Presenting Local Student Finalists from NPR's 'Student Podcast Challenge'

Summary

All Of It (WNYC)

Episode: Presenting Local Student Finalists from NPR's 'Student Podcast Challenge'
Host: Alison Stewart
Date: October 22, 2025

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Episode Overview

This episode celebrates and spotlights the next generation of audio storytellers—middle and high school students from the New York area who were finalists in NPR’s Student Podcast Challenge. Host Alison Stewart interviews the student creators and their teachers, discussing their podcast topics, the making-of process, and what they learned by reporting on real issues close to them. The featured finalists are from Edgemont High School (Westchester, NY), William Annan Middle School (Basking Ridge, NJ), and Mount Olive Middle School (Budd Lake, NJ).

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Edgemont High School – “Kindness Served One Cup at a Time”

(00:07–13:36)

Main Theme

A profile of Sleepy Coffee 2, a coffee shop in Sleepy Hollow, NY, dedicated to hiring and training people with intellectual disabilities, highlighting the value of inclusive employment.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Student Introductions (01:08):
Each student shared their name, grade, and feelings upon making the finalist list (“shocked,” “proud,” “honored,” “so excited”).

The Project’s Genesis (01:50):

• Molly (teacher): Used the podcast assignment in her English class to teach research, interviewing, and writing skills while connecting students to real-world issues.
  • “We use it... to develop genuine writing voice and their own sense of the importance of writing.” (01:55)

Why Podcasting? (02:24):

• Lily: Emphasizes the accessibility and intimacy of audio storytelling.
  • “Podcasts are so accessible to people... being able to hear our voice, hear from the employees, hear their audio is just super powerful.” (02:24)
• Kate: The importance of highlighting under-discussed topics such as inclusive employment.

Motivation for the Topic (03:18):

• Maddie: Inspired by a collaboration with Love Michael, a business employing people with intellectual disabilities, they sought to broaden awareness with Sleepy Coffee 2.
• Naomi: Outlines the mission of Sleepy Coffee 2 and its founder Kim Kaczmarek, a former teacher who created lasting opportunities for her former students as adults.
  • “She decided to start a business where she could employ some of her past students…” (03:54)

Clip from the Podcast (05:35–07:25):

• Interview highlights include employees expressing gratitude for their jobs (notably Ella), the challenges of finding employment for people with intellectual disabilities, and the dedication of Kim.
  • Ella (speaking emotionally): “I’m getting emotional because it’s been a long journey for me and I’m so blessed and thankful that Ms. Kaczmarek took a chance on me...” (05:59)
  • Kim: “Sometimes you hear an employer can’t fill a job… Well, this community wants to work and wants to be respected and valued just like everybody else.” (06:34)

Reflections on the Process (07:44+):

• Lily: On the power of hearing stories first-hand and the rarity of such inclusive businesses.
• Maddie: Describes the rigorous editing process and classroom feedback.
• Kate & Naomi: On navigating respectful interviewing and the importance of understanding individuals' stories, not just abstract issues.

Lessons in Journalism (10:27):

• Molly: Emphasizes the difference between theoretical and practical journalism, including real-world interviewing.
• Lily, Maddie, Kate, Naomi: Teamwork, careful scripting, authentic storytelling, and integrating research are standout lessons.
  • Naomi: “We learned a lot about teamwork… it was more of a conversation than anything else.” (12:48)

Notable Quotes & Moments

• Ella (interviewee, staff member): “All she needed was someone to give her an opportunity to prove her contributions to the workforce are just as important as anyone else’s.” (06:16)
• Kim Kaczmarek (owner): “There’s a whole workforce… of people that want to work.” (06:29)
• Maddie (student): “We really wanted to make sure that… we weren’t over narrating or over explaining, because the most important thing was getting that connection with them.” (12:04)

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William Annan Middle School – “What Makes a Good Teacher?”

(13:48–23:08)

Main Theme

An exploration by seventh graders into what constitutes “a good teacher,” based on interviews with students and teachers in their own school.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Student Introductions (14:49):

• Vidhika & Maya, age 12 (7th grade): Both express excitement at being selected as finalists.

Why the Topic? (15:19):

• Maya: Personal relevance and a wish to spotlight great teachers.
• Vidhika: Through reporting, learned good teachers foster community, connect with students, take feedback, and maintain high standards.
  • “They’re trying to make a sense of community…while still maintaining high standards, which makes kids want to learn.” (16:17)

Parent Perspective (15:29):

• Suniti Patel (parent): Praises the topic’s importance and the unseen work teachers do.
  • “Teachers just make such a difference...They raise the next generation of leaders.” (15:41)

Learning Reporting Skills (17:00):

• Vidhika: Admits having no prior experience, but gained confidence as the project progressed.

