experience. and from all of us here, i'd like to wish you happy painting, god bless, i look forward to seeing you next time.

>> "teen kids news" is next, and here's what we've got. >> we'll give you some great ideas for starting your own service project. >> i'll show you how ford is using virtual reality to prevent

real accidents. >> why does a state put a beehive on its flag? i'll have the buzz. >> healthy snacks are the best snacks. today, i'll show you something out of the ordinary. >> they're called going dark, but these teen rockers are sending a positive message. >> so, join us now for this week's "teen kids news." >> welcome to "teen kids news." i'm mwanzaa. >> and i'm siena. we'll start with our top story. >> if you think you're too young to do something about the problems our world faces, get ready to think again. diyu reports there's an organization that's ready to help you help others. >> planting a community garden in the middle of a city...

delivering food to a soup kitchen... or cleaning up a street near a school in faraway india... programs like these have two important things in common. they're run by people like you and me, and they got a helping hand from youth service america, y.s.a. >> y.s.a. is a global nonprofit that reaches out to young people around the world, now in over 106 countries, and asks them to change the world. >> i help the senior citizens locally through a charity. >> i'm an adviser for prep for prep on saturdays, which is this program that helps low-income kids get into independent schools. >> i'm going to nicaragua to build for a community. >> i definitely want to start a charity for people and children in the world who don't have everything that we have, but i don't really know how to. >> we often report on service projects kids are doing. that's how we found out about y.s.a. it helps great ideas find support and funding. according to y.s.a., there are

four ways kids can change the world. >> the first is through awareness, where they raise awareness about big issues. second thing is service, where they intervene. they provide their time and their talents to a big problem. third is through advocacy, where they might do letters to the editors, have their voices heard. and then finally, philanthropy, 'cause sometimes it just takes money to solve a problem. >> which means that even simple fundraising events like car washes and bake sales can play a big role. >> [ singing indistinctly ] >> speaking of big roles, miley cyrus is a longtime y.s.a. supporter. she's a partner in a program called "get ur good on." >> every little thing we do has the potential to make our world a better place to live. >> miley has lots of ideas to help you get started. you can find them through the link on our "tkn" website. >> join now to share ideas and get info from me and my friends at youth service america. >> whether it's a single project for global youth service day or a year-round effort, you don't

have to wait to start changing the world. >> we have a lot more to tell you about. >> so, stay with us. >> pope francis giving his first sunday blessing to a crowd of over 150,000 in saint peter's square, affirming himself as the people's pope, urging the world to be more forgiving. after celebrating mass, the pope giving his security a scare by breaking off and greeting a crowd gathering outside the vatican entrance. pope francis also tweeting to his millions of followers, asking them to continue to pray for him. another blow to the cruise industry, as two carnival ships experience technical problems. the carnival legeslowly returning to its home port in tampa after issues with one of its two propulsion units. a day earlier, the carnival dream's backup generator malfunctioned while docked in saint martin, forcing

carnival to end the cruise early. these incidents only a month after an engine-room fire left the carnival triumph stuck in the water in the gulf of mexico. new york senator charles schumer now calling on the cruise-ship industry to adopt a bill of rights, which would include guarantees that ships have sanitary conditions, backup power, and medical staff. >> the bill of rights, based on work we've done with the airline industry, will ensure that passengers are not forced to live in third-world conditions or put their lives at risk when they go on vacation. [ explosion ] >> 10 years ago this week, on march 20, 2003, the united states invaded iraq. with the war lasting longer and costing more than expected, many still question if the good outweighs the bad. the cost -- around two trillion dollars, including long-term care for thousands of wounded service members. over 4,000 u.s. troops and more than 100,000 iraqi civilians have been killed. for "teen kids news," i'm rick leventhal, "fox news

channel in the classroom." >> one of the ways to make driving safer is to make cars safer. carina learned how ford is using virtual reality to do just that. >> all right, we're gonna go into the virttex driving simulator lab here. >> okay. sounds good. >> go through this set of doors. >> thank you. >> go off to the right here. >> wow. [ chuckles ] >> here's a control room for the virttex. >> impressive. >> so, this is virttex over here. virttex stands for virtual test track experiment, and inside that dome, there's a vehicle, and we're gonna get you in there. you're gonna drive that vehicle. you're gonna drive through a virtual world. and this dome is gonna move to give you the sensation that you're actually driving. >> wow. >> okay? >> that's incredible. >> we do things like measuring driver distraction, a lot of safety-related studies. we're gonna do studies in here that we would never want to do out on the open road, much less the test track, okay? >> before we got started, i was asked to watch a short safety video.

