youth

Nationwide economic strain may shrink entertainment and leisure industries and threaten summer jobs for teenagers.

Building Community Bridges is a group that focuses on supporting area youth — and their families — by providing community and giving them the chance to discover new passions and learn new skills, such as boxing, chess, modeling, dance and more.

Erin Washburn and Stephanie Daniels both work for FosterAdopt Connect in Springfield. They spoke about how some of their services — especially their Youth Connect Center can support youth ages 13 through 21, as well as families involved in the child welfare system.

16-year-old high schooler Mason is queer and uses any pronouns. Mason spoke about how he doesn’t align himself with exclusively a masculine or feminine identity, as people are more complex than those two labels.

Annalise Caul and Moe Warren are both students at the University of Missouri and have been friends since high school. Moe is trans masculine and non-binary and Annalise is an asexual woman. They spoke about how their friendship and their understanding of their own identities has flourished since high school.

The number of pediatric ER visits for mental health reasons has increased by an average of 8% each year. But Kansas City hospitals warn they aren't able to keep pace — and already, about half of kids are going untreated.

Girls in the U.S. are experiencing record high levels of violence, sadness and suicide risk. A school-based program is helping them.

Many parents of Columbia Public School children have received emails this week notifying them of the release of educational records. This comes in relation to a 2020 lawsuit where two parents allege their children were confined in seclusion rooms, one injured from a restraint.

Several blocks of East Broadway will be closed Sunday while the annual Mid Missouri Soap Box Derby is underway.

Danielle Devers works in Student Health & Well-being at the University of Missouri, and one of her roles is to work with the Well-being peers – a diverse team of students that seek to support and educate other MU students on topics like alcohol responsibility, stress and mental health, sexual health, healthy relationships, and more.