Clip from the Podcast (18:01–19:33):

• Students ask peers what makes a good teacher; responses are candid and occasionally surprising (“I actually do learn better when my teacher is strict…” (18:18); “I think a good teacher has to be kind of like, connect with you… but push you past your limits…” (18:45))

Editing and Narration (19:46+):

• Maya: Editing was challenging, largely due to audio quality issues.
• Both: Sought inspiration from existing podcasts, aiming for a smooth blend of interviews and narration.

Impact on Their Thinking (21:09):

• Vidhika & Maya: Realized that being a “nice” teacher is not enough; effective educators work hard to challenge and support students.
  • “Before, we thought they always had to be nice, but then we learned how much work they really do.” (21:34)

Reflections on the Process (21:51):

• Both students note the high workload (editing, research, scripting), and Maya started her own podcast afterward.

Notable Quotes & Moments

• Vidhika: “At first we thought a good teacher just doesn’t give homework or they’re just nice all the time... but these effective teachers... are putting in a lot of thought.” (21:15)
• Parent, Ms. Patel: “I want them to feel empowered and to know that their ideas, the stories they choose, matter. Their voice matters.” (17:15)
• Maya: “After we did this podcast, I started my own podcast called ‘Wait, What? Now You Know’.” (22:15)

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Mount Olive Middle School – “Cellular Usage”

(23:28–34:20)

Main Theme

A roundtable discussion and audio essay on whether students should be permitted to use their cellphones during lunch breaks, reflecting on rules, freedom, and responsibility in school life.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Student Introductions (24:13):

• Aria, Saniya, Eliza, and Anthony (all 8th grade): Share feelings of excitement, shock, and even tearing up when they heard about their finalist status.

Podcasting as a Class (24:40):

• Sasha Fragar (teacher): Podcasting is an elective course where students choose their own topics, handle all production steps, and learn both technical and professional skills.
  • “I want them to learn a lot of different skills and learn how to conduct themselves professionally and have an idea to making it real.” (24:45)

Why This Topic? (25:45):

• Anthony: Students are frustrated by school phone bans, especially noting differences between class and lunch periods.
• Aria: Lunch break is precious unstructured time, and students wish to use phones then.
• Eliza & Saniya: School policy seems unfair compared to other schools.

Objective vs. Subjective Reporting (27:04):

• Teacher’s role: Emphasis on balanced reporting, seeking interviews from more than just friends, asking unbiased questions, and understanding subjective vs. objective storytelling.

Clip from the Podcast (28:33–30:00):

• Mix of teacher and student interviews—most teachers oppose phone use at lunch, while most students favor it, proposing responsible use and boundaries.
  • “We should have, like, a system in place to prevent people from misusing phones, but I think we should (have them).” (29:02)
  • “If we had phones during lunch, I would take my phone to lunch and… I’d probably watch Netflix or YouTube.” (29:45)

Reflection on Surprises (30:06):

• Eliza: “I was surprised that many teachers said no. I thought at least one would say yes.”
• Other students: Interviewing authority figures was nerve-wracking.

The Editorial Process (31:01):

• Anthony: Editing was tough, especially choosing the best sound bites.

Teamwork and Real-life Skills Learned (31:30):

• Aria: Emphasizes the importance of collaboration.
• Saniya & Eliza: Describe being in an assigned group (not chosen), having to learn to communicate and divvy up tasks without pre-existing friendships.
• Anthony: “At first we didn't all like each other, but then we all came together and then we did.” (32:39)
• Sasha (teacher): Podcasting builds skills in writing, professional conduct, teamwork, and information synthesis.

Notable Quotes & Moments

• Teacher (Sasha Fragar): “A podcast is basically just an essay but with audio clips instead of writing.” (33:03)
• Anthony: “At first we didn’t all like each other, but then we all came together and then we did.” (32:39)

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Episode Highlights

• Students are deeply moved and motivated by the power of real stories—both those about their communities and their own school experiences.
• Podcasting builds not only journalistic skills (interviewing, editing, narration) but also confidence, collaboration, and empathy.
• Teachers play a pivotal role in guiding the process but let students take the lead on topics close to their lives.
• Student voices reveal perspectives too often overlooked: the desire for dignity in employment, the complexity of teaching, and the challenges and freedoms of school policy.

