Series

On Our Minds Podcast: Season 5 Coming Soon

On Our Minds — a podcast made by teens, for teens, all about teens — and mental health
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On Our Minds

On Our Minds is an Edward R. Murrow award-winning, student-led and student-produced podcast about the biggest mental health challenges young people face. In each episode, two teen reporters guide you through stories by high schoolers from PBS NewsHour Student Reporting Labs about the teenage experience that connects, educates and inspires listeners of all ages.


Who Inspires You? On Our Minds Season 5 Trailer

On Our Minds Season 5 is a new 8-episode podcast season from PBS News Student Reporting Labs exploring the theme “Who inspires you?” Episodes feature student journalists from across the country in conversation with individuals they look up to — in their local communities and in the larger national conversation, like authors Viet Nguyen, Bryan Stevenson, and Dr. Joy Harden Bradford. Episode one drops April 16; listen and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.


Meet the Hosts of On Our Minds Season 5

Evelyn Chao is a senior at Los Altos High School in Mountain View, CA. Her immigrant background has shaped her belief in the power of storytelling, inspiring her involvement in medical research and volunteering at hospitals. Evelyn also enjoys speech and debate as a platform to advocate for diverse perspectives on societal issues. In her free time, she loves exploring new hobbies—from ice baths and cookie decorating to quiet pursuits like writing letters and starting a patch sticker collection.

Eason Dong is a senior at Los Altos High School, in Mountain View, CA.  Eason is a photographer for the Midpeninsula Post covering events and profiles, and also volunteers at the local aviation museum. In his spare time, Eason enjoys exploring the local scenery or getting lost in internet research rabbit holes, such as one that led him to obtain a certificate in rat tickling.

Related Resources

About The Series

Mental illness is on the rise among adolescents, with 1 in 5 teenagers living with a severe mental disorder. In 2019, 70% of teens said that anxiety and depression are major problems among people their age in their community.

Hosted by 16-year-old high school sophomores Noah Konevitch of Lebanon, Pa. and Zion Williams of Clinton Township, Mich., On Our Minds with Noah and Zion is SRL’s new—and first—podcast that will tackle some of the biggest mental health challenges young people face in five, 30-minute episodes. The podcast is a collaboration between SRL and WETA Well Beings.

The launch and first episode of On Our Minds with Noah and Zion will drop on Fri. May 28 at 6am ET.  Subscribe or follow wherever you get your podcasts.

About Student Reporting Labs

PBS NewsHour Student Reporting Labs connect students with an innovative video journalism curriculum and a network of public broadcasting mentors to develop digital media, critical thinking, and communication skills while producing original news reports from a youth perspective. Visit studentreportinglabs.org to learn more.

Funding Credits

On Our Minds is produced with support from WETA’s Well Beings campaign and Youth Metal Health Project, as well as the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, the National Science Foundation, the MacArthur Foundation, the Frieda Berlinski Foundation, the National Institutes of Health Science Education Partnership Award.

All Stories

    WellBeings.org is a health and wellness resource, not a crisis or suicide response website. If you are in crisis, or experiencing thoughts of suicide, please call or text the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988. The service is free and available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.