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Radio Rookie AJ Frazier spent his 8th grade year reporting on the effect of New York City's public school policy changes on him. His story was just featured in Schooled: Teens' Stories About American Public Education. This hour-long youth produced special is a collaboration between Seattle's KUOW and Generation PRX.

We took a group of 14 Rookies from the Bronx and Queens down to Washington DC to see the sights. There were 17 of us, traveling on a double-decker bus, staying in a hostel.

I’d sometimes sit at home on my bed during a humid muggy Sunday afternoon flipping through channels. I’d land on a baseball game. Little figures would run across the screen throwing a ball around, running from one base to another, a ball went high in the air, the crowed screamed, what did this mean? What’s the significance of this? I’d grow tired of watching and turn off the TV.

When Kaari, Sanda and I walk into the Next Generation Center, the home of our current Bronx workshop, it's like walking into a house party. Hip hop and rap music deejayed by kids from the center thumps just a little too loud. I keep thinking some adult is going to put the kabosh on this, but they don't seem phased.

As the new Rookies intern (and former Rookie myself) I had the pleasure of accompanying AJ, Keith and Courtney for a small tour of the neighborhood. We walked down 172nd street away from the elevated 5 & 2 train lines in search of possible interviewees.