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Memorable Quotes with Timestamps

• “I’m getting emotional because it’s been a long journey for me and I’m so blessed and thankful that Ms. Kaczmarek took a chance on me.” — Ella, Sleepy Coffee 2 Employee (05:59)
• “This community wants to work and wants to be respected and valued just like everybody else.” — Kim Kaczmarek, owner (06:34)
• “We weren't over narrating or over explaining, because the most important thing was getting that connection with them.” — Maddie, Edgemont student (12:04)
• “I think strict teachers help me learn more.” — William Annan MS student, in student interviews (18:18)
• “Teachers just make such a difference in this world. They raise the next generation of leaders.” — Suniti Patel, parent (15:41)
• “A podcast is basically just an essay but with audio clips…” — Sasha Fragar, teacher (33:03)
• “At first we didn’t all like each other, but then we all came together and then we did.” — Anthony, Mount Olive Middle School (32:39)
• “Their voice matters.” — Suniti Patel, parent (17:15)

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• Edgemont High School Interview: 00:07–13:36
  • Clip from “Kindness Served One Cup at a Time”: 05:53–07:25
• William Annan Middle School Interview: 13:48–23:08
  • Clip from “What Makes a Good Teacher?”: 18:01–19:33
• Mount Olive Middle School Interview: 23:28–34:20
  • Clip from “Cellular Usage”: 28:33–30:00

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Tone & Style

Warm, encouraging, and celebratory, the episode shines a light on students’ curiosity, growth, and earnest inquiry into their communities. The host engages with students with genuine interest, and the students’ excitement and sometimes playful candor come through, especially in discussions of nerves, group dynamics, and discoveries made along the way.

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This episode is a celebration of budding local voices, their capacity for empathy and critical inquiry, and the transformative power of storytelling—for themselves and their communities.

Transcript

[A]

This is all of it on wnyc. I'm Alison Stewart. During our pledge drive, we ask you to consider donating to WNYC to ensure our journalism remains on air for future generations. This hour, we're going to speak to the next generation of young reporters and storytellers, courtesy of the NPR Student Podcast Challenge. Every year, NPR invites middle and high school students to submit a story about an issue in their community. We looked at the list of finalists and realized that a few schools from our listening area enlisted WNYC as one of their local stations. So today we've gathered students from all three schools. We're going to speak to them one by one, starting with Edgemont High School in Westchester. The Edgemont students made a story about how accessibility is the mission of one coffee shop in Sleepy Hollow. I have four of the students here with me, as well as their teacher, Molly. Hi, guys.

[B]

Hi.

[A]

All right, before we go any further, I want you to introduce yourself to the WNYC audience. We're going to start with you, Naomi. Tell me your name, the grade you're in, and one word about how you felt when you learned you were a finalist for the NPR contest.

[B]

Hi, I'm Naomi Jaske. I'm a senior at Edgemont, and I would say I was pretty shocked. Hi, I'm Kate Ruan, a senior at Edgemont, and I would say I was proud. Hi, I'm Maddie Margolisnamo. I'm also a senior at Edgemont, and I think I was mostly honored. I'm Lily Boyam. I'm also a senior at Edgemont High School, and I would say I was so excited.

[A]

Molly, as a teacher of this group, how did organizing this podcast come about?

[B]

Over the last few years, we've used it. I've used it in my 11th grade English class as a way to teach research skills, interviewing and to get students to be connected to issues and people outside of the classroom and really to develop genuine writing voice and their own sense of the importance of writing. So we do that as a project, and some students choose to submit it to the contest.

[A]

Lily, what were you interested about in making a podcast? What interested you about it?

[B]

Well, I think podcasts are so accessible to people and like being able to listen. A lot of people that might not want to read something are more willing to listen to something. So I think podcasts make it so that people are just willing to hear our story and being able to hear our voice, hear from the employees, hear their audio is just super powerful. So I think that being able to Express what I do through a podcast is super important.

[A]

What was important to you, Kate?

[B]

I think that the issue, inclusive employment, isn't really talked about too much. So the fact that we got to go to the business and really talk to the employees and have their voices featured in the podcast was really important.

[A]

So, Maddie, your podcast, Kindness, served One cup at a Time. It's about a cafe in Sleepy Hollow that hires and trains people with intellectual disabilities. Why was accessibility an important issue you wanted to cover?

[B]

So our school, our class officers, organized a collaboration with an organization called Love Michael, which is a granola business that employs people with intellectual disabilities. And that really inspired us to get more involved with the community and to bring more awareness to an issue that needs to be spoken about more. So we partnered with the coffee shop Sleepy Coffee 2 because they were just a really inclusive business, and they were so excited to have us sort of report and bring awareness to them. So we were inspired by Love Michael, but we sort of broadened it to another coffee shop, too.

[A]

Sleepy Coffee. True. Naomi, that's the name of The Cubby. Sleepy Coffee 2.

[B]

Yes.

[A]

Who's the owner? What's the mission of the coffee shop?

