Here are the honorable mentions from the 2025 Student Podcast Challenge. You can listen to our middle school and high school finalists here.
Thanks again to students, teachers and educators for being a part of our annual contest! Please share your experience, send us photos and give us feedback at studentpodcastchcallenge@npr.org. And if you haven't already, check out our newsletter for the latest updates.
Congratulations to all these outstanding podcasts! Hope to hear from you again next year!
Middle School Honorable Mentions
A humorous Reenactment of American Historical Moments: The American Revolution
Students: Sophia Schnick, Grace Hargrave, Granite Inouye and Ava Christoferson
Teacher: Lorenzo Worster, Sierra Expeditionary Learning School in Truckee, Calif.
A Late Start Would Be Smart Podcast
Students: Ashley Bielak, Amalia Shankarappa and Suhana Shankarappa
Teacher: Gina Luber, Rocky Heights Middle School in Lone Tree, Colo.
Student: Athanasios Karanikas
Teacher: Maria Dorrough, Plato Academy Tarpon Springs in Tarpon Springs, Fla.
Students: Carina Zhang, Kailey Shin and Nicole Lin
Teacher: James De Lange, Mesa Robles Middle School in Hacienda Heights, Calif.
Student: Devin Wong
Teacher: Melissa Bryan, Millburn Middle School in Millburn, N.J.
An Interview with Clicky the Computer
Student: James Feldman, Jake Silva and Michael Narduci
Teacher: Lisa Scalici, Marlboro Middle School in Marlboro, N.J.
Students: Cooper Goldfogel, Jack Hastings, Carter O'Rourke and Owen Wecker
Teacher: Gina Luber, Rocky Heights Middle School in Lone Tree, Colo.
Students: Aurora Worster, Mackenzie Henasey, Mason Walker and Mahlon Hurley
Teacher: Lorenzo Worster, Sierra Expeditionary Learning School in Truckee, Calif.
Students: Liam Harding, Hudson Kelsey and Zelalem Poulin
Teacher: JB Blair, Enumclaw Middle School in Enumclaw, Wash.
Both Sides of the Story: Controversial Topics
Students: Jiya Bhavsar and Eliza Cain
Teacher: Karen Bonness, Highlands Elementary School in Mission, Kan.
Student: Morgan Anderson
Teacher: Molly Smith, McAuliffe Charter School in Framingham, Mass.
From Pierogies to Pride: Keeping Polish Traditions Alive
Student: Naomi Borau
Teacher: Michelle Gannon, Pinewood School in Los Altos Hills, Calif.
Students: Amanda Lozano Ramirez, Erica Salinas Acosta, Valerie Espinosa Gomez and Allie Glenn
Teacher: John Blair, Enumclaw Middle School in Enumclaw, Wash.
Students: Elly Gorton, Mira Niedermaier and Ainsley Prestwood
Teacher: Laura Frisbie, Minnetonka Middle School West in Excelsior, Minn.
Students: Lily Drew, Hadassah Gunderson, Alexys Rakers and Emma Senn
Teacher: Laura Frisbie, Minnetonka Middle School West in Excelsior, Minn.
Students: Jenna Roeber and Minette Olvera
Teacher: Wendy Irwin, Basin Elementary School in Idaho City, Idaho
Students: Nicholas Buckman, Harper Crockett and Benjamin Labeda
Teacher: Carolyn Florio, St. Veronica Catholic School in Cincinnati, Ohio
Student: Rhea Trivedi
Teacher: Rachel Medina, Peak to Peak Charter School in Lafayette, Colo.
The Flaws of School - Should schools be improved to fit students' needs?
Students: Katie Dennemann and Lorelei Carpenter
Teacher: Carolyn Florio, St. Veronica Catholic School in Cincinnati, Ohio
Student: Addie R.
Teacher: Susan Lavallee, Canon McMillan School District in McDonald, Pa.
Students: Rayan Mohamed, Maxwell Ogbonna, Benjamin Peralta and Lucas Uzcategui
Teacher: Ane Ebie-Mouton, Awty International School in Houston, Texas
The Troll that Sits and Watches
Students: Savannah Oprysk, Sophia Santarpia and Alexandra Ehmann
Teacher: Lisa Scalici, Marlboro Middle School in Marlboro, N.J.
Unveiling The Untold: Hidden Events in History
Student: Ria Swaroop
Teacher: Melissa Bryan, Millburn Middle School in Millburn, N.J.
Why Schools Need More Guidance Counselors
Student: Riley Chan
Teacher: Ethan Miller, High Rock School in Needham, Mass.
High School Honorable Mentions
2 is company, 3 is a group, 9 is a family
Student: Anhat Bhutani
Teacher: Shane Burnett, Mighty Oak Tutoring in Seattle, Wash.
Student: Ayaan Raicha
Teacher: Andy Arellano, New Tech High @ Coppell in Coppell, Texas
Student: Rinah Garza-Hillman
Teacher: Alicia Borcich Abuliak, Fort Bragg High School in Fort Bragg, Calif.
Student: Emily Berna
Teacher: Alicia Borcich Abuliak, Fort Bragg High School in Fort Bragg, Calif.
Student: Sofia Rothey, Liam Lander and Isabella de Moraes
Teacher: Andy Arellano, New Tech High @ Coppell in Coppell, Texas
Student: Naomi Waybright
Teacher: Elizabeth Porter, Carlisle High School in Carlisle, Penn.
Bridges from the Past: The Story of the Glen Echo Trolley Trestles
Students: Oli Baker, Elanor Lantner and Corrina Spealman
Teacher: Kyle Wannen, Montgomery Blair High School in Silver Spring, Md.
