teen kids news is about to begin - here's what's happening. >> caffeine, it may be legal, but that doesn't mean it's safe. i'll have the story. >> if you've ever wanted to be in a james bond movie, hold onto your ejection seats because this is the real deal. >> i'll introduce you to some high school athletes who've pulled together to become champions in their sport. i'll report on a trend teenagers can be proud to join. 42we'll visit a summer camp where there are no tents to pitch and no bugs to swat. >> and it all starts right now on teen kids news. >> welcome to teen kids news, i'm mwanzaa. >> and i'm jessica. here's our top story for this week.

>> do you rely on caffeine to get you going? a lot of teens do, and they might not realize what they're doing to themselves. millions of adults could tell them, the stuff is addictive. >> i drink coffee every morning. >> every time i see a s. >> i drink caffeine a lot. coffee, soda, energy drinks, even chocolate. >> once we get used to these treats, it's tough to let them go. but that's not just because they're tasty. they're laced with caffeine. and pediatrician dr. paula elbirt says that's a big concern. >> the reason we become addicted to caffeine is because caffeine is a drug and it's a cns, a central nervous system, stimulant. anything that stimulates the central nervous system is likely to be something your body gets accustomed to. >> so it's understandable why a regular jolt of caffeine makes it easier to get out the door in the morning. >> i kind of need it to help me stay awake. >> but it really doesn't help us stay alert. the more caffeine a teenager takes in, the less real good

sleep they're going to get, the more tired they're going to be during the day, the less attention they're going to be able to pay to their school work. and the more irritable their body becomes so they can't even absorb what's being taught during the day at school. >> a caffeine buzz can last up to six hours. as it works through our bodies, it's doing some real damage. >> caffeine is a diuretic. it causes you to lose fluid, it causes you to urinate more and you end up dry. when you end up dehydrated and dry you end up with an imbalance in your body chemistry and this can lead to all kinds of ill effects on your heart and the rest of the rest of your bodies endocrine systems. >> the endocrine system is crucial to a body's development. that's why caffeine is particularly dangerous for kids. it can effect our growth, the way our organs function and even our reproductive system. caffeine also attacks the immune system. it's likely that you get sicker more often if you're drinking a lot of caffeine.

and the younger you start, the harder it is to stop. because you'll need to drink more caffeine to get the same effects as you get older. so if you want to quit now, here's some advice. >> usually if you try to quit drinking all caffeine at once you'll have a couple of days of headache and irritability. for the most part you can overcome that by drinking a lot of water and getting some rest. i always recommend that teens decide to do this on a weekend or during a break in school and not during a school week. >> by the way, those energy drinks are the equivalent of four cups of coffee. and they're loaded with sugar. that's double trouble. dr. elbirt says she thinks caffeinated drinks should be regulated just like alcohol and cigarettes. jessica? >> thanks felipe. some words have only been around a few years. like "internet." but other words have been around since the stone age. a british language expert has figured out the oldest words in the english language are i, we, two and three.

apparently twenty thousand years ago those were the most important concepts to get across. cave men didn't have much use for "google." >> we've got lots more coming up on teen kids news, so stay with us. >> we'll be right back.

ever since the events of 9/11, homeland security has played an increasingly important role in protecting our nation. in this special report, kristen takes us inside a rarely seen emergency command center, where

that mission is carried out, 24/ 7. >> these seats are empty now. but when an emergency begins to take place they fill up fast! welcome to new jersey's regional operations and intelligence center, also known as "the rock." ♪ the rock was developed in response to the terrorist attacks of 9/11. it is one of the most sophisticated emergency response and intelligence centers in the nation. >> we belong to what is called a northeast regional intelligence group, which is thirteen northeastern states. we look at new jersey, we look at the region, we look nationally, and we look internationally too. >> new jersey state police superintendent rick fuentes was instrumental in designing the rock. we have upwards of ten partners,

at all levels of law enforcement. >> we have coast guard, we have department of homeland security, we have the fbi, we have a number of units from inside state police. most folks are familiar with state troopers that patrol highways. but the state police is much larger than that. we have a large marine services bureau, aviation assets, canines, bomb technicians. we also have a watch operation center in the rock. and the job of the watch operation center is to actually dispatch, whether it's helicopters, whether it's boats, hether it's troopers, to do specific missions, responding to accidents, searching for a child who's lost in the woods, it's those types of missions that are going on all day long, actually 24 hours a day, seven days a week. >> director kelly agreed to give us an exclusive tour of the rock. >> kris, what we have here,

where we're starting in the building, is really a public area of the building, outside of the secure operational side of the building. this is what we call our media room. >> this room is impressive. but it was really an honor, when director kelly invited teen kids news to come inside an area not usually open to the general media. we got a rare look behind the scenes. >> kris, we're going to go into the secure portion of the building you see represented by these blastproof, bulletproof doors. it's a double core wall that adds to the strength of the building, and we're built to withstand a category three hurricane. kris, this is our main support room. there's 100 work stations here. during a state of emergency, we will activate this room.