[B]

So the owner is Kim Kaczmarek, and she worked as a teacher for a long time in the Sleepy Hollow area, especially doing after school programs for kids with intellectual disabilities. And when she got older, and her kids that she'd worked with had gotten older too, she found that a lot of them passed the state of education and past high school and college were having trouble finding jobs and finding employment and finding their place in the workplace. So she decided to start a business called Sleepy Coffee 2 where she could employ some of her past students. So when we went To Sleepy Coffee 2, we were able to meet a lot of her past students who said they've known her for decades. And not only did she have a formative part in their education and their learning and making friendships and making relationships as a kid, but now they're able to give her give them employment opportunities and give them jobs in the workspace.

[A]

Molly, what values or skills did you want your students to get from this project?

[B]

I think that teaching journalism skills and just teaching about how we engage with the world in a real way, how to even just contacting people to set up an interview and then going to a space and even engaging with people in that space. And also the writing skills, obviously. I think I was so proud of how well they pieced together the interviews and how they wrote around them and also the concern that they have for this issue really comes through, I think, in the piece a lot. So, yeah, I think it's a really great teaching. Podcasting is a really great way of getting students to really apply all of these important skills in a real way.

[A]

Let's listen to about 90 seconds of youf Story now. This is Kindness Served one cup at a time from a group at Edgemont High School students. They were finalists for the NPR Student Podcast Challenge. We're gonna play from the middle of the story to hear them interview the staff at the coffee shop. Let's listen.

[B]

Hilary, Ella, and Brian all explain that Sleepy Coffee 2 is their first full time job. And Ella even got emotional when talking about how much this experience means to her. I'm getting emotional because it's been a long journey for me and I'm so blessed and thankful that Ms. Cosmetic. That Ms. Cosmetic took a chance on me. And I'm forever grateful for Ella. All she needed was someone to give her an opportunity to prove that her contributions to the workforce are just as important as anyone else's.

[A]

There's a whole workforce, you know, in folders in my office of people that want to work.

[B]

You know, sometimes you hear an employer.

[A]

Can'T fill a job. Nobody wants to work. Well, this community wants to work, and they want to be respected and valued just like everybody else.

[B]

The sad reality is that Kim is one of the few people willing to dedicate her life to working towards an inclusive society for people with disabilities. The workers at Sleepy Coffee 2 feel so lucky to have found this support. However, this job was not easy to find. We asked Brian, a baker and barista with a bubbly personality, about the process he went through to obtain this job. Was it. Was it difficult for you to find this job or. No. No. That's good.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Can I tell them why?

[A]

Tell them why. Because your mother stalked me.

[B]

My mother stalked us. Brian's experience shows how difficult it is for intellectually disabled individuals and as well as their parents to find and obtain these jobs.

[A]

That was a piece of a podcast produced by Edgemont High School in Westchester. I'm talking to Lily, Naomi, Maddie, Kate, and their teacher, Molly Earle. They are finalists in NPR Student Podcast Challenge. What did that feel like, to hear that, Lily?

[B]

I mean, just. It was so powerful being there and being able to hear the employees there speak. Especially just like being able to hear how powerful working there was for them. It was just. It was like nothing else I've experienced. And yeah, I think that even when we were looking to try and find places that we could interview, it Wasn't very easy to find because there isn't that many. So just going in and seeing how these places work and function, I think that was really powerful.

[A]

There was a lot of editing in that piece. The piece is much, much longer. Maddie, how would you describe the editing process once you had all your inter together?

[B]

So we sort of. We recorded a lot, and then we picked and chose sort of which clips were the most powerful and communicated the most about the issue. And then we tailored our narration to sort of tie the clips together and provide the context that would make it more accessible for our listeners. And then we played it for our class, and they gave us some feedback about editing and sound quality and things that we could improve on.

[A]

Kate, what did it feel like to go into the coffee shop and just have to interview someone that you'd never met before?

[B]

It was definitely a new experience for us. And because some of the employees there have limitations, we wanted to make sure our questions were worded in a very respectful manner. So it was new, but it was very interesting for us.

[A]

Naomi, what were some of the questions that you knew you had to get answered before you left, before you left the coffee shop?

[B]

We started with more general questions, so we wanted to ask what the experience was like. We learned a lot about how they use job coaches, how Kim has done a ton of research and a ton of work to find out how long the shifts should be and how the work should be organized to help the workers and support them in every way that they can. We talked a lot to Kim about her passions and about what we as students, what our parents and friends and family, and now everyone listening to WNYC can do to help organizations like this one. And like Kate was mentioning, it was difficult in the beginning. I mean, we'd never talked to these people before, and we weren't very used to interviewing, but we definitely got comfortable with them. All of the employees and Kim were incredible to speak to. They were all so happy to talk to us. So we got to know their favorite coffee orders and what they recommend their favorite things to bake. I think Brian's favorite thing to bake was banana bread. So we got to hear about that. And yeah, by the end of the interview, we learned so much about the concept about the organization and then about all of the employees as individuals, which made us even more connected to the topic and even more passionate about it.

