Why do you go to the library? To find a good book to enjoy, or maybe to study for finals? Teens now have a new reason to add to the list. The Detroit Public Library now offers a radio station for teenage residents between the ages of 13 and 18.
Helping Young People Excel (HYPE) is a set of programs from the Detroit Public Library that provide young adults with a platform to innovate, learn, or just hang out.
HYPE Teen Center manager Amisha Harijan said she wanted to give teens a platform to express themselves and to create what their heart leads them to. “I wanted them to be able to own something that would last,” she said. “Giving them an option is really important.”
Teens who work on HYPE Radio can learn how the behind the scenes work at a radio station, as well as technical skills, such as how to use a mixer, make their own beats, record audio, edit, answer a live call-in line, and so much more.
The first official broadcast for HYPE Radio took place on Dec. 2 and it can be accessed through the app Mixlr by searching for 791.4 Hype Radio.
Harijan said she hopes to not only see teenagers coming together and creating something unique and amazing, but to also give teens a voice.
