Get Real

If you were a student at Westport High School in Kansas City, Missouri, you'd be one of thousands of other kids in the same school district who've felt the effects of a struggling economy firsthand. It's been confirmed that a whopping 29 of the district's 61 schools will be closing at the end of the year, amidst administrators struggling to avoid filing bankruptcy.

Besides uprooting students, approximately 700 jobs will be lost, including about 285 teachers. The superintendent insists these cutbacks are necessary because of the lack of enrollment. Schools today in this district are only half-full and enrollment is just half of what it was 10 years ago.

School board member Duane Kelly told a crowd of angry parents this week that the decision was "the most painful vote I have ever cast" in 10 years on the board. Some parents even started questioning whether they should homeschool their children. Officials remain adamant that without the budget cuts, they'd be in debt by next year.

What do you think about closing so many schools at once? Is it the right decision?

Lindsey Wixson, a Wichita, Kansas native, started her modeling career three years ago when she was only 12 years old. Hoping to make it big someday, her break came when she posted a video on Models.com and it caught the eye of the right person. Lindsey was soon being photographed for the pages of Italian Vogue, and then Prada came knocking. Today, Lindsey is the new face for designer label Miu Miu's spring 2010 collection, a job most high school sophomores could only fantasize about.

Even though success is coming lightening fast for this teen, Lindsey's still thankful her parents agreed to let her go to casting calls at such a young age. "My mom was like, 'Are you sure you want to do this?' She didn't know what was going on," Lindsey tells W Magazine. "Luckily, I had an older sister and so my parents were like, 'Teenagers go through phases and it's going to be okay.' They really have stood behind me the entire way."

AT&T has launched a new public awareness campaign called It Can Wait, which focuses on teen drivers. The print and online ads, which will run in the upcoming months, feature real stories and actual text messages that were sent/received prior to a life-changing car accident.

This may seem morbid, but it's be a shocking way to drive the message home. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, nearly 80 percent of crashes and 65 percent of near-crashes have involved some form of driver inattention. As new drivers and major cell phone users, the risks of texting while driving are particularly great for teens.

The tagline for AT&T's campaign is: "Txtng & Drivng ... It Can Wait." As a part of the initiative, the wireless company is asking cell phone users to look at the most recent text message on their device.

Kelly, Tony and Antonio (or the x206 guys as we call them) are about to log 100,000 miles on their worldwide journey as Coca Cola's 2010 happiness ambassadors.

Their mission is simple. Find people who are having fun, including themselves, in all 206 countries where Coca Cola products are sold and document their experiences via YouTube, Flickr, Facebook and Twitter. Pretty sweet job, right?

It's day 70 of their year-long trip and they've already visited 44 countries. They're currently in Great Britain on their way to Norway... but by the time you read this, they'll have moved on to Sweden, Finland, Estonia, Latvia and Russia. Track their every move at the official Expedition 206 website and keep reading to see our video interview with the x206 team and leave a comment about where in the world you think they'll find the most happy moments.

Eighteen-year-old Bronson Stewart's dog Buck really is his best friend. After Buck was hit by a car, Bronson took the 5-month-old pooch to the vet. What he was told next shocked him.

The veterinary clinic in New Zealand told Bronson that the surgery to help Buck, who was in a great deal of pain, would cost $2,500. If he couldn't pay it, they would put Buck to sleep. The teen's family doesn't have much money and they offered to pay the vet's office $3.50 a week, but the offer was turned down. Facing losing his puppy forever, Bronson asked to see Buck one last time and used that opportunity to run away with his furry buddy.

"I just knew I had to get my dog back. He's like my brother. They can't just kill him because I haven't got any money," Bronson pleaded.

When you're grabbing a bite to eat with your friends, which would you rather order: a cup of low fat yogurt with granola or a slice of extra cheese pizza? We know which option we should choose, but sometimes making smart decisions is super tough for kids and teens. That's why Michelle Obama is hoping to make doing so a bit easier.

According to the Associated Press, the First Lady is dedicated to fighting childhood obesity and getting kids active this year. Paris Woods is one teen who she wants to reach. Right now, Paris' weight puts her in the overweight range, just like nearly one-third of kids in the United States. Doctors are scared that if Paris' weight continues to climb, she'll enter the obesity range and have major health-related problems now and in the future.