[A]

Molly, what was something that you had to teach them about journalism? After everything came in, you said, hey, you guys, you need to think about this next time you Go out.

[B]

I think when I first introduced the idea of podcasting to students, often they have the idea that they're going to just have three people in a room talking to each other. So I think the main thing is the idea of actually kind of going out into a place and meeting people in that place and meeting people that they don't know yet. And, you know, as the students have said, that that was challenging, but in a really, really good way. And then we also talk a lot about writing around. As they talked about writing around the clips and thinking about how to narrate in and out so that your audience really follows you. That's a difficult skill in terms of just teaching writing, but when students actually are hearing it, I think it's. It helps to kind of teach voice and teach how to kind of get into a clip and how to get out of a clip and make sure that people really understand it.

[A]

What is the biggest thing you learned about what it takes to report a story and make a podcast? Lily, you go first.

[B]

I think I learned how much goes into it, how much thought needs to put into it. Whether it's preparing the questions in a thoughtful way, or it's figuring out which parts of an interview to pull, or if it's thinking about how it's gonna be perceived after. I just think that there's so much thought that goes into each step, and I didn't realize that until I was actually making it. So, yeah, I think just, like, thinking of all the components and putting it all together is something that I found really interesting.

[A]

How about for you, Maddie?

[B]

I think that one big thing for us was thinking about how to make it accessible and how to sort of, like, really communicate the importance of this issue. So the biggest thing for me was sort of hearing the voices of the employees and hearing directly from them and letting them tell their story, because, of course, they're the experts on it. So we really wanted to make sure that that came through and that we weren't over narrating or over explaining, because the most important thing was getting that connection with them.

[A]

Kate, what did you learn?

[B]

We learned the importance of tying in some research that we did with our narration, and we sort of used that and connected it to things that we talked about in the coffee shop.

[A]

And finally. What do you say, Naomi? What did you learn?

[B]

It sounds cliche, but I think we learned a lot about teamwork, not just between the four of us and with miss Earle and the rest of our class in discussions. Like Maddie said, we played the podcast for our class and got to hear their thoughts. But also throughout the interview, it was more of a conversation than anything else. We had to adjust our questions on the spot. We had to do some improvising. It wasn't as organized or set in stone as it might have. Might have been easier if it was, but it ended up creating a more genuine and authentic piece.

[A]

The podcast is called Kindness Served One cup at a Time from the seniors at Edgemont High School. My guests have been Lily, Naomi, Maddie and Kate, as well as their teacher, Molly Earle. They were finalists for NPR's Student Podcast Challenge. Thanks for being with us.

[B]

Thank you for having us.

[A]

This is all of it on wnyc. This hour, we're speaking to students from our listening area who are finalists for NPR's Student Podcast Challenge. Next up, two students from Willian Annan Middle School in Baskin Ridge, New Jersey. Their story is about one question, what makes a good teacher? I have across me two students in question now. They are from William Annan Middle School, and they were finalists. I also have one of their parents as well, Sunidi Patel. Nice to meet you. So nice to meet you. Thank you for having us. And we want to wish teacher Jill Stradonski well. She had planned to be with us here today to help, talking about her students and making this podcast, but she couldn't make it for a personal family matter. We wish her the best. I okay, you two, I want you to introduce yourself to the WNYC audience. Tell us your name, how old you are, what grade you're in, and how you reacted to the news that you were a finalist for the challenge. Why don't you go first?

[B]

Hi, my name is Vedika. I'm 12 years old and I'm in seventh grade. When I found out the news that I was a finalist for this challenge, I was really excited and I was, like, jumping up and down everywhere.

[A]

I'd like to see that. How about for you?

[B]

Hi, I'm Maya. I'm 12 and I'm in seventh grade. And when I found out that I was a finalist, I was really excited because me and Vidik put a lot of hard work into this podcast.

[A]

All right, Maya, the topic you took on for your story is trying to understand what makes a good teacher. Why was this an important question for you to answer?

[B]

This was an important question because as middle schoolers ourselves, we were really interested in this topic and we were really privileged to have such effective teachers to.

[A]

Interview as a parent. And you heard, oh, my gosh, they're going to talk about teachers, what did you first of all think of the topic?

[B]

I thought it was fantastic.

[A]

Teachers just make such a difference in this world. They raise the next generation of leaders that are going to be running this world. So I was excited. There's so much work that goes in behind the scenes. The teachers just don't show up, and they're fantastic and making kids curious. So I think it was really cool that they wanted to delve deeper and really talk to their favorite teachers. Vidika, am I saying it right?

[B]

Vidhika?

[A]

Vidhika, why do you think it what matters when you're a good teacher? What's important for a good teacher to have after doing your reporting?