>> welcome to virttex, ford motor company's virtual test track experiment. thank you for your participation in this important research. virttex is really a laboratory, and it's actually safer than driving your own car. >> all right. now that we've seen the safety video, we're actually gonna go for a drive in virttex. so, why don't you go in front of me here? >> okay. >> we'll walk you in. we'll go around to the front of the vehicle. so, as you can see in here, we do a full 360 degrees of the visual, so the visual's wrapped all the way around us, right? and you're gonna be driving through this virtual world. you're gonna be in control, so with that, why don't we get inside the vehicle? >> sounds good. >> this is just like an actual vehicle -- seat adjuster, seat belt, everything. all right? [ car door closes ] okay. so, once we get ready to go for a drive, we're gonna wait a couple minutes because rads in the control room has to start us up, but it's gonna be just like driving an actual vehicle. >> while we waited, the bridge connecting us to the door was moved away. it was kind of like removing the gantry from a rocket waiting to take off. >> ready to start.

>> so, it sounds like we're ready to go, so go ahead and put your foot on the brake. >> okay. >> put the vehicle into drive and give it a nice acceleration forward. get up to about 70 miles per hour. >> okay. [ chuckles ] >> there you go. >> oh, my gosh. this is so real. >> there you go. nice job. perfect. so, what we're gonna demonstrate now is some of the different lane-departure warnings that we've investigated in the past. so, what a lane-departure warning is, is say you're not paying attention. you're getting sleepy -- whatever -- or you just start drifting out of your lane for whatever. if you go too far out of your lane, what we want to do is provide a warning or an alert to you to let you know that that's happened so you can take your corrective action. so, we've looked at a number of different types of warnings over the years, and this first one is just an audio cue. so, if you just slowly drift off to the right outside that solid white line... >> okay. [ low-pitched beeping ] oh, yeah. >> okay, so, an alert that lets you know you're drifting outside your lane. get back in your lane, right? wake up. [ chuckles ]

so, we have this small seven-inch lcd panel down here by the shifter. you're gonna hear a voice-over that's gonna sound something like, "please read the numbers now," okay? when you hear that, there's gonna be six numbers that flash on this screen. what i want you to do is just read those numbers as you see them. you don't have to add them, subtract them, memorize them -- just read them as you see them, okay? >> okay. >> all right, rads. >> please read the numbers now. >> 3, 6, 7, 4, 1, 4. >> good. okay. that was good. think you got them all right? that took three seconds to do, and that's getting into the dangerous amount of time to be looking away from the road because something can happen out in front of you, right? >> please read the numbers now. >> 3, 9, 9 -- aah! oh, my gosh! [ gasps, chuckles ] >> all right. great job. >> [ chuckles ] >> you did just fine. >> that was scary. [ chuckles ] >> well, that was good, so why don't you come back over to the right lane? >> okay.

it was easy to forget that i wasn't really driving a moving car. it all seemed so real. >> just go ahead and put it in park, and just put your hands on your lap, relax. >> [ chuckling ] okay. >> get your heart rate to come back down. all right. >> [ chuckles ] i wasn't ready for that. >> yeah. [ chuckles ] >> [ chuckles ] >> and then, uh... >> the alert definitely helped, though. >> yeah. so, you know, when we're looking at alerts for something like that, we might bring a person in and have them experience what you experience. another person might come in and experience a different type of warning. and then we can actually measure your reaction time, right, to see which one was faster, which one is more appropriate for those types of things. >> why does ford do this? >> that's a good question. it's not just all about playing games in here, right, even though we had you go for a fun little drive here. it's really about creating safe and innovative products here at ford motor company. we don't want to just put a device on a vehicle that's gonna be a gizmo that does a bunch of bells and whistles. we want to make sure that those

devices, those safety warnings, those alerts, those driver-assistive technologies are actually beneficial and help the driver avoid accidents. >> so, how does this actually help teen drivers? >> that's a great question. one of our very first studies, in fact, looked at handheld versus hands-free devices. so, we studied teens that had less than one year's driving experience, and we asked them to dial a handheld cellphone number. and what we found is that the teens never looked up from dialing the cellphone number, and they were missing tons of things out in that driving environment, which is a very dangerous thing to do, right? >> so, all you young drivers out there, listen up. you don't want to take your eyes off the road even for just a couple of seconds. >> please read the numbers now. >> 3, 9, 9 -- aah! oh, my gosh. [ gasps, chuckles ] the experience truly feels like you're driving. it's a great way to test-drive your safety safely. at ford's research and innovation center, i'm carina for "tkn."

