Thrive: What Adolescents Need to Successfully Cross the Bridge to Adulthood

Thrive: What Adolescents Need to Successfully Cross the Bridge to Adulthood

Author: Lemonada Media June 11, 2026 Duration: 33:16
What does it take for young people to thrive? In this first episode of a six-part series, host Gloria Riviera sits down with Lisa Lawson, President and CEO of the Annie E. Casey Foundation and author of Thrive: How the Science of the Adolescent Brain Helps Us Imagine a Better Future for All Children. Lisa makes the case that adolescence is a powerful period of growth, and shares what the science and on-the-ground work tell us about supporting the 48 million young people in America between the ages of 14 and 24. She also introduces the five pillars shaping the path to adulthood that will guide the rest of the series: basic needs, permanent connections, education and credentials, financial stability and well-being, and youth leadership. This episode was made possible with support from the Annie E. Casey Foundation, an organization that develops solutions to build a brighter future for children, youth, families and communities. Learn more at aecf.org. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In a media landscape that often feels frantic and fragmented, V Interesting with V Spehar offers a different pace. Hosted by the TikTok news phenomenon V Spehar of Under the Desk News, this weekly podcast from Lemonada Media is built on a simple premise: some stories need more room to breathe. Moving beyond the minute-long format, V uses this space to pull on the threads that get dropped in the daily churn, focusing on the nuanced and curiously human details within larger headlines. The show dedicates time to the complex, enduring issues that shape our world-the kind that defy easy soundbites and demand thoughtful exploration. It’s a blend of clear-eyed explanation and personal perspective, all delivered with V’s signature style. Each episode of this podcast feels like a necessary decompression from the noise, aiming not just to inform but to connect the dots in a way that makes the news feel comprehensible and, yes, genuinely interesting. You’ll hear V’s sharp commentary, find context where it’s often missing, and engage with the parts of a story that typically linger just under the desk.
Author: Language: en-us Episodes: 50

V Interesting with V Spehar
Podcast Episodes
Thrive: The Power of Youth Apprenticeship [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 30:21
What if young people could earn a paycheck, build real skills, and start a career – all before finishing school? Youth apprenticeships make it possible, but too few young people can access these opportunities. In the fif…
Thrive: Taking Youth Leadership Seriously [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 36:45
Young people aren’t just future leaders. They’re already leading in their communities today, as caregivers, workers, and activists. In the third episode of the Annie E. Casey Foundation's series on what young people need…
In Maryland, Tenants Are Fighting for Their Right to Clean Air [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 34:57
Most people think of pollution as something outside, like smog and exhaust. But gas stoves, ovens, furnaces, and water heaters can actually release nitrogen dioxide directly into your home. For renters, that's a problem…
In Georgia, Energy Affordability Is on the Ballot [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 27:12
What if you could lower your utility bill at the polls? In Georgia, that’s exactly what voters have had the opportunity to do. By flipping two Public Service Commission seats in 2025, they’ve shown that elected officials…
Ohio Citizens Are Standing up for Wind and Solar [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 34:43
Richland County, Ohio used to be a major manufacturing hub. Now, as the plants have closed, residents are looking to renewable energy to revive jobs and development. There’s just one problem: their board of county commis…
Listen Now: How California Is Proving Climate Solutions Are Possible [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 35:25
Climate solutions aren’t out of reach. They’re already here, and California is leading the way. In 2025, the state hit a historic milestone: for more than 200 days, its grid hit 100 percent clean energy, often for hours…
Listen Now: Rent Too High? Join a Tenant Union. [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 41:59
The rent is too damn high, housing quality standards are far too low, and Tara Raghuveer is doing something about it. Tara is director of Kansas City Tenants, a tenant union which organizes to ensure that everyone in KC…
Sick of Bad News? Try Good Things [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 37:26
Steve Bishop used to be a youth probation officer. He wanted to help young people navigate out of a juvenile justice system he knew was flawed. Now, as the Associate Director for Probation and System Transformation at th…
Bonus: From Charity to Solidarity [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 43:29
There are countless barriers facing immigrant communities when it comes to finding success and economic security in the US. Today we hear from two women who are working tirelessly to level the playing field by reimaginin…