Benin is one of the poorest countries in the world, but it also has been hailed as the poster child for democracy. Between Nigeria and Togo, this western African country is about the size of Pennsylvania but has about the same number of people as Indiana -- 7.46 million. Benin has 60 ethnic groups and is the birthplace of voodoo.

One in five Hoosier children lives in poverty -- 155,600 people in the state. Every child has a different story. Joelle Agbeshie, 13, came here as a refugee from Togo with her parents. King Collier's dad died, and his mother injured her back and is not able to work. The 10-year-old, his three siblings and mother now live in an apartment and struggle to make ends meet.

When Camp Awareness was founded in 1998, autism was not nearly as well-known as it is today. "When my son was diagnosed, 1 in 10,000 (births) were the numbers," according to Sue Hansen, camp founder and director. Earlier that year, Hansen spent a frustrating few days at Cub Scout camp with son Sean, then 9, whose behavior was a source of bewilderment to the other boys and parents. "I spent my whol

"The recent bombing in a Detroit bar has an estimated death toll of nine. ... The rebels in Wisconsin have reportedly claimed responsibility." Imagine Wisconsin and Michigan at war over the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Every day you would hear reports of the religious and political war being waged between two neighboring states. For kids in Northern Ireland, this is their daily reality.

Life as a kid in Northern Ireland differs in many ways from a kid's life in the United States. For one thing, in Northern Ireland, hearing an occasional bomb blast isn't unusual. From 1969 to 1993, 3,824 people have died in the conflict in Northern Ireland. However, a cease-fire was called last fall as peace talks between the Irish and British factions got under way.

The Better Business Bureau estimates that businesses lose $16 billion each year to shoplifting. In addition, each family in the United States spends $300 per year to subsidize this loss to businesses. In a joint project with Y-Press, girls at the Indianapolis Juvenile Correctional Facility interviewed four other students there to better understand why people shoplift. In the following interview, K

Sweet and optimistic, Katie Mahar is a typical 10-year-old girl. The Craryville, N.Y., resident is the youngest of four children. She jumps on her trampoline, listens to the Backstreet Boys and plays with her kitten, Pumpkin. She also has a disease called xeroderma pigmentosum, a genetic disorder also known as XP.

Cellular phones have become a small, convenient and, for many, an inexpensive way to communicate. They also have evolved into playful gadgets that can take photos, access games, send messages and sport ear-catching ring tones. These features make them attractive to younger and younger consumers. According to the Yankee Group, a Boston-based communications and technology research firm, 56 percent o

E verybody has said it at least once, maybe while stressing over final exams or after a regrettable error: "I'm going to kill myself." But some people think about it seriously, and a few go through with it. Suicide is the third-leading cause of death among U.S. youth ages 10 to 19, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The effects of a young person's suicide are widespread,

As the political gambits of the 2008 campaigns kick into high gear, involvement by youth is higher than in any election. According to the Pew Research Center, overall youth turnout - voters ages 17 to 200 for the primaries has increased five percent from the 2004 election.

Four years ago, Conor Rogers saw a need for political volunteers and created the New Jersey Teenage Republican Organization (www.njtars.org) to mobilize young people. Though it started out as a school club, it expanded to serve the county and then the state.

Jack Boeglin has been following Barack Obama since his speech at the Democratic National Convention in 2004. After doing some research, he decided to start a chapter of Students For Barack Obama at his high school.

It took a while, but the Blunt Youth Radio Project has helped Gavin Bauer find his voice.

Much has been written and reported on the throngs of youth involved in the presidential primaries and caucuses. But will youth actually have an impact on the general election? Will activism translate into votes?

According to CIRCLE, the Center for Information & Research on Civic Learning and Engagement at the University of Maryland, more than 32 million youth ages 18 to 25 will be eligible to vote in the upcoming election. If 55 percent of these young people vote – a record turnout, attained only once, in the 1972 election – more than 17.6 million ballots will be cast.

Last evening I spent nearly five hours inside the Xcel Center. While there were multiple speakers, it was former New York mayor and former Republican presidential candidate Rudy Giuliani whom I would most like to meet. He was funny, honest and persuasive.