This post was written by a CSUCI student.

How can parents and youth improve communication with each other, especially when it comes to talking about difficult issues?

Communication is an important key when it comes to being in a relationship either with a partner, a friend, or a family member. Growing up in a Hispanic household, there really wasn’t that much communication within my family...

This post was written by a CSUCI student featuring artwork by Eve Zhong, a Medea Creek Middle School student.

How have you dealt with stress? What are your coping skills? What works for you and what would you suggest for others?

Once you reach that age of becoming an adult, there are things that can become stressful. For me it began once I graduated from high school. I didn't know what it would...

Written by Sofia Noriega, a Ventura County high school student.

Artwork by Eve Zhong, a Medea Creek Middle School student.

The sadness I feel every day and night 

No one to talk to through the pain I hide

Feeling alone and empty through my life 

Tears in my eyes like a big ocean tide

I can still pretend and put on a smile

Questioning my existence, can't give in

Like a...

This post was written by a CSUCI student.

When you are behind the wheel, lives are in your hands. According to the CDC, about 29 people within the United States die every day in a motor vehicle crash that involves an alcohol-impaired driver. Think about it - that is one death every 50 minutes. When you go out and know that you're going to be drinking, always have a friend in mind that...

This post was written by a CSUCI student.

According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) (2020), 1.6 million people had an opioid use disorder and 745,000 people consumed heroin in 2019. This number shows that the opioid crisis is an ongoing issue that started a while ago. There is a demographic characteristic of the opioid epidemic....

Written by Ava Li, a BRITE youth spokesperson.

I’m not perfect. It can be hard to accept, but failure is just a part of life. I really hate mistakes, because I hate to be wrong. Every time I lose a tennis match, every time someone is angry with me, or every time I get hurt… I always find myself choking on regret, I am always trying to find something that I did wrong, because...

The following poem was written by our weekly writing group, The Green Walls Writer’s Project, in Zoom. Each person wrote a sentence about vaping and then we put them all together to form a powerful poem. 

I want to hold those sleek cool modern devices in my hand and seek comfort from the vapors

My breath becomes short as I inhale; small nails running down the length of my esophagus

A...

The following poem was written by our weekly writing group, The Green Walls Writer’s Project, in Zoom. Each person wrote a sentence about global warming and then we put them all together to form a powerful poem. 

Illustration by Renee Wang.

Written by the Green Walls Writer’s Project.

I watch the icecaps melt as if god had turned the heater on over the arctic.

Excuse me sir,...

A short interview about mental health by Kai Yi Wang, BRITE Youth Leader.

On August 16 2020, I did an interview with a friend of mine who had experience with the struggles of mental health. I wanted to get her perspective of how she views mental health and her thoughts on it. I’m so thankful I was able to share her thoughts and experiences in this piece.

Kai Yi: Can you introduce yourself...

Written by Israel Lozano, a BRITE youth spokesperson.

Our souls are like a candle

We start with one spark 

And ultimately wait until it’s put out

Once again, left in the dark

Candles aren’t meant to be long lasting

Earth, wind, water, even fire

Our flames can diminish like

Dried up spinach and while we hope our flame 

Just lasts longer than the rest

That’s not how...

Written by Ava Li, a BRITE youth spokesperson.

L is for listening. 

A good leader doesn’t just drone on and on about their ideas and their ideas only.

They don’t just open their mouth, but they open their ears.

E is for enlightening.

A good leader enlightens their crowd. 

Their message is heartfelt and powerful, inspiring people to take action and do what’s right.

A...

This post was written by a CSUCI student.

This is based off of an individual who I will call Jose. He was my boyfriend all through high school and after. Jose was nineteen years old when I met him and I was fifteen, he was a drug dealer that my friends used. Jose used methamphetamines and other narcotics. He often felt alone and depressed as he grew up. His parents worked multiple jobs as...