[B]

So I think that a good teacher, they do four common things. They're trying to make a sense of community within their classroom with older students. They're making connections individually with older students, too. And they're also taking student feedback whenever they can, whether it's from looking at their performance or just straight up asking what they can be doing better. They're also engaging with their class while still maintaining high standards, which makes kids want to learn.

[A]

Maya, you interviewed some of your own school teachers for part of the story. That's a little scary. Who did you want to interview and why?

[B]

We wanted to interview the teachers that made us achieve more goals, made us work harder, and made us more curious about the world.

[A]

Vidica, how much did you know about reporting or interviewing before you started working on the podcast?

[B]

Well, going into this, we actually didn't know a lot about it, but as we started to interview our teachers, it became easier and easier and things just started to fall into place for us.

[A]

So, Niti, as a parent, what do you think your children can learn from making a story like this? Oh, I think I'm just so grateful to NPR for giving this opportunity to them because they have now a new platform through which they can express their ideas. And more importantly, I want them to feel empowered and to know that their ideas, the stories they choose matter. Their voice matters. All right, let's listen to a little bit of your podcast. This is what Makes a Good Teacher by my two reporters from Willian Anna Middle School in Baskin Ridge. They were finalists for NPR Student Podcast Challenge. We're going to play a little bit from the middle of the piece.

[B]

Let's go into the halls of William and in middle school in New Jersey to ask a student what they think makes a good teacher. Oh, I see one. Let's go ask them. What do you think makes a good teacher? They make me work really hard and do things I'm not comfortable with. Do you learn better if the teacher is strict? Wait, wait, Maya, pause the interview. Who likes a strict teacher? Yes. I actually do learn better when my teacher is more strict because I feel like I'm more disciplined and I kind of have the capacity to learn more, like, hard things. Mind blown. He seriously likes teachers that are strict. I mean, structured classroom environments are helpful. He also likes teachers that push him to do hard things and hold him to high standards. Let's see what another student thinks. I think a good teacher has to be kind of like, connect with you, and they should be nice overall. But I also think that they should push you past your limits, not just do things that are easy, like, make you do things that are more difficult. Think about a teacher that you like. What makes them so good? He's my English teacher. I think he's really good because he makes us do a lot of work, and he makes us do work over the weekends sometimes. Okay, so this student said that she likes teachers that have a connection with her and are generally nice. Wait, she said she likes her English teacher? That gives a lot of work, even on the weekends.

[A]

Well done. Well done. That had a lot of editing in it. You did a lot of editing. How would you describe the editing process once you had all of your interviews recorded? Maya?

[B]

We would describe it as very difficult because when we were re listening to our podcast, we found background noises, muffled sounds, and, like, our voices were either too loud or too quiet. And it was overall very challenging.

[A]

It happens to the best of us, I have to tell you. What did you want the story to sound like?

[B]

We wanted the story to sound connected and smooth and put together. And we actually listened to a lot of different podcasts to try to figure out what kind of style we would use to fit our storyline. And since we had interviews and then narration, we figured that the style we used of having an interview and then kind of talking about it would work best for us.

[A]

Yeah. On top of the editing and the interviews, you narrate the story as well. Maya, how did you guys come up with the script, and how did you decide who would say what?

[B]

We first thought of our topic, we did research and we interviewed teachers. After that, we made a script based off of that so our story would flow properly.

[A]

Sunita, what did you think of the podcast? You heard it in its final state? I love it. I think it's amazing. I think all teachers should listen to it. They interview such effective teachers that I think it'd be helpful for them if they want to make their practice a little bit better. But overall, it starts out really funny. It's very informative.

[B]

I'm so proud of them.

[A]

Did your opinions change at all about what makes a good teacher?

[B]

Vidika yeah, they did. So at first we thought that a good teacher just doesn't give homework or they're just nice all the time. But what we didn't know is that these effective teachers are putting in a lot of thought to what they do. They're not just walking into the classroom knowing what to say.

[A]

Maya, what did you think? Did you change your opinion about what makes a good teacher?

[B]

I think I agree mostly with Vedica. Before, we thought they always had to be nice, but then we learned how much work they really do.

[A]

You're here in the WNYC studios right now. What is the biggest thing you learned about what it takes to make a podcast and report a story?

[B]

Vidica we learned that there's a lot of work that goes into a podcast that we didn't initially expect. There's a lot of editing and then research and a lot that goes into it.

[A]

How about for you, Maya?

[B]

I also agree with Vedika for this one. It was very difficult.

[A]

Do you think you could see this as your future?

[B]

I actually could because after we did this podcast, I started my own podcast called Wait, what Now youw Know.

[A]

Well, okay.

[B]

And it's about burning questions from middle schoolers. You can listen to it anywhere that you find podcasts.

[A]

How about for you, Maya? Is this fun or is this career of choice?

[B]

This was really fun to do together, and I think I could see me doing this for fun in the future.

