join us next for "teen kids news." here's a look at what we're reporting on this week. >> i'll have the story of an organization that's bringing smiles to kids' faces all around the world. >> students who taught their teachers a thing or two about ecology. >> i'll show you the game that launched a thousand shirts. >> we'll go behind the scenes at one of the top ballet schools in the country. >> and there's more, just ahead on "teen kids news." ♪ hi, i'm mwanzaa. >> and i'm jessica. we'll start with headlines from around the world.

>> here's lauren. president obama traveled to the middle east earlier this week. the president's goal -- to help repair and rebuild relations between the u.s. and muslim world. american auto giant general motors officially filed for bankruptcy. this means big changes for the company as they begin restructuring. >> this new gm will be built from the strongest parts of our business, including our best brands and our very finest products. >> but before they can reinvent themselves, gm must first let go of thousands of employees. they announced closures of plants and dealerships across the country. >> don't expect to see too many smiling faces. president obama announced his pick for a new secretary of the army. john mchugh, who is a republican, was honored by the nomination. >> mr. president, for the opportunity to be in that long and growing and proud line, i thank you, and i hope never to let you down.

and check out this unlikely pair of furry friends! this dachshund and tiger cub formed a special bond at a zoo in germany. zoo keepers say that they can only keep the two together for a few more weeks before the cub gets too big to play nice! a study of college students found that our parents might influence the way we choose girlfriends and boyfriends. if you're a girl, you tend to be attracted to guys who look like your dad. and guys tend to like girls who look like mom. jessica? hmmm. that's one i'm going to have to think about. thanks, lauren. a smile can brighten the darkest day. but thousands of kids hide their smiles in the shadows, afraid to show their faces. amanda tells us how doctors and teens are helping change these kids' lives. >> reporter: these families have traveled many miles to be seen by the doctors of operation smile. the charity may be the only

chance for these kids to have a normal life. operation smile provides free surgery to thousands of kids born with a cleft lip or palate. the deformity can make it difficult to eat, drink, speak or even to simply smile. doctors donate their time to correct the birth defect, and teen volunteers like grace give them support. what motivated you to be involved with the charity? >> i actually first heard about operation smile because my little brother was born with a cleft lip and palate. >> reporter: an operation to correct the deformity costs less than $300, but many families around the world can't afford the procedure. their children end up hiding in their homes, ashamed. >> just the psychological damage that having to grow up with this major deformity right there in your face is a really difficult thing, and something a child shouldn't have to go through.

and with a 45 minute surgery, that can all be changed. >> reporter: dee dee sides traveled the world as a teen volunteer for operation smile. now she works for the organization. she wants to get more kids involved. >> when you see first hand these stories and these lives that you're changing, it's a really moving thing. >> reporter: teens travel with doctors and other volunteers to countries near and far like honduras, india, kenya and vietnam. grace joined them on a mission to china. her job was to spend time with patients and their families and give them comfort before and after the operations. >> that was really, really interesting seeing such courage in such little kids. >> reporter: so what is the most enjoyable or rewarding thing about being an operation smile youth volunteer? >> well, the children wake up from their surgery and they are

usually really disoriented and are really scared because they don't know anyone around them, and then we bring their parents in, and they see their kid for the first time, and they start to cry and it's really, really sad but it's an amazing experience because everyone's just so happy. >> reporter: operation smile was started by bill and kathy magee. they decided to get teens involved after their own daughter joined them on a mission. >> we said from now on there will always be high school students on our teams, we will always have university students. they are our future. these children around the world are our future. let's bring them together. >> reporter: operation smile has been helping people smile for more than 25 years, including its volunteers. >> hey! that's missy! >> i think, it has definitely taught me about how lucky i am to have a whole family who

supports me and how lucky we are to be able to give my little brother the care that isn't offered anywhere else. and just how something simple like bubbles can light up a kid who's never smiled in public before. i really didn't know that i would be able to do something like this and i would suggest it to anyone, it was definitely a life changing experience. >> reporter: operation smile has student clubs around the world. if you'd like to learn more, go to our website, teenkidsnews.com. for "teen kids news," i'm amanda. to protect your teeth, watch out for popcorn. one man broke a tooth when he bit into an unpopped kernel at the movies. he tried to sue the movie theater, but the judge said unpopped kernels are to be expected. so let the biter beware. >> corny, mwanzaa, corny. just ahead, teens take action to make their school go green. >> we'll show you how they did it.

