Calling all scholar storytellers: NPR’s Pupil Podcast Problem is again for 2026. As at all times, we are having a look to award prizes to the most efficient center college and highschool podcasts in The usa — however now we have an extra particular prize this 12 months:
To mark the 250th anniversary of the founding of the US, ship us podcasts that discover what the word, “existence, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” way to you.
For this particular problem, our judges shall be listening for tales that glance again at historic occasions, take us to historical puts, or that discover what it way to be an American. Tales of innovation, of rights and protest, arts and tradition, civic engagement and governance, or private narratives or ideals.
In different phrases, the overall vary of the American revel in.
Simply to be transparent, regardless that: The Pupil Podcast Problem is nonetheless open to podcasts on any subject. As in earlier years, we’re going to be awarding two grand prizes on this normal class: one from center college (grades 5 via 8), and the opposite from highschool (grades 9 via 12). Our fourth grade pageant, which we added in 2024, will proceed as smartly.
The 2026 version of the Pupil Podcast Problem will open on Jan. 5 and shut on June 5. However if you would like to be regarded as for our particular The usa 250 prize, the closing date is Might 1.
Both approach, you’ll be able to put up right here, every time you are prepared.
The competition shall be open to scholars in grades 4 via 12. The grand prize winners shall be introduced, after summer season wreck, in September.
Particular prize to mark the anniversary of the country’s founding
Winners of the The usa 250 prize shall be introduced in June, to have fun the country’s birthday on July Fourth.
As we do with our grand prize winners, we’re going to make a selection the most efficient of the ones tales from throughout grade ranges, and have them on Morning Version, All Issues Thought to be, and different NPR methods and podcasts.
For individuals who are new to the competition, we began out in 2018 asking scholars around the nation to make a podcast, and to have a instructor, educator or dad or mum put up it to us. Then, each and every 12 months, we concentrate to each unmarried one (greater than 20,000 podcasts up to now!) and slender them all the way down to an inventory of finalists and honorable mentions.
From the ones entries, our judges make a choice our grand-prize winners: one for grades 5 via 8, and any other in grades 9 via 12. Since 2024, we’ve got additionally opened our contest to fourth-graders, and we make a selection winners and honorable mentions from that class as smartly.
The Pupil Podcast Problem is an opportunity to inform your individual tale, on your personal voice. And through the years, we’ve got discovered that the most efficient podcasts are those the place scholars carry a specific hobby for the tale they need to inform.
As an example, a few of our favourite entries from closing 12 months incorporated a fifth-grader’s interview with a survivor of the Eastern incarceration camps, and a narrative podcast discussing the sense of loss that comes from an Indian circle of relatives’s transfer to the U.S.
Different finalists mentioned subjects like how the Palisades Hearth introduced in combination a group in Southern California, tales from the Ukraine Conflict and the demanding situations LGBTQ scholars face in scouting.
Alongside the best way, we had nice podcasts too about popular culture, historical past, tune and, in fact, Bigfoot!
How to go into
You can have many of the iciness and spring semester to create a podcast that you’ll be able to be pleased with. When you are in a position, you’ll be able to put up your paintings right here. If you are coming into your scholar’s paintings for the particular prize, you’ll be able to be able to choose in at the similar submission shape.
Is that this your first time collaborating — as a instructor, or a scholar? Do not be anxious! We are right here to lend a hand, with quite a few steering.
You’ll get started by way of studying the remainder of this announcement put up, and try our scholar podcasting sources web page. And subscribe to our publication for updates from the competition staff.
And, for the primary time ever, early in 2026, NPR’s training staff will host two webinars, the place we’re going to communicate concerning the contest, and solution your questions on scholar podcasting basically, and the particular prize. We will have pointers and tips for educators and scholars, we’re going to search your comments on find out how to enhance the competition, and we’re going to have quite a few time to your questions.
You’ll join the ones beneath:
And, it is price declaring that a number of of our finalists and previous winners (together with closing 12 months’s highschool grand prize winner) had been first-time podcasters, so you’ll be able to do it too!
Questions? You’ll at all times ship us an e-mail at studentpodcastchallenge@npr.org.
The fundamentals
For each the primary pageant and our particular problem, the principles (which you’ll be able to to find intimately right here) stay just about the similar: Podcasts should be between 3 to 8 mins.
A different notice right here: Folks and educators, step clear of the microphone! Please, no podcasts produced or edited by way of adults. The entries must be unique paintings by way of scholars (see FAQ phase beneath). We needed to disqualify some entries closing 12 months for obviously breaking this rule.