all those entities that would support our response and recovery efforts for a state emergency would be situated here in this room. kris, this is the watch operations component, the 24 hour watch center. right now, our folks are responding to four separate, different bomb threats. what we're going to see now is our analysis element on the second floor of the building, that gives us a little more perspective with regards to what's happening in the state, and even globally. we have about 19 -- 29 positions here all staffed by intelligence analysts. >> working together, the analysts gather and assemble information, like pieces of a puzzle. this allows them to create a comprehensive picture of any activities that may threaten our communities or our nation.

>> our number one mission is like any law enforcement and homeland security entity, to prevent another attack on the united states. and, equally as important, is the crime environment for our cities, day to day. in the law enforcement community, our biggest source of information, source of support, comes from the citizens that we serve. everybody wants to be on team america, whether its young students, local police officers, teachers, we're all americans. we all want to see our country secure. you don't have to be actually wearing a uniform to be a great contributor to safety in this country. >> while the dedicated men and women of our armed forces help protect our nation from their stations overseas, these dedicated men and women help protect us right here at home. and, the facilities at the rock help them achieve that mission.

>> it's a building that, once you turn the lights on, you can never turn the lights off, because there's a lot of people that call into this building and ask for information, and ask for help. and we always need to keep the lights on for that. >> reporting from the rock, for teen kids news, i'm kristen.

>> for some folks, rowing a boat is a pleasant past-time but as sloane reports, for kids who do crew, it's a passion. >> rowing is one of the oldest sports in the world. competitions date back to the 1700s for men and the 1800s for women. the first women's team went to the first women's team went to the olympics in 1976. today, competitive rowing, called "crew," is one of the fastest growing college sports for women. these philadelphia rowers discovered the sport in high school. >> what got you interested in rowing?

>> it was actually our coach, mrs. konopka. she kind of told me just to come out and try the team and the first day i was out on the river i fell in love with it and i've been rowing ever since then. >> a lot of the guys i work with are crew coaches. they made me try it and i ended up liking it a lot, so i decided to join the school team. >> was it something that you loved doing right away? >> yeah, right away. i tried every other sport. nothing really fit for me. so, day one, i loved it. >> i love being on the water anywhere. so yeah. >> good thing they love it, because being on crew takes a major commitment. >> it's a lot of training, a lot of conditioning, but i don't really, like notice how much work it is because i love it so much so. >> it takes a fair amount of will and belief in yourself and confidence. there's a fair amount of technique. >> you have to learn how to deal with the water, balance in the boat, and row on your own as well as row with someone else. it also takes a fair amount of strength and endurance.

>> what's the hardest part about rowing? >> i'd have to say getting up at 5:30 to get here by 6:00. just getting up then. >> there's gonna be days when it just, either the weather's bad or you're just not having a great row. and those days are really hard both physically and mentally. but you just have to push through them. because like those practices are what make you better. >> all that work is in preparation for races when several teams come together called regattas. every race demands heart-pounding determination and the will to win. >> honestly it was an amazing feeling. that's the reason that i love rowing, is because crossing that finish line. it makes everything worth it. just crossing that finish line being first was like, "oh yeah, that's why i do this!" >> this philadelphia team has done very well due to their hard work and their devoted coach. want to find out more, check out our link on our website teenkidsnews.com. >> kids here in philly say they feel lucky to have the river and this tradition to follow, after

all, olympic champions have trained here. and who knows, maybe there's a couple more in training right now! in philadelphia for teen kids news, i'm sloane. >> a lot of movies make mistakes about history. and a new study found students remember those movies better than what they have learned in class. when it's a movie versus a textbook the movie wins. that doesn't make for a happy ending come test time!