it takes a lot of energy to save energy, but tyler has the story of some teens who really have what it takes. >> reporter: one thing you notice right away about the collegiate school is that there are no girls here. what you might not notice is that in addition to being an all-boy school, it's on its way to being an all-green school, too. >> scope 1, which is the amount of pollution that we produce here, at the school itself, is the biggest component. that's 74% of our carbon footprint. >> reporter: when these guys were sophomores, they formed a club called cenic. >> well, cenic stands for collegiate with the environment naturally in check. so, our school is called collegiate and it's a little pun on scenic with a "c" instead of an "s." >> right away, we worked with the plant manager, and we worked

with the technology department, the maintenance department, to figure out what we can change as far as reducing the school's environmental footprint. >> reporter: the boys also brought in outside help. they went to a conference for teachers and administrators and found a company that specializes in helping schools go green. >> and the two students from collegiate came up, introduced themselves, and said, "we'd really like to do something about our carbon footprint, and we'd like to buy renewable energy, and we're really interested in juice and what you do and how we can switch our school." so they really drove it right from the beginning, all the way through the process. >> reporter: two years into cenic's effort, their influence is everywhere -- younger students collecting waste for recycling, eco-friendly supplies in the computer room, and lights that can tell when shades are opened and turn themselves off. >> the lights in the room adjust so that the amount of sunlight

is replacing the amount of lights that are used in the room. >> reporter: even the urinals play a part. they're specially equipped to save 28,000 gallons of water a year. there's a cost to going green, but there are also savings on things like fuel and water bills. so school administrators have been supportive and impressed. >> what i've learned from these guys is that individuals can make a difference. >> i think schools in particular actually have a real opportunity to show change on this front, because schools have the moral reasons, the educational reasons, to make their building green. >> reporter: now cenic is working with other schools to develop awareness programs. to find out more, follow the link at teenkidsnews.com.

this report is brought to you by polo ralph lauren. >> it's been called the sport of kings, but you don't have to be royalty to play polo. you don't even have to own a horse. imani has the story. >> reporter: it's a game that's almost 3,000 years old, but polo is still going strong. >> i really like the speed of the game, when you have, like, a horse going about 30 miles an hour, it's a lot of fun. you're always going fast. >> polo is different from other sports because you're on a horse, and you have to think about more things than you would if you're playing a regular sport. it's similar, because it's contact, sort of, and you have sticks and you have a ball and you're trying to get it into a goal. >> reporter: polo does move fast, so we asked an expert to explain the game. >> in polo, there's four players on a team, and the number four player tries to get the ball to

his quarterback, the number three player. three player works the ball downfield. it's a large field, about nine football fields in size. so the three player tries to launch the ball down to his receivers, or her receivers, the number one or number two players. their responsibility is attack, offense, trying to put the ball through the goalposts. >> reporter: so those numbers on the players' shirts tell what position they're playing. >> i'm number three, and number 3 normally hits the ball to two or one. >> reporter: every sport has it's stars, and polo is no exception. >> there are some great polo players around these days, especially in the united states. i love to watch the salvado brothers and nacho figueras. >> reporter: and what makes a good polo player? >> a good polo player needs hand-eye coordination, balance, deatrmin pion, perseverance and good horsemanship. >> reporter: looks like fun, but how easy is it to get into polo? i mean, you have to have your

