♪ iz >> people don't rewhat they have until it's gone. >> narrator: tonight on "frontline"... >> we lost our whole house and everything. >> narrator: growing up poor. >> and we're going to starwith numbers one through 20. >> i think there's a lot of people in america that need help with food. >> narrator: through the eyes of children. >> sometimes when i watch peop who, like, walk into their house when we're driving, i wish that sometimes, like, i had a house like those people. >> narrator: we first met them five years ago.

>> if i could change anything, it would be being poor. e m kaylie, and i'm 15. >> narrator: nowtch up with them as teenagers, and see the america they're growing up in today. >> "frontline" is made possible by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. thank you. and by the corporation for b publadcasting. major support is provided by the john d. and catherine t. macarthur foundation. committed to building a more just, verdant, and peacefulrl more information is available at macfound.org.rt additional sups provided by the ford foundation. working with visionaries on the front lines of social change worldwide. at fordfoundation.org. the park foundation, dedicated to heightening public awareness of critical issues. the john and hen glessner family trust. supporting trustworthy journalism that informs and fspires.

the heising-simondation. unlocking knowledge, opportunity, and possibilities. more at hsfoundation.org. and by the frontline journalism fund. with major support from jon and jo ann hagler, and additional ndpport from laura debonis scott nathan. corporate support is provided by: ♪ >> us lives here. where we can be surprised by others.d rselves. the y.er for a bes. ♪ ♪

, my name is brittany smi and i'm nine years old. anit's tough because my mo dad are poor. my dad just lost his job. monday i tried getting in the shower, and itas cold. i put the hot on all the way and no cold, and it was freezing. f itelt like shoving your face in a bunch of snow. it was freing! the hot water shut off because we didn't pay the bill in time. it was overdue. >> so what'she next bill due? >> electricity. it's going to be $318. we just need to put roger's ass to work. >> yeah. >> when you see the flat-screen tv and the computers and our ps3 anstuff, that's just thing

we've acquired over the years, stuff that we've hade all this happened, like when we were not this poor. >> sink's broke. (laughs) i don't know how or why, but it broke. and the cheapest plumber is, like, $65 an hour. i can't even afford $20. >> we lived in a farmhouse. my dad lost his job from picture perfect. he g laid off, and we got kicked out of there. we moved here. it's not very big. we didn't have enough room, sot we had to uff in storage, and we lost it all because we couldn't pay it. >> h storage works is, like, you put all your stuff in theren ou move, but you have to pay the bill or else it gets

thrown out in the street, because they have a spare key. i don't think it's right, because people shouldn't throw other people's stuff in the street, because that's just plain up rude. i got a big make-up thing, and i lost it in storage. i got a bratz doll, i lost it in storage. i lost my favorite teddy bear. i lost my ds. it was great, it was awesome. i'm bummed out because, like, that was my favorite thing in the world besides my family. (laughs) >> yeah, caliper's shot. got to get new pistons, at least, on it. >> my dad's brakes on the truck isn't working. one time we almost got in a wreck. it sounded like nails on a chalkboard. i hate that sound. when is the cable being shut

off? >> soon. we owe them almost $200. the cable, the internet, all that, we don't have the money to pay it. >> what are you doing? d applying for a job. >> have you appl many places? >> this'll be the third menard's store i've applied at. walmart, thenchor place, quite a few.y >> i hope thatd will somehow miracle-y get his truck working and get a good job and so we'll be able to get money to keep this house, hopefully, and not get kicked out. ♪

>> my name is kaylie hegwood, and i live in stockton, iowa. oh, yay! that one was good, that one was good! and i am ten years old, and i live with my mher and my brother, tyler, and he is 12 years old. i don't think we're a rich family, but i think, like, we' kind of a poor family. i'm hungry >> (laughing): i knew you were going to say that as soon as you... you're going to have to wait, sis. >> i'm just starving. we don't get the three meals a

day, like breakfast, lunch, andn thenr. when i feel just, like, hungry, i just, like, feel like m so, like, sad and all droopy, and then i'll begin to feel, like, weak, and then some in the mornings i'll be, like, soen starving, but 'll be, like, "i need some food!" buthen, like, i'll get, like... but then i don't think of food and then i'll ju think of something else and then i'll not be hungry anymore. >> there's good days and bad days. l,metimes when we have cer we don't have milk. we have to eat it dry. sometimes we don't have cereal. and we have mi it's often, like, switch and swap.me mes, like, when i switch the channel and there's a cooking show on, i get a little more hungry, and i want to vanish into the screen and start eating the food. >> you can't pull at mom when i'm doing this.

