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Student Podcast Challenge Student Podcast Challenge invites students from around the country to create a podcast and compete for a chance to have your work featured on NPR.
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Special Series

Student Podcast Challenge

The Monsters We Create

Professor Emily Sendin of Miami Dade College (L) presents Michael Vargas Arango (R) with the winner certificate from the NPR Podcast Challenge. Eva Marie Uzcategui/Eva Marie Uzcategui for NPR hide caption

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Eva Marie Uzcategui/Eva Marie Uzcategui for NPR

The Students' Podcast

The Monsters We Create

Grand Prize winner of the 2023 NPR College Podcast Challenge

The Monsters We Create

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Dear Little Sister
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The Students' Podcast

Dear Little Sister

This moving podcast – a finalist in NPR's College Podcast Challenge – is a love letter of sorts, from big sister to little sister. Trinity Chase Hunt, a junior at the University of Delaware, shares phone calls and reads out loud letters she's written to her sister, Jewel, who recently moved away to join the U.S. Army. In Dear Little Sister, Trinity reflects on her relationship with Jewel and how her sister's departure has, in ways, has brought them closer.

Dear Little Sister

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The Fluid Dynamics of Coffee
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The Students' Podcast

The Fluid Dynamics of Coffee

"Imagine how much more efficient your life could be if you knew exactly the fastest way to stir your coffee?" Robert Lakatosh, a sophomore at Tennessee Tech University, admits in his podcast that his discovery may not change lives. Yet, in his dynamic, humorous entry – a finalist in NPR's College Podcast Challenge – he goes all out, and takes his curiosity to the school's physics lab.

The Fluid Dynamics of Coffee

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Vargas Arango, 22, is a second-year student at Miami Dade College, studying business and psychology.

Vargas Arango, 22, is a second-year student at Miami Dade College, studying business and psychology. Eva Marie Uzcategui for NPR hide caption

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Eva Marie Uzcategui for NPR

College student explores rare mental health condition in award-winning podcast

This year's winning entry is an emotional account of living with schizoaffective disorder, from a student at Miami Dade College.

College student explores rare mental health condition in award-winning podcast

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Here are our 10 best college podcasts in America
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Here are our 10 best college podcasts in America

In its third year, NPR's College Podcast challenge received more than 500 entries from all around the U.S. We've listened to them all and narrowed it down to 10 finalists.

Here are our 10 best college podcasts in America

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A college student in her 60s shares wisdom when it comes to reinventing oneself

Joan Steidl, who recently retired, shares her reinvention takeaways. She has a podcast about confronting the generational divide, takes comedy workshops and went back to college to study journalism.

A college student in her 60s shares wisdom when it comes to reinventing oneself

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The Jackson water crisis through a student journalist's eyes

Georgianna McKenny, 17, is the high school grand-prize winner in NPR's fifth-annual Student Podcast Challenge. Imani Khayyam for NPR hide caption

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Imani Khayyam for NPR

Short Wave

The Jackson water crisis through a student journalist's eyes

In this special episode, we hear from the high school grand prize winner of NPR's Student Podcast Challenge: Georgianna McKenny. A rising senior at the Mississippi School for Mathematics and Science, the 17-year-old rings an alarm on the water crisis in Jackson, through the lens of young people. Emily, who was one of the judges of this year's contest, talks to Georgianna about her winning podcast and their shared love for storytelling.

The Jackson water crisis through a student journalist's eyes

Listen · 11:54
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Living with an eating disorder, a teen finds comfort in her favorite Korean food

Budae jjigae or army stew is a Korean fusion stew that incorporates American style processed food. Lauren Migaki/NPR hide caption

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Living with an eating disorder, a teen finds comfort in her favorite Korean food

Grace Go, a 17-year-old rising senior at Mercer Island High School outside Seattle, is the winner of the first-ever Best Mental Health Podcast Prize from NPR's Student Podcast Challenge.

Living with an eating disorder, a teen finds comfort in her favorite Korean food

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Entries from NPR's Student Podcast Challenge explore mental health

This year, for the first time, NPR's Student Podcast Challenge offered a special prize for the best student podcasts about mental health. The finalists had important things to say.

Entries from NPR's Student Podcast Challenge explore mental health

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A teen shares what it's like to be in school with no clean water

Georgianna McKenny, 17, is the high school grand-prize winner in NPR's fifth-annual Student Podcast Challenge. Imani Khayyam for NPR hide caption

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Imani Khayyam for NPR

A teen shares what it's like to be in school with no clean water

17-year-old Georgianna McKenny is the high school grand prize winner in NPR's fifth annual Student Podcast Challenge.

A teen shares what it's like to be in school with no clean water

Listen · 7:47
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Student podcasters share the dark realities of middle school in America

Norah Weiner (L) and Erika Young (R), the grand-prize winners in grades 5-8 of NPR's Student Podcast Challenge, at Presidio Middle School in San Francisco. Talia Herman for NPR hide caption

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Talia Herman for NPR

Student podcasters share the dark realities of middle school in America

School shootings, social media, beauty standards. 13-year-olds Erika Young and Norah Weiner delve into what middle school looks like today in their award-winning podcast.

Student podcasters share the dark realities of middle school in America

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Listening to high school finalists of NPR's Student Podcast Challenge

NPR's Student Podcast Challenge received more than 3,300 entries in its fifth year. We bring you some of the finalists in our high school category from students around the country.

Listening to high school finalists of NPR's Student Podcast Challenge

Listen · 5:28
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