own horses, right? >> people are surprised when they go down to a local polo school or program or camp where their child can get involved for a matter of a few dollars per lesson, where they actually have rental horses available. the polo schools usually have the equipment for you. usually, they suggest a pair of, any kind of riding boots, and some jeans, and a great attitude. >> reporter: all i need is some boots and i'll be good to go! for "teen kids news," i'm imani. >> to find polo clubs in your area, go to teenkidsnews.com. japanese researchers are working on an exciting use for sound waves in video games. not only can ultrasound technology create 3d "virtual" objects in mid-air, you can actually touch them. that should cause a sensation, literally! just ahead, the place where teens who are the best of the best at ballet go to get even better.

check out this chef, right? that's so gay. please don't say that. it's like if i thought this pepper shaker was stupid, and i said, "man, this pepper shaker is so 16-year-old boy with a cheesy mustache." announcer: the magical thing about using energy wisely is that anyone can do it. use energy saving light bulbs, and use energy "smart" power strips. get together and make a difference. learn what you can do at...

there are a lot of fun ways to spend your summer when school is out. yet as nicole tells us, some kids choose to give up the chance to play, for a chance to pursue their passion. nicole? >> reporter: and it's hard work, jessica. the american ballet theater, or abt, runs a special summer program. it helps bring talented dancers closer to their dreams, step by step. six weeks of dancing, eight hours a day. you do the math! it's abt's summer intensive program, where young people from age 12 all the way up to 22 get a taste of what it's like to be a professional dancer. >> the goal is to reach as many dancers as possible with the american ballet theater technique and incredible training and give them a

phenomenal experience during the summer, which helps them in the future as far as their training, not only in ballet, but modern and taking it to next level. >> reporter: this program is super competitive. teens travel from all over the world to come to new york. in fact, this year's class comes from 30 states and 15 countries. but getting in is not an easy task. the auditions are tough, especially for the big apple. >> new york is a very difficult program to get into. we're looking for really strong, talented dancers. >> reporter: so we asked, what are the qualities of a good ballet dancer? >> i'd have to say dedication, passion, artistry, really going with what's in your heart. >> i think you have to believe in yourself a lot, like you can't let anybody get you down.

you always have to work really, really hard. >> it's about finding yourself and finding what your strengths are and how you can use them to be the best dancer you can. >> every year, it's a great experience to come and work with some of the best teachers around, in the country and the world. >> reporter: for the teachers, watching their students have fun and improve over the weeks is extremely rewarding. >> it's amazing to see them hange, to see them absorb the dgowledge that they're getting, and by the end, it's just phenomenal, the leaps and bounds they've made. >> reporter: for many of these students, attending the abt summer intensive is a dream come true. >> when i was in africa before i got adopted when i was 4 1/2, i found a magazine against the orphanage gate. i picked it up and i saw that it was a picture of a ballerina.

and then, when i got adopted, i showed my american mother that i wanted to be just like this girl and she said if i worked really, really hard i would do the same just as her. >> reporter: just like professional dancers, once they're on stage, students often forget about how nervous they are. ♪ >> it's just joy. i mean, you have to have lots of concentration, but i just feel joy when i perform. you really forget about everything else, like you're not nervous anymore. you're just in the moment. >> reporter: not only do the students improve their dancing skills, abt gives them a chance to be noticed. after attending the summer program, april was accepted into the semi-professional abt 2. she now dances for the american ballet theater around the world.