>> stop pulling. >> i'm sorry. >> how do you think you have customers? to (laughing): customers. >> i don't want yoreakin' cut me. >> i'm not gonna cut you. >> you better not. >> i've been in school long enough, i n't cut you. >> or you're dead. i mean it. my mom, she has very lite in her bank. and, like, she can't pay all of her bills at the same time. >> my income is $480... or $1,480, and the total of my bills is $1,326, and that does not leave me money for food or gas.ee i've neverit this bad. >> my best friend is jordan, and we grew up together. we like to go canning to makemo y. cans! with canning, i just walk around, look for cans, and i

walk, like, around the whole town. the non-squished ones are five cents. >> and the squished are two cents. >> yeah. some people come over for gas, and it's not here anymore. the dance hall, that's broken.n, train stathat's still up, but it's all rotted and stuff. i'll do it nice and slow for you. oh, another crushed can! >> in 2004 is when this ut down. >> and now look at it. it's crappy. it used to be so... special. didn't tt use to be a movie theater? >> what? >> that. >> no. >> what did it use to be? >> it was the old bank. >> huh. i bet there's old money in there. >> i'm not going in there. the floor fell in. >> well, that would be awesome

if there waslike, thousands and thousands of dollars. >> tyler! those are ours! drop 'em! kaylie! >> drop 'em! >> aylie! >> when we can't afford to pay our bills, like our house bills and stuff, i'm afraid, like, we'll get homeless. me and my brother will starve. you never know what' happen in your life. so, yeah. ♪ (train rumbling)

(kids chattering) >> my name is jasmine, and i am nine years old, and i ith my brothers joshua, jaylen, and jonny. >> my name is jonny davis. i'm 13 years old, going to be 14 three months. we are in the salvation army homeless sheer. my dad had got a business, and he was making about a go $5,000 a month. we had good and fancy thgs then. we had, like, a three-bedroom house. our living room had a 32-ih flat-screen tv in there. my mom's and dad's room had a 42-inch flat-screen tv in their room. and that's what tv we watched the super bowl on.sc >>aming playfully) >> those are eggs.

are you serious? >> yeah. >> why would you bring that out here? >> because >> whoa! >> when it was good, it was good. can remember having five or six jobs a month that ined up back to back, and i mean decent paying jobs-- $4,000, $5,000, $7,000whatever it was. and all of a sudden, just right about the time when everybody was saying, you know, "the recession is coming about, the recession isoming about," people just plain old stopped fixing on their houses, stopped making repai. an the payment on the house was due in two weeksi guess my parents just didn't have the money at the time, because h was explaining to us business was slow. and we lost our whole house and everything. so we're just back to ground zero. then we moved to a homeless shelter. anything that can fit in a book bag or a suitcase, you can take

it. whatever you... like this tv, the yellow one in the living room, that onlmade it because it could fit in my bag. if it couldn't fit in my bag,ld that we been left behind, too. >> we have to go. hurry up, and let's go. >> hurry, hurry, hurry. my dad works at a factnd we drive him there every day. >> in, in, in, in, in. >>ssigned seats, assigned seats, let's go. >> the journey takes about two hours there and back. g we have with our mom because the rules say that we couldn't be left in the shelter by ourself because we weren't old enough. >> i thank god that he still has a chance and an ability to still go out and get different jobs. >> it's not a career, something that i want to spend the rest of my working years doing, but 's something that will provide for us to have some food. >> ♪ ...road again...

always driving, always. >> i know this is tough, driving out here every day, there and back, there and back, there and back, there and ba. it'd be so much easier if you could go ahead and just grab us a place out here so you don't have to make the trip back and forth. i look at that little house every time i ride past. that's a nice one there. pe>> sometimes when i watcle who, like, walk into their house when we're driving, i wi that sometimes, like, i had a house like those peoe. >> is it me or does it seem like it gets further away every day? ♪ raffic passing) (train horn blaring) ♪ w

