NPR’s fourth annual Student Podcast Challenge has just wrapped up

…and we’ve learned a lot from this year’s students. [View this email online]( [NPR Education]( May 22, 2022 This week, we wrapped up the fourth annual Student Podcast Challenge. Plus, a pressing question from one listener: Is a recital really more important than my wedding? --------------------------------------------------------------- LA Johnson/NPR Every year, the education begins the work of executing the NPR Student Podcast Challenge anew. This means listening to over 800 podcasts, sending endless emails to teachers and students alike, and getting to see the faces of kids light up when they’re told that their own creation has made them NPR’s newest Student Podcast Challenge winner. If there’s anything this process has shown me, it’s that we don’t often get the chance to really listen to kids. There are so many of us who don’t have any reason to interact with kids in our daily lives, and it’s not often that we think to seek out their opinions. And, maybe we ought to. Cooper Neill for NPR Our winners this year had important messages for everyone, not just their peers. Middle schoolers Harrison McDonald, Wesley Helmer, Kit Atteberry, and Blake Turley with librarian Misti Knight (above from left to right) in Rockwall Texas created [The Worlds We Create]( to warn against the dangers of social media. But in their podcast, which is illustrated in the [piece]( we got to write and report on, they also talked about how online space can be a community for them as kids. These are insights we wouldn’t otherwise receive, unless we continue to talk to kids. Elissa Nadworny/NPR Similarly, high school winner Teagan Hyun-Suk Nam (above) created [Nervous Laughter]( to share their experience of the aftermath of an attempted school shooting, and how they and their peers coped with the ordeal. With the recent tragedy of the mass shooting in Buffalo, Teagan’s entry sheds light on how young people are coping with dangerous and traumatic events. They share more in their [article and interview](. It isn’t common to find time or space in your day to take the time and talk to a student. We still lead lives largely from our homes, in front of computers. And unless you’re someone like a teacher and your job revolves around kids, or you have a child of your own, the chances you get to have a good conversation with a kid is slim. But if you do, there’s a great possibility you’ll learn something from it. Congratulations to all of the winners, finalists, and honorable mentions in this year’s Student Podcast Challenge and College Podcast Challenge, all of which can be found at the [Student Podcast Challenge landing page](. Thank you to all who participated, and we’ll see you next year! Cheers! — Eda Uzunlar, Producer, Student Podcast Challenge Now, let’s get into some news… A photo of Florida students spelling out a racial slur is under investigation. The Martin County School District confirmed that the photo with the six students spelling out the racial slur was authentic, according to a statement from the district. In the photo, each of the six students is shown holding up a large letter that spells out the N-word. [Read more here](. — Jonathan Franklin, Newsdesk Reporter --------------------------------------------------------------- Newsletter continues after sponsor message --------------------------------------------------------------- Snap CEO Evan Spiegel and Miranda Kerr paid off art school graduates' student loans. As Sunday's commencement ceremony for the Otis College of Art and Design neared its end, graduates prepared to toss their caps and head out into the professional world. They would be armed with new degrees and, in many cases, saddled with student loans. Some 77% of the student body identifies as people of color, and over 90% receive financial aid, according to the Los Angeles nonprofit institution. Its president, Charles Hirschhorn, acknowledged from the podium that while the college experience offers many gifts, it also comes at a cost. And so, he announced, the school had one more gift for its soon-to-be-alums: It would pay off their outstanding debt. That's thanks to a generous donation from commencement speakers — Evan Spiegel, the CEO of Snap Inc., and KORA Organics CEO Miranda Kerr, who have been married since 2017. They also received honorary doctorates at Sunday's ceremony, along with Queer Eye design expert Bobby Berk. [Read more here](. — Rachel Treisman, Associate Editor/Social Media & Digital Writer, Morning Edition Georgia NAACP is investigating a traffic stop involving a college lacrosse team. The Georgia NAACP says it is taking a look into the stop and search bus incident involving members of the Delaware State University women's lacrosse team last month in Liberty County, Ga. Gerald Griggs, state president of the Georgia NAACP, told NPR he was "disturbed" by what took place with the athletes on Interstate 95. He says the Georgia chapter of the NAACP is at the beginning of conducting its own investigation into what happened on April 20. In a news conference last week, Liberty County Sheriff William Bowman said the team's bus was stopped after it was traveling illegally in the left lane. During the traffic stop, several of the athletes' bags were searched after a narcotics-sniffing K-9 dog made what officials call an "open-air alert," authorities said. [Read more here](. — Jonathan Franklin, Newsdesk Reporter And before you go, is a recital really more important than your wedding? Our families can frustrate us, trigger us and hurt us in ways we wouldn't expect. On the scale of things that are not fun, dealing with family conflict is probably somewhere above dental work – it can be really painful and fill you with dread. This week on the Life Kit podcast, the producers on the show offer a lifeline to a pressing question for one writer: My fiancé's sister told us that she'll "let us know" if she and her 8-year-old will be attending our wedding because the daughter has a dance recital. I find this to be extremely hurtful. Am I wrong? [Click here to read what we had to say](. Have your own question? [You can share it here](. Ask Life Kit and we'll get an expert to answer. [Click here to subscribe to their podcast](. See you next week. --------------------------------------------------------------- Listen to your local NPR station. Visit NPR.org to find your local station stream. [Listen Live]( [Facebook]( [Instagram]( [Twitter]( What do you think of today's email? We'd love to hear your thoughts, questions and feedback: [npred@npr.org](mailto:npred@npr.org?subject=Newsletter%20Feedback) Enjoying this newsletter? Forward to a friend! [They can sign up here.]( Looking for more great content? 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