It all started with a small idea back in 2018, when NPR's education team wanted to know what was really going on in the minds of young people. We wanted to hear about the things that keep students up at night, their obsessions and concerns, and stories they're dying to get off their chest. So we created the Student Podcast Challenge, an opportunity for students all around the country to record their stories and share them with NPR.
Little did we know: Over the last six years, we've listened to more than 17,000 podcasts from all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. These stories, written and produced entirely by students, moved us and our listeners. They made us laugh, or cry, or just pause as we listened to a great story.
So teachers, educators and students, get ready to do it all over again!
The 2025 Student Podcast Challenge will open on Jan. 6 and close on May 2. Once again the contest will be open to students in grades four through 12.
So you'll have most of the winter and spring academic term to learn and put something together that you can be proud of.
Is it your first time entering our contest? Don't fret! We're here to help, with plenty of guidance.
You can start by reading the rest of this announcement post, and check out our student podcasting resources page here. And subscribe to our newsletter for weekly updates from the contest team.
And, it's worth pointing out that several of our past winners (including both our middle and high school winners in 2023) were first-time podcasters, so you can do it, too!
The basics
The rules (which you can find in detail here) remain pretty much the same: Students can make a podcast about any topic they're interested in, as long as they keep it between three to eight minutes.
A special note here: Parents and educators, step away from the microphone! Please, no podcasts produced or edited by adults. The entries should be original work by students (see FAQ section below). We had to disqualify some entries last year for clearly breaking this rule.
And, students, please keep it clean! No offensive language will be allowed.
But, students do need to work with a teacher, educator or family member, who is 18 years or older, on filling out the submission form to enter the contest. The form will go live on Jan. 6.
Where to get started
Choosing a good story is just as, if not more, important than your audio production or editing skills. For example, some of our favorite entries from last year included a personal story on parental incarceration, reporting on a young person's experience learning to read with dyslexia and discussions on everyday topics like school lunch and teen fashion. A few of our finalists made delightful fiction podcasts, like this one where "oxygen" and "hydrogen" are in conversation.
Again, you can choose any topic you wish to explore. It doesn't have to be a big important subject – just anything that excites you! If you aren't sure about your idea, run it by your friends, teachers and family. Ask them what part of your story they find the most interesting and try zooming in on that.
Our judges will select a middle school and high school grand prize winner. The grand prize includes a certificate and trophy, and a visit from the NPR Ed team, who will interview you and your teacher for a story on NPR programs, such as Morning Edition or All Things Considered.
For fourth graders — a new category we created last year — we'll select the best entries and air some or all of those podcasts on NPR programs.
In previous years, our winners and their podcasts have also been included on NPR podcasts like Up First or Code Switch. They've also received additional recognition from their school or school districts, and many have been interviewed by local media. All that to say, it's a great opportunity to share your story and get a lot of people to listen to it.
'Sound Advice' from the contest team
Before you hit the record button, check out our podcasting resources. We have (1) a starting out guide for student podcasters and (2) a curriculum guide for educators. We cover everything from how to tell a good story, how to sound like yourself on mic to how to use music in your podcast, among other topics. Even, and we're serious about this: how making a pillow fort can make you sound better!
There are other good resources out there too: Check out this audio storytelling toolkit and recording tutorial from our friends at PBS News Student Reporting Labs.
You can find more tips and tricks on The Students' Podcast, which our team created to help you make a good podcast. We also encourage you to get a feel for what we're looking for by listening to last year's high school winner and middle school winner, and previous years' winning entries here.
Quick FAQ
Here are a few questions we get over and over again each year. For any other questions, don't hesitate to reach out to us at studentpodcastchallenge@npr.org.
What's an appropriate way teachers and adults can be involved?
All eligible contest entries must be written, recorded and produced by students. We welcome teachers and educators to incorporate podcasting into their class curriculum and walk students through the basics of audio recording and editing. And as a part of this process, we understand that students may be getting feedback from the adults involved. Bottom line, we please ask the adults to not get their own hands on their students' projects.
Am I allowed to use this song or sound effect in my podcast?
Here's an excerpt from our rules page that discusses music and copyrighted audio:
"Pre-recorded music may not be used. Entrants may include live performances of public domain songs or non-copyrightable rhythm elements if it is relevant to the story. For avoidance of doubt, for the purposes of these Official Rules, "public domain" does not mean "publicly available"; it means that copyright has expired and the material is no longer under copyright protection. We encourage Entrants to err on the side of excluding music if the Entrant is not sure whether the music is copyrighted or not."
You can use your own audio, interviews, field recordings or natural sound, music or sound effects you recorded for the podcast. We advise not using audio if the student isn't sure about copyright.
On our entry form, we ask you to confirm that any music in your podcast is either copyright free, or self-produced.
Can I submit more than one podcast?
Yes! You can submit as many entries as you'd like. Just make sure each of your podcast entries are (1) between three and eight minutes in length and (2) don't use copyrighted audio. We wouldn't want any of your work to be disqualified.
And we really do listen to every single entry. So whether it's you and your friend's podcast, a class assignment or a passion project you're finally putting together, we're excited to hear from you and listen to whatever you got for us.
And, as we said above, for more tips, advice and the latest updates on this year's contest, make sure to sign up for our weekly newsletter. Students, we can't wait to hear your stories. Good luck!
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