announcer: the smallest moments can have the biggest impact on a child's life. take time to be a dad today. learn more at fatherhood.gov. >> get ready for "teen kids news." here's what's coming up. >> ever hear the saying "one person's meat is another person's poison"? for millions of kids, it's all too true. i'll explain. >> in most cities, graffiti is often a sign of vandalism, but i'll tell you why this graffiti is a sign of political freedom as well as a heartfelt tribute to the man who wrote "give peace a chance." >> the answer is "live free or die."

the question is, which state? >> i'll tell you how a gospel-music program for teens is helping to change lives. >> ♪ this little light of mine >> that and more, next on "teen kids news." >> welcome to "teen kids news." i'm mwanzaa. >> and i'm siena. we'll start with our top story. >> hard as it might be to believe, many foods you love to eat could be dangerous to some of your friends. tyler reports on the rising risk of food allergies. >> ♪ onto your hand ♪ and can't you hold back? >> meet heather braverman.

she's a singer and actress with a promising career. she's been on tv, in a movie, and on stage at american girl place. but life's not all bright lights and applause. heather lives in constant danger of foods that can make her very sick. >> i'm allergic to peanuts, tree nuts, and shellfish, and i found out when i went to an ice-cream store when i was really young. i actually picked out these toppings that were peanut-butter cookies, and i had a full reaction. >> and she just started crying hysterically. and i knew something wasn't right, but i really was confused and unsure what it was. >> it can take many trips to a doctor to figure out what's wrong and just what foods are to blame, but the underlying cause is a problem with the body's immune system. >> immune system works to protect us from infections, like bacteria or viruses or parasites, but sometimes, it gets confused, and it starts recognizing foods as an enemy, and it starts mounting an immune response. >> that response can range from itching to rashes called

hives, vomiting, even difficulty breathing. very severe symptoms are called anaphylaxis. anaphylaxis is not only scary -- it can be deadly, and it can happen in an instant. >> your throat closes. hives all over your body. your eyes puff up. it's different for everybody, really, but it gets really fatal. [ siren wails ] >> every 10 minutes, someone in the u.s. is rushed to the emergency room with a severe allergic reaction. what's more, food allergies are becoming more common. peanut allergies alone have tripled since our parents were kids. >> i have a friend who's allergic to almonds. >> my friends are allergic to nuts, berries, and milk. >> my best friend is allergic to peanuts. >> one of my friends, she's allergic to peanuts. [ mid-tempo piano music playing ] >> unfortunately, many people don't realize just how serious food allergies can be. heather had to educate her friends and classmates and even a teacher who was using peanut

candy for a science lesson. >> and she said, "how allergic are you?" i said, "i can't be in the room if we're doing this experiment." and she dismissed me from class, and that prevented my learning. some teachers, you know, really help me out, and some teachers don't understand it. >> heather spoke about her condition at a conference in washington, d.c. she was invited by f.a.a.n., the food allergy and anaphylaxis network. >> it was really interesting 'cause i've never been with a group of people who all understand [chuckling] what i'm going through. >> kids like heather often carry a medical device to treat a reaction until they can get to a doctor. >> all of our friends know they can't bring cakes or cookies or things like that unless it's allergen-safe. >> if you know anyone who has food allergies, be a "pal." that stands for "protect a life." first, don't share food. be sure to wash your hands after eating foods like nuts. just touching someone can set off their allergic reaction. learn what triggers your friends' allergies and help them avoid it.

and get help immediately if your friend starts having a reaction. >> the "pal" list is a good thing to know if you have a friend with food allergies to keep them safe. >> i think it's a good thing to tell kids. >> for heather's family, coping with food allergies has become second nature. her sister has them, too. heather has learned to plan ahead. she often brings her own food to school or to a performance. if she's going to a restaurant, she even has an information card for the chef. >> we might go out to eat, but i'll bring the allergy card. >> whenever she travels, she brings along her medicines. and she always has to be careful to avoid danger, even when working with another actor on a movie set. >> i had to kiss somebody, and i had to ask him before, did you have any peanuts today? and he said, "you know, i actually had this candy." and i said [chuckling] "you need to get some mouthwash." so, you know, we did that, and then it was fine. >> it was just a make-believe kiss for the camera, but it could have created real problems for heather. so remember, if you have any friends with food allergies, be a "pal."