>> actually, in spain, in andora, yeah that was my first performance. it was a long trip, but yeah, it was really amazing, i'll remember that forever. >> reporter: in addition to new york, abt offers its summer intensive program in four other cities across the country. check out our website for more information.

do you like this top? that's so gay. really? yeah. it's totally gay. you know, you really shouldn't say that. say what? well, say that something is "gay" when you mean it's bad. it's insulting. what if every time something was bad, everybody said, "ugh. that's so girl wearing a skirt as a top." oh. you are. ha ha. shut up. those are cute jeans, though. hey, mark. hey, mark. hey. where've you been? i lost my cat. aw. that's not right. yeah. so i made this cat magnet to try and get him back. cool. does it work? kinda. [meow] nice. yeah. but that's not my cat. i gotta keep working on it. see ya. see ya. see ya.

announcer: anything's possible, keep thinking. get started on your own inventions or just play some games at... [distant sirens wail] when life's this hard, graduating can be even harder. but you can help ativa and the students in your community make it through by visiting boostup.org. this report is brought to you by prudential. >> whether serving in your hometown or on the other side of the world, use your talent and energy to make a better world. >> that's former first lady laura bush. she helped honor more than 100 teens from across the country for their outstanding volunteer work. >> it's all part of the annual

prudential spirit of community awards. this year's top 10 national honorees each received $5,000 for their hard work and dedication. they were also given an additional $5,000 for a charity of their choice. >> when i think about your generation with all its abundant energy, talent and promise, you are the ones who stand out in my mind as the absolute cream of the crop. >> students were recognized for community service projects like preventing bullying in school, or sending prepaid phone cards to soldiers abroad. one student published a book with her classmates about being homeless. >> it's so inspiring hearing the stories that such incredible young people have done, and i know that i personally am inspired to do more great things in my community. >> prudential and the national association of secondary school principals say that's the goal. they want to encourage and reward teens for being role

models! to learn more, check out teenkidsnews.com. >> reporter: comic books have come a long way over the years. some are now even being recognized as real literature, especially when they get into very serious issues. sam tells us more. >> reporter: meet gene luen yang. he's the creator of "american born chinese." it may look like a very fat comic book, but the correct term is "graphic novel." most people will use graphic novel to refer to comic books that are thick enough to have a square bind in the back. it was coined by this man named will eisner, in the 1970s, a pretty famous comic book artist. "american born chinese" is the first graphic novel ever to be nominated for a national book award. >> i think it's really an acknowledgment of how far we've come. i think that i am a part of a generation of artists that's coming up that really sees

comics as something more than throw away literature, something that has lasting value. >> reporter: one of the most famous graphic novels is "maus" by art spiegelman. it's about the holocaust during world war ii. shocking stuff for a comic, but it won a pulitzer prize. that's our country's top award for literature. that was a breakthrough moment. at that point, the book industry started looking for other comics that were in the same vein, with the same kind of seriousness. gene's subject is serious and close to home. one of the themes is what it's like to be treated as if you're an outsider in your own country. like gene did in real life, his character moves from san francisco's chinatown to a mostly white suburb. when he moves in, he's only one of two asian kids that are at his school. and immediately, all his classmates think that they're related. it may sound funny, but it's not.

it's stereotyping. that means judging people based only on unimportant things, like their looks. gene's sensitive exploration of ethnic identity earned him praise and recognition. but he's not just an artist and writer. gene also teaches computer science to high school students. and that's an important lesson, too. >> you can choose to be an artist without choosing to be it as a career. you don't have to worry about using your art to feed you, and that actually gives you a bit more freedom in terms of what you want to do. >> reporter: but whether or not it's your career, art takes discipline. almost every night, gene devotes two hours to his craft. to find out more, follow the link to his website at teenkidsnews.com. for "teen kids news," i'm sam. our word this week doesn't show pleasure or pain. it's "stoic." s-t-o-i-c. the word comes from an ancient philosophy that honored self control.

stoic. that's a wrap for this edition of "teen kids news." >> thanks for watching, and have edition of "teen kids news." >> thanks for watching, and have a great week! -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com my name's brandon. in 9 years, i'll be an alcoholic. all: hi, brandon. i'll start drinking with the older kids, and whatever they do... i'll do. announcer: kids who drink before age 15 are 5 times more likely to have alcohol problems when they're adults. so start talking before they start drinking. i know it'll start with alcohol.

i'm just not sure how it's gonna end.