LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX18) — Through their eyes, in their words. That's the title and theme of the newest project from Community Inspired Solutions.
"We are the hosts of a serious podcast, 'Through Their Eyes, In Their Words.' We'll be discussing topics of interest to the youth in our community," explained Areli Green in the first episode of the youth-run podcast.
CIS provides a safe space for kids in Lexington to promote education and deter youth violence. Even through the pandemic, co-founder and CEO Rebecca Webb said they have been able to continue that mission.
"We started to go virtual and do what we could do to maintain that contact, and we could still be in touch with the kids," she said.
Through the past nine months, the kids involved with CIS have had questions, thoughts and a unique perspective on all the major events of 2020. So, a parent came up with the idea to launch a youth podcast -- a vehicle to give the kids a voice and to reach their peers with similar concerns.
Webb said they took the idea and ran with it.
"It was like well, sure we can," she said.
The first episode launched on Thursday, focusing on the COVID-19 pandemic, mental health and understanding the need for restrictions. The kids interviewed Kevin Hall with the Lexington-Fayette County Health Department.
"I appreciate y'all taking the time out of your day to ask me these questions, " Kevin Hall said on the episode. "I am honored to be a part of this because this is the first interview I've done with young people."
Their goal now is to release an episode a month, discussing issues they care about including social justice, violence in communities, the environment and more.
"If we give them a voice and us adults have a better understanding of what they're thinking and how they're feeling about what's going on, then decisions that are made within society can reflect that, " Webb said.
A glimpse into the very real experiences youth are having and insight into how adults can respond.
Visit the CIS website to listen or watch the first episode. You can also catch the latest uploads on the organization's Youtube page.