Voices del Valle

The Great Spartan Band at Central Union High School has a long history of excellence and award winning performances. Two of their traditions include The Shuffle and “I’m So Glad,” both from the band traditions of HBCU’s and other bands of the South.This episode explores what these mean to the band members of today and of the past.

The family dynamic in the Imperial Valley is often one where grandparents have a heightened role in raising their grandchildren. The reasons this happens are many but in this episode of Voices del Valle, you will hear from three youth whose grandparents took on the roles of primary caregivers and how that seems to differ from being raised by a parent.____________________________________________________________________________CREDITSEpisode 111: Generations Under One RoofYou’re From Where was written and hosted by: Dominick Ramos Felix, Felipe Castro, Evan Harper, and Samantha Denmon. Edited and produced by: Dr.Thomas TackeTheme by: Dominick Ramos Felix, Felipe Castro, Evan Harper, and Samantha DenmonMusic by: SpartanSound ProductionsTechnical and operational support provided by KPBS Technical Producer / Sound Designer, Adrian Villalobos, and KPBS Producer, Julio Ortiz Franco. - Lisa Jane Morrisette is KPBS Director of Audio Programming and Operations.This programming is partially made possible in part by the KPBS Explore Content Fund.

Growing Up & Raising Up is the story of a teenager who became a mother during her freshman year in high school and how she managed to learn to be a mom and a successful high school student.Teen pregnancies and motherhood are things that are part of almost all schools and communities. In this episode of Voices del Valle, one teen mother will share her unfiltered discussion of becoming a mother at the age of 15. She will also share how she graduated from high school with a 4.0 GPA and continued her success into adulthood.____________________________________________________________________________CREDITSEpisode 110: Growing Up & Raising UpGrowing Up & Raising Up was written and hosted by: Grace Navarro and Casey DavilosEdited and produced by: Dr.Thomas TackeTheme by: Grace Navarro and Casey DavilosMusic by: SpartanSound ProductionsTechnical and operational support provided by KPBS Technical Producer / Sound Designer, Adrian Villalobos, and KPBS Producer, Julio Ortiz Franco. - Lisa Jane Morrisette is KPBS Director of Audio Programming and Operations.This programming is partially made possible in part by the KPBS Explore Content Fund.

Nearly all high schools have at least one person that finds fame after graduation. For the schools in the Imperial Valley, there are many that have found it in the arts, sports, and entertainment industries. And when the individual tells people they are from El Centro, a common response is, “You’re from where?”For this episode of “You’re From Where?”, we visited with the California Angels Spanish Language play-by-play announcer Marco Peralta about his growing up in El Centro, and his strong connection to Central Union High School and the Imperial Valley.____________________________________________________________________________CREDITSEpisode 109: You’re From Where - Marco PeraltaYou’re From Where was written and hosted by: Dominick Ramos Felix, Felipe Castro, Evan Harper, and Samantha Denmon. Edited and produced by: Dr.Thomas TackeTheme by: Dominick Ramos Felix, Felipe Castro, Evan Harper, and Samantha DenmonMusic by: SpartanSound ProductionsTechnical and operational support provided by KPBS Technical Producer / Sound Designer, Adrian Villalobos, and KPBS Producer, Julio Ortiz Franco. - Lisa Jane Morrisette is KPBS Director of Audio Programming and Operations.This programming is partially made possible in part by the KPBS Explore Content Fund.

Modern high school students often see their worlds through a wide variety of lenses. “The 3 A’s” shares the experiences of five Imperial Valley teens that see their worlds through the lenses of autism, anxiety, or ADHD.

Making music in high school is something that a large percentage of the population has experience with. At Central Union High School, making music happens in more ways than just band and choirs. In “Valley Music Makers” students of CUHS will share why they are involved with the various music programs and how it is part of the overall culture of the school.____________________________________________________________________________CREDITSEpisode 107 - Valley Music MakersValley Music Makers was written by Johan Gamez Aguirre, Jorge Villa- Quevedo, and Dr. Thomas Tacke Hosted by: Samantha Denmon and Ethan GonzalezEdited and produced by: Dr.Thomas TackeTheme by: Johan Gamez Aguirre, Jorge Villa- Quevedo, and Dr. Thomas TackeMusic by: SpartanSound Productions, DAZE! and Johan Gamez Aguirre, and Jorge Villa- QuevedoThis programming is partially made possible in part by the KPBS Explore Content Fund.

Nearly all high schools have at least one person that finds fame after graduation. For the schools in the Imperial Valley, there are many that have found it in the arts, sports, and entertainment industries. And when the individual tells people they are from El Centro, a common response is, “You’re from where?”For this episode of : You’re From Where?”, we visited with smooth jazz recording artist and professor Walter Beasley about his growing up in El Centro, and his strong connection to Central Union High School and the Imperial Valley____________________________________________________________________________CREDITSEpisode 106: You’re From Where? Featuring Walter BeasleyYou’re From Where was written and hosted by: Dominick Ramos Felix, Felipe Castro, Evan Harper, and Samantha Denmon. Edited and produced by: Dr.Thomas TackeTheme by: Dominick Ramos Felix, Felipe Castro, Evan Harper, and Samantha DenmonMusic by: Walter Beasley and SpartanSound ProductionsTechnical and operational support provided by KPBS Technical Producer / Sound Designer, Adrian Villalobos, and KPBS Producer, Julio Ortiz Franco. - Lisa Jane Morrisette is KPBS Director of Audio Programming and Operations.This programming is partially made possible in part by the KPBS Explore Content Fund.

