🎙️ Mic Check: YP2F Season 3 Wrap, TA(Y)LK To Me Collab, and a Temporary Hiatus...

When we rebranded as YP2F, part of the mission was to amplify youth voices through the platform we are building, both online and in person at our third space. And while our work has always centered youth homelessness and the many intersections young people face across the juvenile, foster care, and homeless systems, one pattern became impossible to ignore last year.

Nearly every guest we had on the podcast either was a former foster youth or currently works in that system. Most of the organizations we were connecting with were focused on foster care. Most of the events happening in our space were building community for former foster youth. So when we were approached to learn more about the TA(Y)LK To Me Podcast and explore a collaboration, it was a natural fit. The connection came organically through relationships we had already built.

We believe podcasts are one of the most powerful tools in this new era of media for storytelling and advocacy. Young people interviewing their peers, bringing those voices to the front, and holding control over their own stories and narratives. Podcasting is a very easy low barrier tool to reach people, it makes storytelling accessible to the mass, it is community-driven, and it puts lived experience at the center where it belongs.

YP2F x TA(Y)LK To Me Podcast collaboration

The TA(Y)LK To Me Podcast is youth-led and youth-created, made in partnership with the Los Angeles County Office of Child Protection and Trauma Informed Learning Alliance, Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS), with support from Castillo Consulting Partners, the Los Angeles County Youth Commission, and Kids in the Spotlight. originating from the STRTP Child and Family Team/Youth Engagement Workgroup, Child and Family Team (CFT). It was built in response to a real demand for educational tools that are relatable, visual, and audio-based. Every episode features hosts with lived experience alongside subject-matter experts. Nine episodes. Nine conversations. Topics include arts and healing, policing, housing, LGBTQ+ youth support, permanency, substance use, workforce development, and system reform.

Tonny connected with four youth advocates from the Los Angeles County Youth Commission to hear directly from peers who had created something meaningful. He wanted to know what it felt like to build a podcast, produce educational videos, and show up as a resource for other young people still in the system.

Evelyn Karina Rodriguez (they/them) is an artist, activist, researcher, and founder of 404 Found. Christopher Hendricks is a youth system strategist and MSW candidate at Cal State Fullerton. Both found their way to advocacy because the work found them.

Myriah Smiley emancipated from foster care and started sharing her story. From there, the work took off. She's been featured in the LA Times, served as Miss Compton Princess, and spent four years on the LA County Board of Supervisors Youth Commission.

Sherry Bradford is a foster youth advocate, Prevention Early Intervention Training Coordinator at CASA of Los Angeles, educational consultant with Alliance for Children's Rights, and MSW candidate at Cal State Long Beach. She also served as the primary host of the TA(Y)LK To Me Podcast.

So Long, For Now…

Season three launched last fall with 13 episodes. We kicked things off with a highly listenable episode featuring the iconic voice of Iziaih. We explored the national youth homelessness advocacy landscape with A Way Home America. We learned about navigating the youth homelessness system through firsthand experience with Amanda. We dug into the success of direct cash transfers for Oregon youth. We uplifted the voice of Axel Pecero, a young person who shortly after recording with YP2F was detained by ICE. We went deeper into the intersection of the kink community with Cutter. We debunked and unpacked the meaning of HHAP with JBay. We even featured YP2F founder Dr. Robin Petering, who discussed the importance of third spaces.

This is the finale of season three and the beginning of a hiatus for the podcast. We truly believe in this medium as a powerful tool for education and community engagement. Although we do not have plans for new episodes anytime soon, the existing episodes remain evergreen and will continue to provide value. Every few months we receive an email from someone who wanted to dive deeper into youth homelessness, discovered our organization through the podcast, and learned more.

This hiatus will be temporary. We are currently pursuing different avenues to fund the podcast, including grant submissions, user-based subscriptions, partnerships, and other potential sources. We will not release new episodes until we have secured sustainable funding for the podcast and for the growth of more youth advocates. (PS — while we are away, you can still rent our studio for podcasting, filming, or other content making.)

A Note From the Host