction author Malik Hazell is self-published. For more information about his latest novel, Exile to Obticus, check out his Instagram @writeorflight_

Sophia fell in love with insects after a visit to a butterfly conservatory, where a butterfly landed on her and stayed with her. This little buddy on her shoulder opened up a whole world for Sophia. She was hooked. In kindergarten, Sophia was bringing grasshoppers, ladybugs and worms to school, to everyone’s delight. But by first grade, her classmates didn’t think it was so cool anymore. Things got a whole lot worse before they got better. In this episode, you’ll hear 11 year-old Sophia bring us her story from her room where she recorded her own voice. Now, after publishing her first book with Penguin Random House, The Bug Girl author gets the last word. If you’re also interested in the wonderful world of insects, you can buzz over and tag your own critter pics with #BUGSR4GIRLS on Instagram and join the group of people who know.

Falcons are amazing birds of prey but they need a lot of space to roam. Growing up in the city doesn’t make the path to keeping a falcon easy for 12-year-old Hans, but he’s working on a plan! Selling candy, shovelling snow and making his own brand of hand sanitizer is his way forward. In this episode, Hans learns several lessons about conflict, ethics, and running his own business while saving up for his future falcon. Visit @cbcmicdrop on Instagram to see photos of Hans with some of the birds of prey he got to visit this summer.

Gabriela loves judo and Brazilian jiu jitsu but training with boys is suddenly different at age 14.

When 11-year-old Marty discovered punk rock two years ago, he felt freed. School was no fun, and he was bored with trying to talk to classmates who were wrapped up in their phones and video games. Hear him talk about how exploring old school punk opened up a whole new world of art, music, lyrics and the best way to have fun with his friends. This episode was co-produced by Mike McKinlay. If you want to see Marty in action, check out Mike’s film about Marty here: http://mikemckinlay.com/marty

Relationships can be tough to figure out. So many ups and downs. Here, Bella reveals her true feelings about what it’s been like for her on that emotional rollercoaster called love. Rings and all!

You’ll hear Ben talk about the history of beatboxing in hip hop and some of his influences: pioneers Doug E Fresh and Rahzel.

13-year old Eli and 11-year-old Adam are sheltering from the pandemic on the reservation with their grandparents, where they have fun learning about their ancestral traditions in the Pacific Northwest. The boys are proud members of the Umatilla, Cayuse, Nez Perce and Walla Walla Nations. While learning how to dance, sing, drum, they also try to avoid going to grocery stores. Hunting for their own food is not just about putting dinner on the table, it’s about growing up and becoming men. You can read more about the tribes and hear some of traditional songs and stories here: http://www.native-languages.org/cayuse.htm

10-year-old Taneia schools her teacher and makes the case to expand Black history education beyond the month of February. The book Taneia mentions is Big Dreamers: The Canadian Black History Activity Book for Kids from Bright Confetti Media. Here are some Black history presentations available to schools in Canada: http://owta.org/tracking-black-canada

Thanks for listening throughout the start of this crazy pandemic. Let’s stick together through the next few months as we approach school, family, friends, work and play in new ways. Stay tuned for fresh stories from bold young voices pursuing their passions in this complicated world. Mic Drop SE2 drops right here this Thursday.

Happy New Year! This month marks two years since we started recording personal stories from Canadian teens for CBC’s award-winning podcast Mic Drop. In this special update, Shari Okeke checks in with some of the teens from the podcast to find out how they’re doing now, and how differently they feel about the situations they brought to us two years ago.

From homelessness to high school degree: one teen talks rebuilding her life by building skateboards in an alternative school. Raven, another teen, says she took herself out of a broken home and built a better family for herself.

Gary looks back on his darkest and scariest times and talks about suicide prevention. Blake and Emma each suffer from complicated mental health issues but their friendship is getting them through.

Moving between mom's house and dad's house has Eve wanting to just move OUT. Ben's juggling pro soccer dreams, school demands and the temptation to party. Sarah's living between Korean and Canadian cultures.

Gabe and Tristan are identical twins who are both facing stress — but they couldn't be more different. Sara and Emily learn a lot about friendship after dealing with mean girls in a group chat.

Layla navigates offers of drugs and alcohol at school. Olivia goes down a dangerous path. Gerry follows his dream to rap over parents' wishes.

Evans grapples with growing up far away from his father. Fiona chops her locks to unveil the person she’d always wanted to look like. Aliyah comes to terms with all the different sides of herself.

Ava’s doing everything she’s supposed to and yet some people stare at her face without looking her in the eye. Melissa confronts homophobia in her private high school. Whitney loves makeup but many cosmetics companies don't offer her shade.

It's about us. What we've been through. What we're going through. Without any adult interruptions. This is Mic Drop.