[A]

Is there anything you wanted to add, Mom? Thank you. Thank you for motivating them to do this, to not only learn this platform, but again, like I said, I want them to know, and I hope they do now, that their voices matter, that people care what they have to say. I've been speaking with students from Willian Annan Middle School in Baskin Ridge. Vidhika and Maya were finalists for NPR Student Podcast Challenge. And thank you so much to Suniti Patel for joining us as well. Thanks so much.

[B]

Thank you for having us.

[A]

This is all of it on wnyc. I'm Alison Stewart. This hour we're speaking to students from our listening area who are finalists for NPR's Student Podcast Challenge. Our final group of students is from Mount Olive Middle School in Budd Lake, New Jersey. Their story is about whether or not students at their school should be allowed to use their phones during lunch break. I have with me now four students who worked on the story, as well as their teacher and Sasha Fragar. Welcome to everybody. Hello.

[B]

Hello. Hello.

[A]

Hello.

[B]

Hello.

[A]

Okay, I'm gonna ask you to introduce yourself to our audience, tell me your name, the grade you're in, and how you reacted when you learned you were a finalist for the contest.

[B]

My name is Aria Palmisano. I'm in eighth grade, and when I found out, I was really excited.

[A]

How about for you?

[B]

My name's Saniya Alam. I'm in eighth grade, and I was shocked when I found out. Hello, I'm Eliza Verhoeven, and I'm in grade eight. And I was shedding a few tears when I left the room. I'm Anthony Puglis, and I'm in eighth grade, and I was shocked when I found out.

[A]

Sasha, as the teacher of the group, how did organizing the podcast come about? Well, it's actually a podcasting class. Oh, nice. It's an elective, so students can sign up for different cycle classes in the middle school. And for seventh grade, I teach podcast, and eighth grade, I teach film. In fact, Sanaya is currently in my film class. And this class, I want them to learn a lot of different skills and learn how to conduct themselves professionally and have an idea to making it real. So they go through the whole process themselves. They came up with the idea themselves. They organized their questions, contacted their interview subjects, recorded, edited. I just gave them the equipment. You called your podcast cellular usage. It's about whether or not you should be allowed to use your cell phones in school and what rules you should have if you're allowed to use them. Who wants to go first? We go. Anthony, you go first. Why were cell phones in school an issue that you wanted to explore?

[B]

It was an issue because people would always be on their phones, like, during class instead of doing their work.

[A]

And what did you want to know about that? Should they be off the phone? Should they be allowed to be on their phones? What was the question?

[B]

Well, kind of both. Because.

[A]

Kind of both. Aria, why was the lunch break a specific period that you wanted to talk to people about?

[B]

Because it's like our break period that we get, just like one of our only ones, and so we think that kids should be allowed to go on them at least during that period.

[A]

Now, cell phones are currently not allowed in school. Is that right?

[B]

Yes.

[A]

All right. So, Anthony, how did you feel about that general rule?

[B]

I kind of hated it, but kind of liked it.

[A]

How'd you feel Elijah?

[B]

I felt like it was a little bit unfair because, like, some schools allow you to use like your phones, like in class sometimes and during lunch too. But then like, they would kind of get mad at you if you ever went on it, even in homeroom.

[A]

How did you feel about it? Saniya?

[B]

Yeah, like what Elijah said, it's like many schools allow them and it felt like unfair. Like we have homeroom and we're about to leave school and they won't allow us to spend a minute on our phone.

[A]

Okay, so Sasha, you're here, you're a teacher. You have to behave with these rules that are given. So how did you guide them on how to focus this story? Because it sounds like it's going to be a little bit of an opinion story.

[B]

It is.

[A]

And I do encourage them to voice their opinion. I believe in student journalism and free speech for students. And if they have an opinion, I want them to be able to voice it. And some of their pieces are persuasive. But I really emphasize the importance of having a fair story, presenting a fair story, getting all sides of an issue. In fact, when they conduct their interviews, I tell them, do not just interview your friends because your friends have similar opinions to you. That's why they're your friends. So encourage them to ask open ended questions and tell them about leading questions and how to ask questions that don't imply an answer and to make sure they stay objective when conducting interviews. And I tell them their final product can be subjective. Those are actually the vocab terms that they learn for that unit.

[B]

That's great.

[A]

So they learn that their final product can be subjective, but their questions have to remain objective and they have to be objective in who they choose to interview. Well, let's listen to a little sample of your story. Now, this is cellular usage from a group from Mount Olive Middle School. Students from Budd Lake, New Jersey. They were finalists in NPR Student Podcast Challenge. Let's play a little bit from the middle of the piece.

[B]

Would you ever allow kids to have their phones during lunch? Personally, I'm gonna say that is a no, because you guys can play computers. You can play games on your computers. Maybe one day. But we would have to first learn.