>> khat are you looking at? >> it's loud. ♪ >> i would just like to go explorthe world. but i'm never going to be able to do this, because these days everything is expensive. i watched one show where it said they're raising the gas prices, and my mom can't even afford g. we have to be careful how we use our gas, how we use everything >> a lot of times i have to give my money up to buy groceries and buy gas for the car and lawnmower. (lawnmower stops) >> (giggles)

>> for mowing other people's lawns and... i got ten dollars, and i put in six of it for the gas and gave the rest to my momn for some foo.. it's kind of what i do with my money. i don't think i'm going to do mowing for a living. (barking) >> the bills here at the house is just too much for me to handle. and i seen a doctor last week for depression, and she put me on some antidepressants and xanax for my panic attacks. right now there doesn't seem to be a way out. ve my only options are to give up my house and y stuff into storage and move into the

motel room. >> whoo! >> i mean, i don't even know if i can find a job when i get out of school. or if it'll ever get any bter. >> grace, come here! >> (sniffling) (dog barking) i'll have to find day care for kaylie. i mean, she's ten, but still... her and tyler, they're brother and sister. they fight. i'll come home and one will be hanging from the ceiling fan and the other one will be god knows where. i'm scared. >> i don't want to move.in i like lhere, because my

friends are nice to me. like, i just want to stay put here. we won't get to ep our dog, nala. it's extra money, and we're going to get rid of her. like, i want to spend as muchwi time a her. dst then again, i want to spend time with my fri (chattering in background) ♪ (indistit conversation) >> and there might be a question about whether you get food stamps or not. we're going to ask you for your name and your phone number. >> i think there's a lot of people in america that need help with food. because they're poor or they'rel

either hs, or they're both. we need food for our family. i'm hitting my growth spurt, and i'm really hungry. my favorite food is chinese food. i'm craving that right now. know what makes me mad? we can't aord it. (laughs) ♪ t >>nk we're probably pretty good for fourth grade. >> wolves aren't ballerinas. i've seen a lot of things in my life... >> (over intercom): mr. jaquin? >> yes? od time foris a you, would you like to send your

students down for the nutrition club? >> i'll have them down theretl sh >> nutrition club is a bag of food that you get every friday and you have to makethe whole weekend. they announce in class that you have to go down for nutrition club if you're in it. you have to go to the office and you have to sign your name in for it. and then, um, you go put it in your locker and then you go back to class. >> hey, good morning, brittany. >> hey, brittany. b >> i'm surprishow things can change so fast. you can go from doing okay, not having to go hungry, to this-- going hungry and having to pay all your bills and not being able to... on the vee of being homeless again. ♪ t' >> t fit you, and it's cute.

>> nah. we just found t my mom is pregnant. she's like a whale. my dad's been working. he's been working for a week and go has $64 total >> definitely not time to have a baby, but i don't believe in abortion and... >> mm-mmm. or adoptio financially, we're going to bee in a lot mouble. >> financially, we'll be strapped. >> (laughs): dogs. >> (growls) >> good lord. a you okay, mom? >> don't throw up. >> is the baby hurting you? >> are you going to be alive in ten seconds? >> oh, my god, i'm having a hot flash. >> that's just fanning you, logan. i think it would be difficult r the baby to grow up he because we don't have a lot of money. >> i think the thing i miss the most from having all this happen

is the internet. i mean, people don't realize what they have until it's gone.e and, serious world of warcraft withdrawals, man. 'cause, say, in world of warcraft, i'm awesome. i'm a level-85 paladin. tank and healer. anin real life, i'm a 14-year-old boy with nothing going for him. (chuckles) bl (train horn ing) ♪ >> grr! nala, she was, like,y dog. like, she was, like, my favorite do and now we have to take her to the pound. we have to get rid of nala, but

not tanner. nala's so adorable. like if you had her, she would sleep on your bed and she would sleep on you. she's like your little guard dog. we're getting rid of my perfect little lovey dog. yes, nala, i hear you stressing out. i love you, nala. ♪ >> does she have any favorite toys or games? n >> sds lots and lots of bones. she'll chew one in, like, an hour, so...

