Who Are "The SODAH Kids?"
Expert Advice
Expert advice on life as a preteen is brought to "We're Talking, Too!" by two college interns and six kids who have developed many stories, articles and other information for the site.
The group, which calls itself SODAH (Summer Opportunities for Developing Adolescent Health), consists of members ranging in age from 9 to 20.
Members write content about things they love, as well as articles drawn from their own experiences about such topics as good sportsmanship, handling divorce, transitioning from elementary to middle school, relationships and living with siblings.
The kids also contribute fun features, including recipes for do-it-yourself after-school snacks, poetry, graphics, movie reviews, words of the month, and book reviews. Parents review movies and books as well.
"The articles we write come not from adults, but from kids experiencing this stuff real time. It is something other preteens can relate to," said 13-year-old Julia, a SODAH member.
"As adults, we have no way to fully understand their reality, because life was so different for us at that age. Their contributions make this site more relevant to our target audience," said the Palo Alto Medical Foundation's Nancy Brown, Ph.D., who oversees the site.
The SODAH Kids At Work
SODAH's members include Mary Sun from Stanford University, Derek Chan from the University of California at Irvine, Pictured (l. to r.) Belle Lane (15 years old); Katie Ransohoff (14 years old), Madison and Surya (12 and 9) and Julia and Sam (13 and 11).