L.A. Teen Co-Hosts New Radio Show with her Mom: “The Chelsea and Lisa Show,” with Guests, Live on Global Internet Radio, Tues., 10/17, 4:00 pm PST

In this new, monthly one-hour live radio show on GlobalTalkRadio.com, Chelsea,14, a Los Angeles teen, co-hosts with her mom, Lisa, a children's book author. The two and their guests discuss subjects of interest to both teens and parents. On Oct. 17, it's “Give Till It Hurts: The Joys of Philanthropy.” Guests are Lisa Bittan from The Riviera Foundation, which provides tennis opportunities for disadvantaged youth in the Los Angeles area; and the Barta sisters, whose Kid Flicks donates thousands of videos to children’s hospitals throughout the U.S.

Los Angeles, CA (PRWEB) October 15, 2006 -- Chelsea, 14, is a busy eighth grader at a prestigious all-girls school in Los Angeles. Having recently launched her own radio program, she is combining schoolwork, sports, and producing the next installment of “The Chelsea and Lisa Show.”

Sitting across from her in studio as co-host is her mother, children’s book author Lisa Dunn-Dern. The two have developed a unique format for the show, dealing with subjects of interest to both young teens and their parents, with viewpoints – some different, some the same – expressed by both generations. The one-hour live program features both teenage and adult guests, plus a special feature, the monthly “Hit List.” Listen at www.globaltalkradio.com, Tuesday, October 17, 4:00 p.m. Pacific Standard Time.

Kids are notoriously self-centered. How can parents get them to be generous to others? What kinds of giving experiences help youngsters focus on the needs of others and how they can help? How do you choose the charitable or philanthropic activity that’s best for you and your family? In Tuesday’s segment, titled “Give Till It Hurts: The Joys of Philanthropy,” three guests will share their experiences with kid-oriented giving.

Lisa Bittan is on the board of The Riviera Foundation, formed four years ago by several Riviera Tennis Club members to provide tennis opportunities for disadvantaged youth in the Los Angeles area. Throughout the year, the Foundation funds tennis clinics and instruction for kids who could not afford private lessons in the lush setting of the country club. Throughout the Foundations programs and activities, hundreds of children have been introduced to tennis, according to Bittan. “We are opening the doors for many of these kids – to lifelong fitness, social, college and even potential employment opportunities,” she says. Another Foundation goal is to get the Westside community of Los Angeles – particularly children and teens – more active in this community service program.

When the Barta sisters of Los Angeles were cleaning out their outgrown children’s videos, Marni Barta recalled how, a few years earlier, a friend who was being treated for leukemia watched videos in the hospital to pass the time. Marni and her three sisters delivered their videos to the Pediatric Oncology department at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, where their friend had been treated. The reaction was astounding. In fact, they were told that “movies are the first thing kids ask for when they are in the hospital.”

As students in Hebrew School, they were taught about “mitzvot” (good deeds) and “tzedakah” (charity) and learned from their parents that the Jewish community takes care of those in need. The sisters decided to collect as many videos as possible and donate them. They named their new organization Kid Flicks. To date, they have donated over 6000 movies to 60-plus hospitals across the US – with the end nowhere in sight. Each hospital receives a 100-video “movie library” of films appeaingl to both boys and girls from toddlers to age 18.

About Chelsea: At the ripe age of 14, Chelsea has many accomplishments to be proud of. An eighth-grader at a leading all-girls school in Los Angeles, her favorite subjects are history and math. Discovered by a top modeling agency at age nine on the beach at Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts, Chelsea set aside her burgeoning after-school career in front of the cameras because the auditions conflicted with her team’s basketball practice. Coming from a family with a strong tradition of philanthropy, Chelsea finds many ways to be of service to others. For example, immediately after Hurricane Katrina, Chelsea spearheaded a drive to collect enough bottled formula and diapers for 100 babies and brought it to a truck leaving for New Orleans. Finding herself among dozens of contributors being turned away because the truck was full, she found a secret way to get close to the driver and persuaded him to load the baby goods on the truck.

About Lisa: If there’s a faint glow around Lisa Dunn-Dern, it might be because she has so many irons in the fire. Wife, mother, theater director, writer, and passionate advocate for children’s learning and literature, Dunn-Dern has been a TV series writer, has produced and directed large-scale children’s theater productions in Los Angeles, and is the author of a series of children’s books, the second of which will be published this October. Dunn-Dern’s commitment to children’s learning and literature has been recognized with awards and an endowment in her name at Seeds/UES, the laboratory elementary school on the UCLA campus. Her unique, upbeat outlook and parenting style are sure to become a favorite with listeners.

Listen to the show Tuesday, October 17, 4:00 p.m. PST, at www.globaltalkradio.com. To contact Chelsea or Lisa, write to derngoodbooks @ aol.com. Upcoming monthly segments will be announced.

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