[A]

How to use them properly and not.

[B]

Just for whatever we want to do them with. No. Then we asked students if we should have phones during lunch, and here are their thoughts. Hello, what is your name? Hi, I'm Frankie Catapano. Louis Iozi, Sanjana. This is Romacguro. Do you think we should have phones during lunch? And what are your thoughts? I think we should have, like, a system in place to, like, prevent people from, like, misusing phones. But I think we should. Yes, I think we should have phones during lunch because lunch is our free time. So if we keep phones during our free time, that would be, like, fun. But I think if the phones get misused, then we shouldn't keep phones during lunch. I think yes, because students should be able to have the time to be kids and with boundaries. Yes, because many kids have them in their pockets and they never have the thought to go on them. If we had phones during lunch, what would you do? If I had phones during lunch, I would take my phone to lunch and I would, like, play games on it, use it all the time. I'd probably watch, like, Netflix TV shows or watch, like, YouTube. I don't really know. But, like, I think we can do things that can be beneficial to, like, all the students and things.

[A]

Elijah, did any answer really surprise you of anybody you spoke to?

[B]

Not really any person, but I was surprised that many teachers said no. I thought at least one would say yes. That was kind of the one thing that stumped me a little bit.

[A]

Aria, what was it like to interview your teachers about this?

[B]

It was kind of nerve wracking because, like, I didn't know what they were gonna say, if they were gonna say yes or no. But yeah, it was just kind of like nerve wracking.

[A]

Saniya, how did you feel about interviewing some people?

[B]

Well, when I interviewed my friends, they gave basically the same answer as everybody else, maybe with a different explanation. But when it came to interviewing teachers, they had different answers and, like, more educated explanations. So, yeah.

[A]

Anthony, what was the editing process like once you'd had all of these interviews? Was it hard to pick sound bites?

[B]

It was kind of hard.

[A]

Did people make sense or did you decide that's good, that's not so good?

[B]

Yeah, it was, like, hard to choose, like, between the different interviews and stuff.

[A]

So you're here at WNYC right now. Who should I start with? I'll start with Aria. What is the biggest thing you learned about making a podcast and reporting on the story? I'm gonna ask you all this question.

[B]

Kind of that, like, you have to work really well with the people that you work with, because if you don't, then it's not gonna come out good. And you just really have to be collaborative.

[A]

How about for you?

[B]

Well, we were in a signed group. We didn't get to choose our groups. Oh, that's a. So, yeah, we were assigned groups, we didn't know each other. Actually, we probably knew each other, but we never spoke to each other. Right. So we had to get along with each other. So we really had to use, like, teamwork and we had to, like, work together and we had to separate jobs for everyone to make their own part and get credit.

[A]

What do you think, Elijah?

[B]

Picking off what Sanaya and Arya said. I feel like working together and, like, collaborating also kind of makes it fun, which gives us another reason to do it instead of feeling forced. And you, Anthony, kind of like what they all said. At first we didn't all like each other, but then we all came together and then we did.

[A]

And then you did it. So, Sasha, how is this activity, when you think about this activity, how is it important to a middle schooler's education? Oh, it covers so many different important things. This group was actually really amazing that they were finalists because they were a assigned group. Their class was a little chatty, and.

[B]

I wanted to make sure they stayed.

[A]

Focused on the assignment at hand. So I did have to do a little bit of splitting up of really close friends, and I thought that they would work well together even though they weren't friends, which is why they were so productive. So they learned how to work together and they learn so many skills from how to write a professional email, which I make them contact their any teachers or administrators they contact or anyone outside of the school, even with a professional email. So they learned how to do that. They learned how to conduct themselves with an interview, how to make eye contact, use body language to make the person feel open and talk to them. They learned how to write good questions. They learned how to sort through a lot of information and pick only the best, which will help with their essay writing. A podcast is basically just an essay but with audio clips instead of writing. So they also wrote narration to match between the different recordings. And they really did a great job. I'm always so impressed by these kids and I'm just so proud of them. I've been speaking with students from Mount Olive Middle School in Budd Lake, New Jersey, as well as your teacher, Sasha Fragar. They were finalists for NPR's Student Podcast Challenge. Congratulations, you guys.

[B]

Thank you.

[A]

Thank you.

[B]

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This is Ira Flato, host of Science Friday. For over 30 years, the science Friday team has been reporting high quality science and technology news, making science fun for curious people by covering everything from the outer reaches of space to the rapidly changing world of AI to the tiniest microbes in our bodies. Audiences trust our show because they know we're driven by a mission to inform and serve listeners first and foremost with important news they won't get anywhere else. And our sponsors benefit from that halo effect. For more information on becoming a sponsor, visit sponsorship.wnyc.org.