(whispering): she hates baths. >> oh, yeah.>> oesn't like baths? >> no. this is my animal lover. >> yeah.ll shave to go into our isolation room, since she hasn't gotten any vaccinations yet. so she'll be in an isolated area right now. all right, sweetie. do you want the leash and collak t all? >> just the leash. >> okay. >> and the collar! >> why the collar? she can have it. >> collar, mom... fi. meanie. (whimps) (crying)

(barks) ♪ (wind rustling) >> i got him! >> i thought we were getting a double bed. >> and there's no mini fridge. dang it. and there's no microwave. okay, we have to ask them about that >> god. i thought we were getting a double bed. damn. >> well, we're going to have to ask them about the mini fridge. >> this is small. >> it's going to be small. plain and simple, it's going to be small.

>> this is as big as my room. >> yeah? ♪ (kids shouting playfully) >> here's one of tom's old business cards.>> oh, yeah, i remember t&c! >> t&c, tom and classy. >> yeah. >> you don't want a lot of people to find out that you live here. people will make fun of it and, and it can really hunt you after a whil it starts... you start to have no friends, people will tease you about it and stuff like that.>> ou getting too big. you always want something extra. >> i don't want nothing extra. >> yes, you do., you want a phou want shoes... >> i got a phone. i ain't wearing no earth walkers outside. no, sir. jordans and nikes. >> jonny, nikes and jordans are

expensive. >> i know. >> just for a namethat makes no sense. you need a job. >> nike's not expensive. >> look, i've been buying josh shoes after shoes after shoes. i can't afford it. now what-- walmart he gotta take walmart. what else can i do? at least his feet not dragging the ground. >> there were some jor flip-flops in there for 30 bucks. orw, that's a great deal. you cannot find non flip-flops, the brand-new kind, for no 30 bucks.e theyobably not real, but guess what? >> is that a great deal when i can go to walmart and buy my... the shoei'm wearing i got from walmart for five dollars. >> i'm talking about ne-brand stuff. that's a good deal, mama. >> my sandals are nice, right? >> if you listen to it, it's a good deal. >> you want some of those, rit? see, that's why i like y'all when y'all small. they accept stuff.to you gettinbig. your feet growing. you in grown people's shoes now.

(groans) please stop growing! (chuckles) >> i'm embarrassed because i'm poor and because i live in a shelter. it makes me feel like i just... wish i never lived here. >> there's a kid at the school.. who lookress worser than me. but he has his own house, ough. he got a house to call home. he don't have to go wn with thousands of people to eat dinner. he can run to his refrigerator and open it up. and i can't do that. i have to wait until a certain time and i have to eat, because if i don't eat, i will starve all night, until the next morning. >> make sure you stay in line so you can get your plate, okay? >> yes, yes, sir. >> stand right here, and as soon

as she goes, jonny, you go after jasmin >> as a mother, you always got different thoughts going through your head and mind and wishing dat you could change things and wishing things wferent. but what are you to do? you can't keep beating yoursel up about it, but at the same time... it's just hard. lyving a family is hard. maintaining a fas hard. keeping us indoors is hard. (door closes) >> hey, mom and daddy. guess what i got on my grades? >> what? oh, oh! >> that's good. >> one for the willis team. >> that saved you from 70

lashes, didn't it? (laughing) so did you do good? >> i got two a, two b's and two c's. >> ooh, wow. >> that's what's up, johnny. >> i have to get you a skateboard. >> grades is my only way out of here. if my grades are not good, iow can't go to universities like my dream is to go. i know if my grades are not, gocan't play football like i want to. if i don't succeed doing what i have to do in school and making good grades, i will fail-- i'm going to live this life, a life of shelters, going through hard tim, can't feed my kids, trying to figure out where i'mto goinay my head every night. ♪ >> look... ewww... it's all crunched up and

there's not ch space. see? (groans) he takes up the hallway to go to the bathroom. we had much more space in th house. be right back. the cold stuff that needs to be freezed is in the sink. we don't have a fridge. .st this sink is our frid brush. e we h get ice mostly every day because it melts during night. when i strgle for money, oere's nothing to eat. all there is is ca vegetables. so i've been eating vetables. there's really not enough food.

if i could change anything, it would be being poor. i really don't want to be or because then you can't get... because then how can you pay rent, how can you get food, how can you get a roof over your i heyou're gonna be poor? ♪ >> all i want is to play football, but football ispe ive. i can name a few items i need and want for my sports, but i just got to wait on it till next time mama can afford it. >> ooh, good one, good one. >> i'm 14.

