There are big changes this year. From the beginning, the contest was open to students in grades 5 through 12. But every year I hear elementary school teachers ask, “What about my little ones?”
This year, in response to this popular demand from elementary school teachers, The first ever 4th grade competition! So, if you teach or work with fourth grade students, consider doing a podcast with your students and entering a contest!
The 6th Annual Student Podcast Challenge begins now. February 2, 2024 And it’s scheduled to close May 3, 2024. Judges select winners in three categories: 4th grade, 5th – 8th grade, 9th – 12th grade.
As before, entries must be submitted by a teacher, educator or mentor 18 years of age or older. And don’t forget all the tips, advice, and lesson plans we’ve compiled over the years. See below for more details. In particular, the maximum length of 8 minutes and the rules regarding the use of music.. (Contest rules can be found here.) After years of listening to student podcasts, we’ve learned that the shorter the better.
And for college podcasters, we’ll be announcing the finalists and winners of the 2023 College Podcast Challenge next month. So please stay tuned! The College Edition will award a $5,000 grand prize and $500 to finalists this fall.
The contest rules are pretty much the same. Students can create podcasts about topics they want to explore. To give you an idea, we’ve heard stories about everything from social media, tattoos, and even fictional stories. Some themes we’ve seen over and over again include questions of race and identity, and how young people fit in. Your podcast may take on a variety of formats, including interviews, narrative stories, and investigative reporting. You can do this alone or with the whole class.
To help you get started, we offer a variety of podcasting resources on a variety of topics, including how to tell a good story, how to warm your voice, and how to use music in your podcast. Even, we are serious about this. How building a pillow fort can help you sound better!
You can find more tips and tricks on The Students’ Podcast, a podcast about how to create a good podcast. We also encourage you to hear from last year’s high school and middle school winners to find out what we’re looking for. And here are the previous year’s winners.
Sign up to our newsletter for more tips, advice and the latest updates on this year’s contest. Students, we want to hear your stories. Good luck!
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