And, scholars, please stay it blank! No offensive language shall be allowed.
And, on account of felony concerns, now we have explicit laws about what tune you’ll be able to, and cannot, use on your podcast. (Please be aware of this: Unfortunately, we’ve got needed to disqualify moderately a couple of podcasts through the years as a result of they used copyrighted subject matter.)
And, as famous above, scholars do wish to paintings with a instructor, educator or circle of relatives member — who is eighteen years or older — to fill out the submission shape to go into the competition.
Different necessary stuff
Our judges will make a choice a center college and highschool grand prize winner. The grand prize features a certificates and trophy, and a discuss with from the NPR Ed staff, who will interview you and your instructor for a tale on NPR methods, reminiscent of Morning Version or All Issues Thought to be.
In earlier years, lots of our different finalists and honorable point out podcasts, together with a few of our fourth graders, have aired on more than a few NPR methods, together with podcasts like Up First, Code Transfer or Brief Wave. They have got additionally gained further popularity from their faculties or college districts, and plenty of had been interviewed by way of native media.
All that to mention, it is a nice alternative to proportion your tale and get a large number of other folks to hear it.
Some “Sound Recommendation” from the competition staff
Earlier than you hit the file button, take a look at our podcasting sources. We’ve got (1) a beginning out information for scholar podcasters and (2) a curriculum information for educators.
In them, we quilt the whole thing from find out how to inform a just right tale, find out how to sound like your self on mic to find out how to use tune on your podcast, amongst different subjects. Even, and we are fascinated by this: how creating a pillow fortress could make you sound higher!
There are different just right sources available in the market too: Take a look at this audio storytelling toolkit and recording instructional from PBS Information Pupil Reporting Labs. Or The Pupil Podcast Playbook, a four-week podcasting curriculum created by way of our pals at The Bell.
You’ll to find extra pointers and tips on The Scholars’ Podcast, which our staff created that will help you make a just right podcast. We additionally inspire you to get a really feel for what we are in search of by way of being attentive to closing 12 months’s highschool winner and center college winner, and earlier years’ successful entries.
Fast FAQ
Listed here are a couple of questions we get again and again each and every 12 months. For some other questions, do not hesitate to achieve out to us at studentpodcastchallenge@npr.org.
What is a suitable approach academics and adults will also be concerned?
All eligible contest entries should be written, recorded and produced by way of scholars. We welcome academics and educators to include podcasting into their elegance curriculum and stroll scholars throughout the fundamentals of audio recording and enhancing. And as part of this procedure, we remember the fact that scholars is also getting comments from the adults concerned. Final analysis, we ask the adults to offer training and steering, however to ensure that the podcasts submitted are unique paintings by way of the scholars.
And, in fact, that is going for using AI on your podcasts as smartly! Here is NPR’s coverage on using synthetic intelligence for our newshounds. Whilst scholars this present day is also the use of AI gear in collecting data or engaging in analysis, we are going to upload a field on our software shape asking you to recognize that you just did not use AI within the writing or efficiency of your podcast.
Am I allowed to make use of this tune or sound impact in my podcast?
Here is an excerpt from our laws web page that discusses tune and copyrighted audio:
“Pre-recorded tune is probably not used. Entrants would possibly come with are living performances of public area songs or non-copyrightable rhythm parts whether it is related to the tale. For avoidance of doubt, for the needs of those Authentic Laws, “public area” does now not imply “publicly to be had”; it signifies that copyright has expired and the fabric is now not below copyright coverage. We inspire Entrants to err at the facet of except tune if the Entrant isn’t certain whether or not the tune is copyrighted or now not.”
You’ll use your individual audio, interviews, box recordings or herbal sound, tune or sound results you recorded for the podcast. We propose now not the use of audio if the coed is not certain about copyright.
On our access shape, we ask you to substantiate that any tune on your podcast is both copyright loose, or self-produced.
Can I put up a couple of podcast?
Sure! You’ll put up as many entries as you want. Simply ensure that each and every of your podcast entries are (1) between 3 and 8 mins in period and (2) do not use copyrighted audio. We would not need any of your paintings to be disqualified.
And we in reality do concentrate to each unmarried access. So whether or not it is you and your good friend’s podcast, a category task or a zeal challenge you might be after all striking in combination, we are excited to listen to from you and concentrate to no matter you were given for us.
And, as we stated above, for extra pointers, recommendation and the newest updates in this 12 months’s contest, make certain to enroll in our publication. Scholars, we will be able to’t wait to listen to your tales. Just right good fortune!