my life is almost over, until e m a grown man. and if i don't he opportunity to show somebody to play football, football won't exist in four years om now. if i don't get to play on a team this year, that dream is going to slowly start fading away. that's what happens to some of the dreams of kids. they pertain to something and they can't afford it. aby crying) >> it's a boy. the baby's a boy. >> he was a bottle. >> i was really hoping for a little sister, but, you know, you get what you get. went back to work for the companthat i used to work for, and they're not doing the greatest, either. i'd say i got maybe a ek's worth of work, and then they're going to be closing up shop from this local office and ly keeping one of the three branches open, you know.

so it's just temporary, but it's something. temporary fix to a long-term problem. >> no more babies. i got my tubes tied after i had him. i love him and i wouldn't mind having more, but we can't affor. >> the babies' futures are going to be weird and messed up. life is going to be hard because there's hardly gonna be any jobs left in the future, or any money. then rich people will be poor, and like this. like you. you might get poor in the last few months. you never know. ♪ ♪

>> my mom can't sign us up for school. my mom says that we're going to go, we're going to get in school when we move into the trailer that we are getting. >> the trailer is very livable, it has floors. we're going to be redoing it. >> am i going to he to crawl in with the snakes to get the pipes unfrozen? >> no, no.. it's all >> the best thing to do is put hay bales around it.no >> i we're going to get some of those and do that. but we're going to be moving the trailer probably in a of summers, but that'll be two years away, because we have to have a two-year lease. >> what?y >> if we sere two years. >> if i keep missing school, then i see my future poor, on the streets, in a x, not even. and... asking fomoney

everywhere, everybody, and then stealingtuff from stores and, you know... i don't want to steal stuff. i don't want to do athat stuff. i want to get an education and a good job. i believe that i'm going to get a perfect job that iike and that i want to do. people can't stop you from msbelieving in your own dr ♪ >> barack obama has been reelected. the 44th president. listen to the crowd. >>t..warning chicago to exp dangerously cold temperatures and wind chills... >> the soaring price of gasoline, now $3.67 a gallon...

>> detroit is now the largest u.s. city to file for nkruptcy... >> ...shelters to stay open 24 hours a day instead of... >> ...leavg millions struggling to find opportunity in the land that always promiset >> my fellow americans, it has been the honor omy life to serve you. ♪ >> dald trump is the next president of the united states. >> i'm kaylie and i'm now 15, turning 16 in a month or so. i've moved to a trailer, then i moved to a duplex, then i moved here. and we've been here for almost a year and a half, two years. ow, that actually hurt. >> i'm tyler, i'm 18 years old now. i would still say we're, we're kind of stk in a hole, but it's... it's better than what it was before.

my mom, she was working at night, she was in third shifts, and they worked r 40 hours, 50 hours a week at third shift, so she was sleepi in the morning. if i didn't wake up in time for school, i was late and she couldn't call me in. i racked up a coupleundred detentions, and i dropped out and stopped going to school, and they didn't call my mom, they didn't care. so i felt like they just kind of dropped me off like a piece of trash, almost. (water running) >> bella, oh, my god, i'm so happy i got her. she cuddles with me, actually cuddles. a she'll sit the lay on my chest all night. bella, can i get underneath your chin? are you gonna let me? it's important for me to have a dog because it's kind of like therapy. come on, lift up-- lift up. bella helps me feel safe. everyone surrounding me is

getting cancer. my grandma was diagnosed with mucosal melanoma cancer. my grandma, she gives a lot. without her, we wouldn't have this house, my mom wouldn't have her car, like, i wldn't have a phone. we wouldn't have anything without her. >> you could be put on your feet, but there's always something putting you o the ground, and pulling you back. well, there's gravity, but there's other things, too. >> my mom, she was then diagnosed with cancer. shanwas diagnosed with ovari cancer. >> i was supposed to go to the specialist this week and hedule the surgery. but they won't see me because they don't accept iowa medicaid. >> it kind of makes me afraid, like, when i get older, what'll happen to me. because my grandma and my mom got it, i'm bound to get it, maybe.

maybe if luck's on my side, i won't, but... how long are you gonna be out of work? >> well, it was supposed to be two months, a month to two months. now it's probably going to be closer to three, may four. >> sometimes i'm not sad about things that happen. sometimes i am. i think i've just gotten so used to bad things happening, i just don't care anymore (train horn blaring) ♪ >> i'm brittany and i'm now 15 years old. my hair isn't blonde anymore because i dye it, which is one of my hobbies, i guess. i like to do different stuff. with my ha and i like it.

