NPR just announced the middle and high school finalists for its eighth annual Student Podcast Challenge, and the list is stacked. Nearly 1,500 students from 42 states and Washington, D.C. submitted audio stories, and the finalists cover a wild range of topics: Andy Warhol, civics, dementia, dyslexia, ICE, immigration, and the legacy of a late father. A special challenge tied to America’s 250th anniversary also asked students to explore what it means to be an American.
The finalists include Ike Anolik from Saint Ann’s School in Brooklyn, Kate Baker from Excelsior Middle School in Iowa, Allen Mondragon from J. Sterling Morton High School East in Illinois, and Amit Biligiri and Charles Post, both from California. One standout quote from the student work says it all:“People with dyslexia can be amazing in so many ways.”Another, about a late father, goes:“Death ended his life, but it didn’t end his impact.”
Grand prize winners will have their work aired on Morning Edition, All Things Considered, and other NPR programs, with fourth grade winners and honorable mentions announced later. These students are proving that the best stories don’t need a big budget, just a real one. What would your student podcast be about if you got the mic?
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Local Lawton
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