Eighth grade students from Sayre School in Lexington, Ky. won the middle school prize for NPR's Student Podcast Challenge in 2021. Their podcast celebrates their school’s small maintenance crew, who work hard to take care of the buildings and grounds where students learn each day, despite little recognition. This story includes the student podcasters’ interviews with members of the maintenance crew and other students and features their carefully chosen sound effects and tales of memorable maintenance feats. Listen to hear more about the school’s hardworking maintenance crew and learn how the young podcasters hope to impact listeners.
Story Length: 6:31
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November 10, 2021
4:45
The video game Firewatch helped high school senior Jack Kelley realize that the world is a surprising place. In the game, players become a character who is a fire lookout in the Wyoming wilderness. Kelley’s experience playing the video game inspired him to visit fire lookout towers across the US. In five years, Kelley has visited hundreds of towers. Doing so has influenced his future goals and strengthened his relationship with his father. Listen to hear Kelley discuss his visits to fire lookout towers and learn how the experiences have changed him.
Read MoreAugust 4, 2021
6:24
Zaila Avant-garde became the first African American to win the Scripps National Spelling Bee. In this audio story, the 14-year-old from Louisiana discusses her love of spelling, how she first started competing, and the other ways she channels her competitive spirit. Listen to hear thoughts from an accomplished spelling bee champ who hopes to become a role model for other girls.
Read MoreJune 11, 2019
6:36
The middle school winners of this year’s NPR Podcast Challenge chose a topic that few of their classmates or teachers felt comfortable discussing. This group of girls from a school in the Bronx,New York chose to focus their podcast on menstruation and periods. They investigated the stigma of talking about periods and associated feminine hygiene products and discussed changes they would like to see. Listen to hear more about the team’s winning podcast and why they decided to take on the taboo topic of periods.
Read MoreApril 27, 2017
3:45
Student reporters for a Kansas high school paper uncovered that their new principal put misleading credentials on her resume. As a result of this investigation, the principal has been forced to resign. Now, journalists around the country are praising these student reporters for their detailed and conscientious investigation. Listen to learn more about the controversy and the investigative work of these high school students.
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