>> there's more "teen kids news" coming up next. >> we'll be right back.

>> ever since the end of world war ii, the iron curtain of communism darkened the lives of millions living in eastern europe. lauren reports on how a wall covered with graffiti came to become a symbol of freedom for those "back in the u.s.s.r." >> the heart of the czech republic is the beautiful city of prague. today, it's the capital of a democratic state, but for more than 40 years...prague was under the thumb of moscow. because of the communist influence, one would expect that there would be a monument here to lenin. there is. but not to this lenin, one of the founders of communism, but to this lennon, one of the founders of the beatles. the people of prague call it "the lennon wall." it's covered with graffiti

honoring the singer. >> i think it's neat how the city almost encourages it, 'cause in the united states, graffiti is more of a -- it's kind of looked at as not an art form. but in prague, all over the city, it's accepted as an art, which i think is interesting. >> graffiti has a special place in the hearts of people here. under communism, speaking out against government was forbidden, so graffiti was a form of political protest. when john lennon was killed in 1980, young people again turned to graffiti. to them, lennon stood for peace and artistic freedom. writing on the wall helped them express their sadness over his death as well as their own yearning to be free. although the authorities tried to stop the graffiti, they couldn't. >> under communism, they'd paint it every night to squash the protesting, and it would be interesting because they would continue to come back every day and still write. >> now the czech republic is a free country. people can say and write what they want.

the lennon wall has become a popular place where everyone, including reporters from "teen kids news," is welcome to leave their mark. >> you can't kind of step back and take a picture of the whole thing. it's better to just slowly look at it and look at each little detail, 'cause there's just so many different things and sometimes you can miss some things. >> china has the great wall. jerusalem has the wailing wall. prague has the lennon wall. for "teen kids news," i'm lauren. >> there's an entire history lesson in a state flag. you just need to know what to look for. >> when the american colonies declared their independence from england, one led the way with a rousing motto. >> the year was 1774, two years before the declaration of independence, and new hampshire declared their own independence from great britain.

the motto at the time was "live free or die," and it's still the state motto today. >> another revolutionary first for new hampshire is pictured here on the state flag. in 1776, the warship raleigh was the first to fly the new american flag. new hampshire is home to many other firsts. the first potato was grown here. america's first astronaut in space, alan shepard, was born here, as was the first free public library. >> new hampshire is known as "the granite state," and it's because their number-one natural resource is granite. this is a particularly good stone for building bridges, houses, even statues. and although the colony was first established for fishing, they quickly learned what they really had going on. >> those nine stars around the border signify an additional claim to fame. after the revolutionary wa our new constitution required approval by 9 of the 13 states. new hampshire made it happen by being the ninth state to ratify the famous document. with "flag facts," i'm brandon.

>> ♪ and let it shine, let it shine, let it shine ♪

>> combine the power of prayer with the power of upbeat music. what do you get? gospel. nicole takes us to a school dedicated to keeping the sound alive. >> ♪ this little light of mine, i'm gonna let it shine ♪ >> these kids are auditioning for "gospel for teens," a unique after-school program in harlem, new york. >> i love gospel music. >> i choose gospel over anything else. >> gospel means "to spread the good news." whatever that good news means to you -- the good news of god, the good news of jesus christ -- gospel music spreads that good news through the lyrics, through the hymns, through the feeling that you get when you sing. >> ♪ i sing because i'm happy >> i want to join gospel for teens because i think

it's a great experience for children who want to be able to put their dreams out there. >> but for too many teens, those dreams are getting harder to reach. budget cuts are eliminating music programs in many schools across the country. >> for those lucky enough to pass these auditions, they'll spend the coming months learning not just how to sing gospel, but how to feel it. >> this is not, you know [chuckling] "american idol." this is not "x factor." this is none of that. just come up here, and you just express your talent. >> 19-year-old elijah is both one of the judges and the musical director. he knows how these kids feel because he was once a student here himself. >> gospel for teens is a family, you know? we've been here running for about seven years now, and for each program and each semester that comes in, we've had this love kind of relationship while we teach, and everyone feels like home here. so it's also a working