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... some do it because their parents make them. others have requirements for school. but many teens volunteer just to make a difference. and they're doing it more than ever. imani has the story. >> see how the oil from the kumquat is released? what you want to do is then. bite into it. >> these teens are getting a taste for charity.

they're part of the cook and give volunteer program at new york's 9 nd street ymca. >> this is about cooking and kind of giving and sharing with the community. >> chef steve herman started teaching kids to cook for firefighters and policemen after the september 11th terrorist attacks. years later, interest in the program is still sizzling. >> even if i'm down or i'm tired this just wakes me up and gets all of my energy going. and i start cooking and i really have a lot of fun with my friends. >> rodrigo is one of more than a thousand middle and high school students who volunteer through the y's "teen center." >> each table is going to make one large eggplant parmesan and that's going to be donated. >> the 92nd street y opened in the late 1800s to serve the community. in the late 1900s it started asking more teens to help out. >> they just bring so much more energy than i think any demographic really brings.

>> i found mine. >> you found yours? yeah! >> james is teaching these 5 year olds a little about biology in an unusual class called "art as science." james learned something too, how to make paper. that's right, paper. >> it was really messy, not too fun to clean up. >> but totally worth the trouble. >> it feels like you've done a good job, you know. >> volunteering gives teens a chance to learn about themselves too. >> i think they're learning more about how to be a better person. i think they're learning more about how to contribute to their community. >> studies show teens across the country are volunteering twice as much today as they did in the 1980s. >> bennet and webster were about the same age and they became friends that very afternoon. these teens are sharing their favorite page turners, with younger kids. this volunteer program is called "reading circles." >> like when they're leaning on you as you're reading to them it's really cute. >> natalie loves books.

>> i'm sorry said the tree, i wish that i could give you something but i have nothing left. >> she's reading "the giving tree" by shel silverstein. >> it like makes you think about how sometimes things people give to you but you don't give back. >> "teen center" organizers hope these little kids will be inspired to give back when they grow up. >> interested in volunteering in your city or town? check in with your local community centers to find out how you can help out. they probably need you. 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.

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...

[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. >> for this week's "cool moves, we go to europe, where the "trams" ride on grass! the trend is spreading from spain to germany putting tracks on greenways that help reduce pollution. and it's literally "cool" because the grass offers relief from the city heat. just don't mistake the tracks as a place for a picnic! >> now here's lily with a look at a career you might consider some day.

>> if you play sports, you know just how important the coach is. the coach has a lot to do, before, during, and even after the game. who will play, what strategy to use, safety procedures, they're all part of the coach's responsibility. and, of course, a coach instructs players on rules and technique and motivates them to do their best. a coach can be a teacher and cheerleader rolled into one person. but not always a kind person. coaches can be under a lot of pressure to win, and sometimes that means being tough. people who coach for a living often come up through the ranks of their sport. they might start as players, and then become assistant coaches, before moving into the top spot. if you'd like to "get the ball rolling" on a career in coaching, you can get some coaching yourself, online. acinet.org has all the right moves.

i'm lily with "work it. >> curtain up. light the lights! eden is going to camp broadway. >> welcome to camp broadway. there are no campfires here, but still, things are really cookin'! so what is camp broadway all about? >> camp broadway is a place where theatre loving kids can come, and we give access to the world of broadway to those kids. it's not talent based. we don't audition for camp broadway. it's a place where kids who really love the theatre can come and experience the real deal. >> what do students learn while they're here? >> well, we try to teach them everything we know about putting on a broadway show. so they're gonna sing, they're gonna dance, they're gonna act.

we do blocking rehearsals, choreography rehearsals, music rehearsals. they get the education of a real broadway professional here. but the one thing is, it takes a lot longer for a real broadway show; it's like six weeks of rehearsal, and we do it all in four days. >> why did you come to camp broadway? >> i came to camp broadway because i have loved broadway ever since i was 2 years old. i love being with people who appreciate the arts, who have, who either are a singer or a dancer, or an actor, and learning from them, and being able just to grow as an artist and performer. >> i wanted to learn how to act, and be, and one day be ready to be on broadway. >> i love to act. it's like a passion. it's fun. >> how do you think this compares to a regular summer camp?

>> well, this is really different. there's way more opportunities here than there is at any other camp. you get to go to a broadway musical, you get to meet the cast that's in it, and it's just a whole different set-up. moose ♪ >> what kinds of things do you learn here? >> we learn a lot about dancing and about expressions and about putting clear accents on your words when you sing; dynamics. just some basics that really make a difference in how you perform. >> you're about to do your final performance. how do you feel? >> i feel so excited, and ready to show my family and friends what we as performers have to offer.

♪ ♪ >> i got skills that i couldn't get anywhere else. and it was just an incredible experience. >> reporting from camp broadway in new york city, i'm eden, for "teen kids news." that's all for now but we'll be back with more "teen kids news." >> thanks for joining us and have a great week. -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com