Being a homeless family in America is difficult for any family. But if it is in the Imperial Valley, additional challenges are added with the extreme summer temperatures and a lack of affordable housing. Heat & Hope is the story of one family’s fall into the homeless ranks. It is the brutally honest story told by a sister and brother of how they became homeless for four years with their mother.CREDITSEpisode 105 - Heat and Hope: A Valley Story of ResilienceHeat and Hope was written and hosted by: Mia Lozano Madrid and Marley Lozano MadridEdited and produced by: Dr. Thomas TackeTheme by: Mia Lozano MadridMusic by: SpartanSound ProductionsTechnical and operational support provided by KPBS Technical Producer / Sound Designer, Adrian Villalobos, and KPBS Producer, Julio Ortiz Franco. - Lisa Jane Morrisette is KPBS Director of Audio Programming and Operations.This programming is partially made possible in part by the KPBS Explore Content Fund.

The Imperial Valley is a place that is said to be a great place to raise kids. It has a small town feel and it is common for families to have been here for several generations. But when a family moves to the Valley from places like San Diego, Los Angeles, or other places that don’t have the stifling heat of the summers here, kids meet the “new kid” with the question of “What are you doing here?” This isn’t meant in a challenging way, it is just that Valley kids see places outside the Valley as the better, more desirable places to be.In this episode of Voices del Valle, we visit with four students that moved to the Imperial Valley and attended, or are attending, Central Union High School. In the discussions, it becomes clear that our small town feeling community is actually a special place where students create great friendships and a strong bond to this place we call home.CREDITSEpisode 104 - What Are You Doing Here?What Are You Doing Here was written and hosted by: Ismael Peraza, Destiny Garibaldi, and Mitzel Martinez.Edited and produced by: Dr. Thomas TackeTheme by: Ismael Peraza, Destiny Garibaldi, and Mitzel Martinez.Music by: SpartanSound ProductionsTechnical and operational support provided by KPBS Technical Producer / Sound Designer, Adrian Villalobos, and KPBS Producer, Julio Ortiz Franco. - Lisa Jane Morrisette is KPBS Director of Audio Programming and Operations.This programming is partially made possible in part by the KPBS Explore Content Fund.

Nearly all high schools have at least one person that finds fame after graduation. For the schools in the Imperial Valley, there are many that have found it in the arts, sports, and entertainment industries. And when the individual tells people they are from El Centro, a common response is, “You’re from where?” For this episode of :You’re From Where?”, we visited with film and TV celebrity Donal Logue about his growing up in El Centro, and his strong connection to Central Union High School and the Imperial Valley.CREDITSEpisode 103: You’re From Where? Featuring Donal LogueYou’re From Where was written and hosted by: Dominick Ramos Felix, Felipe Castro, Evan Harper, and Samantha Denmon. Edited and produced by: Dr.Thomas TackeTheme by: Dominick Ramos Felix, Felipe Castro, Evan Harper, and Samantha DenmonMusic by: Spartan Sound ProductionsTechnical and operational support provided by KPBS Technical Producer / Sound Designer, Adrian Villalobos, and KPBS Producer, Julio Ortiz Franco. - Lisa Jane Morrisette is KPBS Director of Audio Programming and Operations.This programming is partially made possible in part by the KPBS Explore Content Fund.

Small towns love their high school sport teams, and the Imperial Valley, this love is unconditional regardless of how well the teams records end. But when championships are won, there is always stories to be told of how that happened. During the 2024-25 season, two of Central Union High School’s teams took the quest for championships all the way to the CIF State final levels. The Spartan Cheer Team repeated as CIF State Champions and the Boys Soccer Team went further than any Valley team in history and won the CIF Southern Section and ended their season as Runner Up at the CIF State competition.Credits:Episode 102: ChampionshipsChampionships was written by Dr. Thomas Tacke, Joshua Ahumada and Lilyana MorquechoHosted by: Joshua Ahumada and Lilyana MorquechoEdited and produced by: Dr.Thomas TackeTheme by: Dr. Thomas TackeMusic by: SpartanSound ProductionsTechnical and operational support provided by KPBS Technical Producer / Sound Designer, Adrian Villalobos, and KPBS Producer, Julio Ortiz Franco.  - Lisa Jane Morrisette is KPBS Director of Audio Programming and Operations.This programming is partially made possible in part by the KPBS Explore Content Fund.

The Imperial Valley is said to be a great place to raise kids. But what is there for them to do in the Valley? Embrace el Valle is a look at some of the things that are unique and that the youth of the Valley look forward to doing each year including the fairs they enjoy, going to Mexicali, and of course, off-roading at our world class off-roading sites.MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:The California Mid-winter FairFiestas del SolQuinceaneras in MexicaliOff-roading in the Imperial ValleyCREDITSEpisode 101: Embrace el ValleEmbrace el Valle was written and hosted by: Jennesia Dosal, Manuel Negrette, and Stephanie Portillo Edited and produced by: Dr.Thomas TackeTheme by: Jennesia Dosal, Manuel Negrette, and Stephanie PortilloMusic is by: SpartanSound ProductionsTechnical and operational support provided by KPBS Technical Producer / Sound Designer, Adrian Villalobos, and KPBS Producer, Julio Ortiz Franco. - Lisa Jane Morrisette is KPBS Director of Audio Programming and Operations.This programming is partially made possible in part by the KPBS Explore Content Fund.

Voices del Valle is a youth-led podcast spotlighting powerful coming-of-age stories from California’s Imperial Valley. Told through the eyes of local teens, each episode dives into real experiences of growing up in a rural, tight-knit, and culturally rich border community. From navigating mental health and multigenerational households to chasing dreams in sports, music, and media, these stories reveal the resilience, creativity, and identity of young people forging their own paths. Whether facing homelessness or finding purpose through podcasting, Voices del Valle captures what it truly means to come of age in el Valle — with honesty, heart, and hometown pride.