environment, but it's also a family environment. >> ♪ and i know >> ♪ and i know >> ♪ and i know >> ♪ and i know >> ♪ he watches >> ♪ he watches >> ♪ me >> ♪ me [ cheers and applause ] >> gospel for teens was started by vy higginsen. >> gospel music is religious, but we are a school, so we teach the art of gospel music. so it doesn't matter what religion you are. but i think that gospel music was birthed out of a need to be spiritual or to be religious or to have hope and possibility and joy in your life, you know, especially during those really difficult times. and it sort of takes us through a journey of our life in america, you know, whether you go from traditional gospel songs

or slave songs or folk songs. >> vy explained that one of the goals of the program is to keep the spirit of gospel alive. >> as we auditioned people for events, we find out that they were not able to sing a whole gospel song all the way through. so, therefore, we felt that it was important now to make sure that we infuse these young people with the history and culture and let them know who they are and where they come from musically so that they would be able to pass the music on for generation and generation to come. >> by the end of the audition, these teens are already learning to let their light shine. >> ♪ let it shine, let it shine, let it shi-i-i-i-ne ♪ [ cheers and applause ] >> the students who win a spot at the school are going to get

the chance to see how gospel music can go mainstream. that and more when we return. [ upbeat music plays ] [cheers and applause] [woman laughing] man: where's my daughter? hey, baby. child: aw! come here. [cheers and applause] girl: i love you, dad.

>> it's saturday night, and the community is turning out to see the hit musical "mama, i want to sing." it's the longest-running show of its kind. >> ♪ mama, i want to sing, please, let me sing ♪ ♪ i wanna sing >> "mama, i want to sing" is the story of doris, a young girl who grew up singing in her church choir. but doris wanted to sing more than just gospel. against her mother's wishes, doris wanted to sing popular music, what people in the church call "secular music." >> she was torn between the church and the secular music -- [ record scratches ] >> hold it right there. did i mention this is a true story? there really was a girl named

doris. in fact, she's the sister of vy higginsen. that's one of the reasons why vy helped to write the play. oh, and one more thing. knoelle is related to vy, as well. she's vy's daughter. but in the show, knoelle plays the role of doris, who -- remember -- is actually her mother's sister and, therefore, knoelle's aunt in real life. [ bell dings ] got all that? okay. back to the story line. >> she went off and she sang the secular music, and then she became popular in america and europe with the famous song "just one look." >> ♪ just one look ♪ and i knew-ew-ew >> ♪ i fell in love with you, baby ♪ >> ♪ in just one look >> ♪ i fell in love, fell in love ♪ >> the lead role requires a powerful voice with an extraordinary range. >> ♪ just one... >> knoelle hadn't even been born yet when the show was written in 1983, but it turns out to be a

role she was born to perform. >> ♪ ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh ooh aah aah ♪ >> most of the young performers in the musical got their start in gospel for teens, including elijah, who plays the minister of music. >> my audition...was very -- i was very scared [chuckling] and nervous. even though i sang in the church choir, i was a little nervous to sing in front of people, you know, but i got through it. and watching my audition tape today, it's kind of [chuckling] embarrassing, but it just shows how this program can take you and where it can guide you and bring you along to. >> in the audience for tonight's performance are the newest members of gospel for teens and their families. >> well, after the show, we had a sort of what we call a "meet and greet," and we invited the freshman class to see the show. so this is their first day of school, so it's welcome to the first day. this is what we do, and this is

how you fit into the overall picture. you're just beginning the process. >> but you just have to believe in yourself. >> and so it was meant for them to be motivated, inspired, and uplifted by seeing other young people sing. >> look! that's the look of success! [ cheers and applause ] >> me, personally, being in gospel for teens, it's been a life-changing experience. i have friends and colleagues who have made wrong choices in life, but being in this program, i've learned how to keep my head on the proper shoulders. >> and it's really my goal to have young people inspire young people. that's really what we're doing. >> ♪ well ♪ this little light of mine >> ♪ ohhhh >> for "teen kids news," i'm nicole. >> ♪ ohhhh ♪ this little light of mine >> ♪ ohhhh >> ♪ i'm gonna let it shine >> this reminder is brought to you by the national road safety foundation.