hd i'm probably not going to stop until all of r is gone. (chuckles) >> give me one of these ones. i'm roger and i'm now 19. graduated high school a year and a half early. go i a job, i've gotten a few different jobs. i've just been working, been working and sleeping. (chuckles) >> zakkary, one... >> mommy. oum playing. >> it's not a toy,ee that? that's germs, that's gross. put your chair back. >> my little brother zakk turnei . zakk is autistic. to help hi we'll count with him and we'll help him try to read and stuff like that. >> b is for... >> ball and... bee. >> yeah. >> i love that little guy, he's so awesome. he's helped pull the family together and definitely takes a lot of stress out of the day. (zakk coughs)

there's your dragon. i think my monster could kick your monster's butt, dude. (crashes) (laughs) well, dang! >> middle school was filled with drama.i anted it so much. people would bully me because i was poor. it distracted me from focusing on my grades 'cause they would, lig, pass notes and everyth saying that i look ugly and that i needed money. my lowest point was getting expell and getting held back. and my highest point was, you know, finally, like, graduating middle school. anofi felt, like, super-prou myself. i like art and creativity because you get away f real world. it just helps me a lot. >> it's definitely gone up and down over the past five years. (truck starts) work's unsteady.

it'll be going good for, you know, a week or two, a month, and then out of nowhere, all the bills pile up d just we can't seem to find any money any way. >> i know that my parents try to make it less stressful for us, but dad will come home with a really bad paycheck and then i'll just, like, start doubting everything. nk won't be able to pay bills, is what i keep tg. and i'm thinking that we're not gonna be able to pay rent.go we'ra be sitting on the streets or something like that, and just every time that happens, it pops up in my head. you know, being stressed out and everything is part of life. >> what can i get for you? >> i just need to pick up these, two shower doors and a stormor >> you betcha. >> my dad, he just recentlys got b back at lowe's, and that's when i started with him, too. i think i've gotten myself into the business to where it's goways gonna be there, you know? people are alwaya need sidings, and i always figured if this didn't work out, build

toilets. everybody's always gonna need to take a crap. (laughs) i never really thought that i'd still be at home, but i don't ke enough money to make it on my own. o just think at this point in my life, i don't need happy right now-- i need to make everything i need to and get the ball rolling. >> most kids around here, they ve graduate high school, but hardly any of themgo to college. because, you know, college is expensive. i want to go to college, because i feel like i could do tter. but then other times, i get doubts of how, like, you know, what if i get a bad job and end up like this with my kids? (sighs) ♪ (chattering) i'm jasmine and i'm 14, turning

15 in december. in right now we'r hotel because we're waiting for my mom and dad to find usto somewherive. (laughing)y jo in chicago with my grandma. i haven't really heard from him since the last time that we saw him. i miss jonny becausehe, he listened, and heas somebody that i could talk to. >> what you doing? >> homework. >> homework? >> the hardest parts for me were jumping from school to school. i'm not blamg it on this situation, but my grades aren't bad, but they're not as good as they should be. >> so have they offered you tutoring there? >> it's not in the classes that i need. >> really?

>> they dot help me with math. >> well, if you really need it, and you real need to stay after school, then you can get the tutoring, jasmine. just got to come get you. okay? >> mm-hmm. i don't think it's my parents' fault cause they're moving so we could have somewhere to stay and so we can be stable. for you to get a house, that takes time and work and money. >> it's like a game, the hurry-up and wait. you waiting on answers to see yowhen you can move or whe can get in or... >> you can have one year where everything is fine, but that next coming year, you catch a bad cold and it's all over with. >> yep. >> and sometimes it means picking up and leaving, going somewhere to try to start over to try to get a betterit for your family. >> i feel like, with the parents that i have, it's going to come eventually. right now, he, he cleans windows.