>> flags tell stories. you just have to know how to read them. here's this week's "flag facts." [ drum cadence plays ] >> you might not want to have a close encounter with a beehive, but you have to admire how much work goes into making that honey. it's that spirit of industry that puts a beehive in the middle of the state flag of utah. >> the beehive is a symbol of industry, commerce, and hard work, and would seem to be a perfect symbol for a state like utah, which was so difficult to settle. >> it did take a lot of hard work to create a state in the middle of the desert. it took a lot of faith, too. mormons were seeking a place to practice their form of christianity, which was new and controversial.

>> in 1830, joseph smith began the mormon religion in upstate new york. they quickly had to leave upstate new york because of religious persecution. and after a brief stop in the midwest, they settled in the territory that would become utah. >> the mormons arrived in 1847. the date is right there on the flag, along with 1896, the year the state entered the union. at first, mormon leader brigham young wanted to claim a much bigger territory and call it deseret. congress didn't go for that. so, the state was smaller and named after the ute indians who were there first. >> but one thing that's very interesting about the state is that, of all 50 states, it boasts the youngest population, with an average age of 27.1 years. >> utah is also famous for amazing natural wonders, with two great national parks -- zion and bryce canyon. but they're too big to put on the flag. i'm brandon with "flag facts." >> the culinary institute of america is one of the best cooking schools in the world,

and aubrey is going to share another fun recipe with us. >> hi. i'm aubrey. today, we're going to be making peanut butter and jelly oats in a jar -- the perfect on-the-go breakfast. and here's what you're going to need -- a jar or a container with a lid, milk, oats, strawberries, and peanut butter. first, one cup of milk into the jar. you can use almond milk, soy milk, nonfat milk, goat milk -- whatever milk you'd like. [ cow moos ] next, about 3/4 cup of oatmeal. you can also use quick oats, whole oats, or rolled oats. we'll just give it a little stir. and we'll add one to two tablespoons of natural peanut butter. you can add one tablespoon of peanut butter or two. i love peanut butter, so i tend

to put two tablespoons. stir it into the oats and the milk. really give it a good stir. and then we'll add strawberries. you can add strawberries, blueberries, peaches -- any fruit that you'd really like. when i was little, i liked peanut butter and jelly with strawberry jam. that's why we're using fresh stir that in, too. and we'll add the rest. now all we'll have to do is put the lid on to the jar. and if you don't have a jar, you can use any container that you have. it just needs a lid. and we're ready to put it into the refrigerator. hi! oh, look. it's been overnight. now all you have to do is open

up the jar... and take a big bite. [ chuckles ] mmm. peanut butter and jelly oats in a jar -- on the go. for "tkn," my name is aubrey from the culinary institute of america. >> it was the setting for a historic speech, but this memorial usually leaves visitors speechless. lauren visits a site in washington that you probably see every day. >> got a penny? then you have a copy of one of our most moving national memorials. [ cash register dings ] the image of president abraham lincoln and his memorial are also etched onto the $5 bill, but the contribution lincoln made to this country can't be measured in dollars and cents.