don't forget -- february 28th is the deadline for the drive 2 life contest. anyone in grades 6 through 12 can submit an idea for a p.s.a. that's a public service announcement. there are two ways to enter -- you can send in a script or a storyboard, but do not send a video. it won't be accepted. if you've got the winning concept, you'll get a $1,000 scholarship and a trip to new york city so you can work with a professional director and crew to turn your vision into a reality. for more info and an entry form, go to drive2life.org. for "teen kids news," i'm emily.

girl: don't look at me. second girl: your hair's a bit frizzy today. aw! ha ha! you should pick that up. announcer: every day, kids witness bullying. poor you. ha ha! they want to help but don't know how. teach your kids how to be more than a bystander. visit stopbullying.gov. >> brain scans are high-tech

pictures that show what's happening in different parts of the brain. you can actually see areas light up when that section of the brain is being used. well, researchers are using these scans to learn what goes on inside of the brains of dogs. the images show that dogs pay close attention to their owners, especially when owners might have a treat in their pocket. they needed a brain scan to figure that out? >> this report is brought to you by paramount pictures. >> ♪ oh >> ♪ yeah >> in the comedy "fun size," teen star victoria justice plays wren. she's a high-school student who just wants to go to the biggest party of the year, thrown by one of the most popular guys in school. >> oh, my god. he's coming over! >> you're coming to the party, right? >> we will definitely be there. >> [ breathes sharply ] >> but what wren gets is one crazy, adventure-filled night, and it all starts with her little brother. >> albert! for once, he's not my problem. >> oh, no.

i forgot to tell you -- you're gonna watch albert tonight. >> no. mom, the party -- don't do this to me. >> i love you. thank you. you're welcome. >> taking care of albert turns out to be trickier than wren expected. >> where's albert? >> ♪ set it loose >> albert! albert?! albert! >> ♪ set it loose >> my mom is gonna kill me. >> and i really liked the character of wren because i felt like she was very real and honest -- you know, she's not over-glamorized. she's a normal high-school girl. >> hey there, little guy. where's your family? >> while looking for her brother, wren recruits some new friends to join in the hunt. >> if we don't find your brother soon, we're gonna miss the party. >> oh, nerd alert. >> we then bump into roosevelt and peng, and lucky for my character, roosevelt has a car that -- that we kind of talk him into using for the night to search for my brother, and -- and many things go wrong after that. >> it's my duty to tell you you are one step away from total...social...suicide. >> but i thought the script was really funny. and there's lots of action.

and it's really adventurous, and there's some romance, and there are so many great aspects to it. >> now on blu-ray and dvd, "fun size" is jam-packed with special features. >> playback! >> the blu-ray includes lots of behind-the-scenes footage... >> i can't believe i actually thought you found my brother. >> ...plus, deleted scenes and a hilarious gag reel. >> ♪ tonight [ laughter ] >> i have this. >> go! [ engine turns over ] >> aah! [ electricity crackling ] [ all screaming ] >> i did not have it. >> but you can have it. rated pg-13, "fun size" is available now. for "teen kids news," i'm katie. >> that's all for this week. thanks for joining us. >> we'll see you next time with more "teen kids news."

>> here's a shout-out to pr newswire for including "teen kids news" on their big screen in times square, new york city. i wish i was in school.

[overlapping chatter] if only i had a math test today. or a book report to give. i wish i was in school. i'll stay after class. i'll clean the chalkboard. i'll do extra homework. i'll skip recess. i wish i was in school. i wish i was in school. i really wish i was in school. man: school ends, but free lunches for your kids don't have to. find your local food bank at feedingamerica.org/summermeals for help. together, we're feeding america. please sir, i want some more. more?