RICHMOND, Texas — Watch out world! A pair of young Heroes Nextdoor are giving us, here at KHOU 11 News, a run for our money!
Kathit Kadakia and Aryan Seetepalli recently launched their own kid-friendly news outlet. And while some might argue that there’s just too much news right now, the Fort Bend ISD seventh-graders explain why their project is exactly what kids might need during this pandemic.
“Originally we were called 77047 News, because that’s the zip code we live in,” said Kadakia, who was inspired to write and share news stories that kids his age could better understand.
He began working on his project in May. By June, he and Seetepalli dreamed of total world domination. The friend re-branded their Word Press website: The National Outreach, “where we have over 2,000 views from over 13 countries,” said Kadakia.
“And the reason we started it is because a lot of the times, when kids watch the news, they may feel stressed, overwhelmed and confused about it,” said Kadakia. “So we broke it down. And are much easier to read in a friendlier tone.”
As you navigate their website, drop down tabs allow you to see that the 12-year old’s cover a wide range of topics.
“Our daily updates are little, short paragraphs for each section,” said Kadakia.
“It’s telling them small facts that they can remember,” said Seetepalli.
The boys watch news in the morning then pull more information about notable news stories from reputable sources and then write and share it in a kid-friendly way through their online blog or on YouTube or through a newsletter sent through the text message app WhatsApp.
“Gives you a sense of what’s happening, so you’re not surprised,” explained Seetepalli who created the website.
Easing people into what’s happening in the world, is why they began TNO this summer. So that they could feel productive and informed, rather than stressed or scared. The Richmond boys remind us kids pick up on more than we might think.
CONNECT WITH THE NATIONAL OUTREACH:
“Explain to your children about how this coronavirus is going on. Make sure that they understand it,” said Kadakia. “And if they still need help, they can come to us and read our articles where they can understand it even more.”
The National Outreach, founded by Fort Bend County boys who are committed to helping everyone better understand what’s happening around them.
“We never want to end. We just want to continue expanding and growing our website, and hopefully one day we can become big, like KHOU someday.”
Thanks to the neighbor who shared this story with us on Nextdoor. To connect with KHOU 11 News Reporter Melissa Correa on Nextdoor, click here.