Students in a Perris-based school district are taking the lead in a new podcast dedicated to mental health among teens. Students from four Val Verde Unified School District high schools joined with the company mooZoom to launch the program, which started recording in early December, a news release states. Taped at Val Verde High School in Perris, it features 12 students between 13 and 17 years old “tackling key teenage challenges such as bullying, screen time, healthy relationships and academic pressures,” the release states. It’s called the “mooZoom Teen Wellness Panel.” Psychologist Christina Whalen moderates the videotaped podcast, which gives students a platform for their viewpoints. “These kids are incredibly resourceful and have so much to share,” Whalen said in the release. “When you take the time to discuss their challenges, they instinctively come up with solutions.” Jean-Philippe Turgeon, the CEO of mooZoom, said adults often attempt to solve teens’ problems, but “the solutions don’t always resonate.” Related Articles Education | Hemet’s Diamond Valley Aquatic Center will hold annual Polar Plunge Jan. 4 Education | Riverside Elks Lodge hosts Christmas dinner for veterans Education | Santa makes special stop in Redlands aboard Metrolink’s Holiday Express Train Education | What’s open and closed on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day in the Inland Empire Education | Temecula’s Community Christmas Dinner planned for Christmas Day “This year, mooZoom decided to ask teens directly: ‘What works for you? What should we understand?’” he said in the release. Students in the program are from Val Verde High, Orange Vista High School, Rancho Verde High School and Citrus Hills High School. A 36-episode first season is set to premiere in September 2025 across the United States and Canada. The podcast is designed to be used in classrooms and comes with class activities and other resources. “This felt like an innovative way to amplify student voices, and Val Verde is proud to be part of it”, Aimee Garcia, Val Verde’s director of education services, said in the release.