>> but the thing is, is that you make up in your mind, like i said, whether you gonna survive or not. so i choose to go ahead and try to make an honest dollar.pl >> pdon't know half of the stuff that he does to make sure at we're stable and we'r okay. and... he tries harder than people think. (crying) ♪ >> i'm jonny. i'm 19 now.li i ve with my grandmother in chicago. with my parents, it couldn't

stay stable and moving around belot of places, and i knew it was going t problem for me academically as far as my life situation. i guess i started hanging out with the wrong people. i ended up going to jail. when i went to jail that day, it was, like, "you reallyng off. you let yourself fall off. you went from all th good stuff happening to you, you gonna be, you know what i'm saying, a good footbaler." scouts was coming to see me at practices and asking about me, and wanting me to play on their team, to "now you smoking weed and you got locked up and all that." it wasust like a reality check to myself. like, "you really falling off. you need to get back on track." and thisas my wake-up call, i guess. i came up here to start over. if you fall, you gottap, dust it off, and keep on going. that's the only thing you can . till you get to the top. i work for hmr designs. it's a party and weddingde

signing company. st working to this point till i enroll in school this spring. when spring come around, i could still end up going to the school i want to go to, which is louisiana stateniversity. going there and pursuing this d footbaam. there we go, come on, get open. oh, yeah oh, gotta go for it. let's go! you can come check on me five years from now, i'll be somewhere, playing for ammebody's team in the nfl. everybody knows thican dream-- oh, go to college, and go live your life. that's all i want to do. arliving my dream and takeof my family. that's it. ♪ (laughing)ot >> i wouldo that. ♪ >> i was sitting at home till i wajust, like, "why am i

sitting here doing nothing when i could be finishing high school?" i see how rd it is for my mom, 'cause she didn't finish school. i think i started two days late but i was, like, "i need to get in there and do it now." a lot of teachers have been telling me that, uh, is better late than never. but i'm right there at the edge of being too late! (laughs) >> i'm gonna laugh if he falls. ready? >> oh! >> told you! ♪ >> i wouldn't choose this life, but it's kind of showing me what can happen.d i woultake this experience and use it to make myself an better per learning from it and knowing what not to do. my hopes for the future would be to have a house and my own room and my own space, but you can't

really have everything you want. ♪ >> if i have kids, i would not want them to be growing up like this. no matter what i go through, i'll still, like, you know, want to try and try and try to be better. >> there've probably been many children who've grown a poor household, became rich in the future, which i believe i can. um, but it's a 50-50 chance. i but the most thi afraid of is becoming like my mom. no offense, she tried her best, but i'm scared to death of becoming like her. her financial situation and things that's happened to r that affects how she acts. t i become like her, i do know. i'll cross that bridge when i

get there. you know. ♪ kn it's gonna be really hard. but maybe someday in my future, i'll graduate from college and push through life. >> go to pbs.org/frontline to learn more about child me poverty inca, then listen to the latest episode of "the frontline dispatch," our new original podcast series. >> and i'm not entitled to anything. you know, i'm not innocent. >> subscribe now wherever you sten to podcasts, or at pbs.org/frontline. .>> narrator: next time.. >> here comes the federal government, saying that they own the land and everying on it is

theirs. but my dad said, "hell, no." >> narrator: how one family's fight against the government... >> the armed standoff in bunkerville... >> this became sort of this rallying cry for anti-governmenx emists everywhere. >> ...sparked a movement. >> anti-government patriot ammoe bundy is in feral custody... >> narrator: and whait means. >> the bundys defied three court orders and the rule of law. >> "frontline" is made possibl by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. thank you. and by the corporation for public broadcasting.t major supp provided by the john d. and catherine t. macarthur foundation.te commto building a more just, verdant, and peaceful world. more information is available at macfound.org. additional support is provided by the ford foundation. working with visionaries on the front lines of social change worldwide. at fordfoundation.org. the park foundation, dedicated to heightening public awareness of critical issues. the john and helen glessner

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>> natalie: this summer- >> robin: we're going across the us. >> zoed: interviewing minorities who are successful >> natalie: who are under-represented in s computence. >> natalie: def con was so cool. so many hackers. i wanna explore more of, like, opening my mind to all othese amazing things that other people can do. >> leader #1: one night i was playing with my iphone and i was like, why can't i use this asrole brains to co these robots? >> leader #2: i was just a naturally curious person and so i thirsted for technology >> narratoad#1: roadtrip nation ispossible by microsoft. as technology becomes an integral part of our daily lives, there is a growing demand to provide computer science education to all young people to empower them to become ll informed citizens and imaginative creators. microsoft youthspark is committed to ensuring that all youth have the opportunity to learn computer science,ti a founal subject that teaches the computational thinking and problem solving skills required r