>> lincoln was the person who persevered the most. he's the one who was the glue, in essence, that kept this country from falling apart and separating into two very different countries. >> lincoln saw the nation through its biggest crisis -- the civil war. he decided the only way to survive as the united states was to abolish slavery. his most famous speech, the gettysburg address, is inscribed on the south wall. national parks spokesperson bill line says visitors are visibly moved by the power of lincoln's words. >> part of what is written there as to how he realizes that the nation is on the precipice of possibly falling apart, of possibly dividing into two nations and how much that is causing angst and worry and how much he's wrestling with that comes through in the words that he uses in the gettysburg address. to see that in stone, to see that in the area where lincoln is causes great emotional reaction on many people. >> as a great orator, he would

have been pleased to know that another great speech was given here 100 years later. >> five score years ago, a great american in whose symbolic shadow we stand today signed the emancipation proclamation. >> dr. martin luther king jr. honored lincoln when he chose the memorial as the backdrop for his famous "i have a dream" speech in 1963. >> i have a dream today. [ cheers and applause ] >> he had the bravery, the fortitude, and his speech resonated so strongly and so widely with african-americans but also with all americans. it was time to recognize that our past practices were wrong and that they needed to change. >> like dr. king, president lincoln was assassinated for standing up for change. countless speeches, protests,

and celebrations have been held here since the memorial's dedication in 1922. it's clearly one of the most popular monuments in washington. >> i like his speech, the gettysburg address, and he's my favorite president. >> i just sort of think it's cool. it's got all his sayings, and it's got a big statue of him, and i just think that's cool. >> there are a couple of myths about the statue. some people think the face of robert e. lee is carved into the back of lincoln's head. it's not. that's just very wavy hair. another myth is that the sculptor cleverly positioned lincoln's fingers to send a message in sign language. supposedly, the hands form lincoln's initials, "a" and "l." also not true. >> let's get that clear. they are myths and nothing more than myths. >> whis true is that this tribute in stone honors a man who stood like a rock against forces that would have torn our

nation apart. at the lincoln memorial, for "teen kids news," i'm lauren. >> for all of you who hate getting shots, listen up. it's better not to look. researchers say that watching as the needle is prepared makes you more nervous, and that can increase the feeling of pain. so, the next time you have to get a shot, try looking away, and take a tip from peter pan -- "think pleasant thoughts." >> ♪ stand up for yourself ♪ stand up for what you believe in ♪ >> whether people are marching for civil rights, better working conditions, freedom, or peace, a song can make a big difference. so, when a band of teenagers starts making music with a message, it's worth tuning in. harry tells us about a band that says a lot when they sing. [ rock music plays ]

>> going dark is a really tight band with a hard-rock edge. they've performed at major music festivals and shared the stage with stars like steve winwood. [ music continues ] so, it might surprise you that these guys are all under 16, but they've been playing music for more than half their lives. >> i started playing when i was 8 years old. >> i got my first drum set when i was, um, 8 years old. >> four years later [laughs] i found him, and we started this up. >> then l.j. and alex found oliver. he was even younger than they were. >> i had just played my school's talent show, and i put up a video -- or my dad put up a video of me playing it, and alex and l.j. saw the video, and then they called me up. and then one day after school, we just played together. >> all three of them write songs. they chose the name going dark because their songs shine a

light on serious issues. >> you know, lots of people think that we write only about dark things, but there's always hope in the world... and in our songs. >> so, listen more closely, and you'll discover this song, "stand up," is about standing up to bullies. >> ♪ stand up for yourself ♪ stand up for what you believe in ♪ ♪ don't start what you can't finish ♪ ♪ if you think you're a tough guy, you better keep dreaming ♪ >> the music video makes the point even more dramatically. oliver says he wrote it after he was picked on at school. >> ♪ the only thing you have is that you're a disgrace ♪ ♪ stand up for yourself ♪ stand up for what you believe in ♪ >> we just try to write songs that people can relate to. people like a song better if they can relate to it, and they say, "oh, that happened to me." >> i completely agree. [ chuckles ] >> the boys not only write music... >> what if we did a different picture there? >> ...they also edit their own

videos. they know that's how to get more attention for their songs, like "i am." >> ♪ i beg, i steal, i bleed ♪ i feel ♪ i cheat, i lie ♪ i live, i die >> of course, they're still teenagers. [ cheers and applause ] so, after a busy summer of performing, alex and l.j. head back to high school. oliver is still in middle school. but they'll make time to practice and write more songs and think about where going dark might take them. >> hopefully, madison square garden. that would be really amazing. >> if they get there, remember you saw them here first. for "teen kids news," i'm harry. >> that's all for this week. thanks for joining us. >> we'll see you next time with more "teen kids news."

>> write to us at info@teenkidsnews.com. here's a shout-out to pr newswire for including "teen kids news" on their big screen in times square, new york city. y