Student: Arjun Madhu and Suraj Swaminathan
Teacher: Andy Arellano, New Tech High @ Coppell in Coppell, Texas
Deceptive, Disturbing, and Devastating: The AI-Driven Grandparent Scam
Students: Alex Kirsch and Anya Dalal
Teacher: Molly Earle, Edgemont Jr./Sr. High School in Scarsdale, N.Y.
Students: Benjamin Burak and Cactus Lin
Teacher: Andy Arellano, New Tech High @ Coppell in Coppell, Texas
Do You Sit or Stand During the Pledge? Why Both are Very American
Student: Ethan Vishnick
Teacher: Matthew Vogt, Roslyn High School in Roslyn Heights, N.Y.
From Capitol Hill to the Debate Floor: A New Approach to Politics
Student: Izabella Bashkin
Teacher: Natalie Nemirovsky, Hawken School in Chesterland, Ohio
Student: Malcolm Barry-Kao
Teacher: Jesse Hannawalt, Lowell High School in San Francisco, Calif.
Student: Jimena Cardozo
Teacher: Hollis Fennen, Santa Rosa High School in Santa Rosa, Calif.
"I Could Never Call That My Home"
Student: Sia Presser
Teacher: Kristin Lyons, Palos Verdes High School in Palos Verdes, Calif.
Student: Ahsenti Alfedil
Teacher: Paula Dowtin, The Bush School in Seattle, Wash.
Students: Austin Cunningham, Jayden Johnson and Shengkai Zhang
Teacher: Dermic Sanchez, Walnut Grove High School in Prosper, Texas
Invisible Headlines: The Journalism of Palisades Park
Student: Sarah Shin
Teacher: Adrienne Hong, Bergen County Technical High school Teterboro in Teterboro, N.J.
ME Life Podcast: difficulties of being bicultural
Student: Gillian Quam-Hernandez
Teacher: Joel Ruvalcaba, Morton East High School in Cicero, Ill.
Mental Health & Disability Terminology
Student: Danya Pham, Aralynne Manansala and Akira McGregor
Teacher: Andy Arellano, New Tech High @ Coppell in Coppell, Texas
Mental Miasma - Feeling Bad About Feeling Bad
Student: Kailash Wood
Teacher: Hollis Fennen, Santa Rosa High School in Santa Rosa, Calif.
Students: Chloe Chung and Katie Chung
Teacher: Brendan King, Bergen County Academies in Hackensack, N.J.
Pain: A Story of United Methodist Church Disaffiliation
Student: Reynolds McCaleb
Teacher: Laura Stewart, The Mississippi School for Mathematics and Science in Columbus, Miss.
Students: Nav Ezhilan and Addyson Watson
Teacher: Hickory Ridge High School, Harrisburg, N.C.
Students: Josh Langlois, Leza Hutcheson, Clementine Crawford, Calvin Page, Trynity Madrid and Jacob Genser
Teacher: Tony Winger, Cloverleaf Enrichment School in Castle Rock, Colo.
Tackling Gender Stereotypes Through Flag Football
Student: Charlie Post
Teacher: Pamela Ng, Los Altos High School in Los Altos, Calif.
Students: Maura Davis and Faisa Mohamed
Teacher: Delainia Haug, South High School in Minneapolis, Minn.
The Changing Landscape of Theater Ediquette
Students: Salvatore Biscotto and Calvin Landreth
Teacher: John Boone, Anderson 1 & 2 Career & Technology Center in Williamston, S.C.
Students: Noah Goldstein and Cameron Siegal
Teacher: Molly Earle, Edgemont Jr./Sr. High School in Scarsdale, N.Y.
Student: Elljay Broderick
Teacher: Hollis Fennen, Santa Rosa High School in Santa Rosa, Calif.
Student: Emmanuel Baptiste
Teacher: Faren Fagen, Pembroke Pines Charter High School in Pembroke Pines, Fla.
Students: Amalia Abigania, Gareson Carveiro and Hailey Martinez
Teacher: Leah Aiwohi, Kauai High School in Lihue, Hawaii
The Most Popular Instrument In The World
Student: Julian Logan
Teacher: Alicia Borcich Abuliak, Fort Bragg High School in Fort Bragg, Calif.
Student: Emily Gonzalez-Zuniga
Teacher: Laura Stewart, The Mississippi School for Mathematics and Science in Columbus, Miss.
The Vietnam War: Significant Now More Than Ever
Student: Breyer Rogan
Teacher: Kate Koch, Stratton Mountain School in Stratton, Vt.
The Violence We Normalize: Truth about Corporal Punishment
Student: Ulysses Hsu
Teacher: Eugenia Chen, The John Cooper School in Spring, Texas
The Whoopie Pie with Dawn Emond
Student: Caeleb Reynolds
Teacher: Jeremy Young, Oak Hill High School in Wales, Maine
Student: Kristi Chadha
Teacher: Elena Bazaldua, San Jacinto Leadership Academy in San Jacinto, Calif.
"Trust me, I'm human" -ChatGPT
Students: Judah Kaunfer, Uri Zalkind, Sasha Kaplan and Moshe Sherman-Kadish
Teacher: David Weintraub, Newton South High School in Newton Centre, Mass.
Students: Jacob Genser, Trynity Madrid, Calvin Page, Josh Langlois, Clementine Crawford and Leza Hutcheson
Teacher: Tony Winger, Cloverleaf Enrichment Center in Castle Rock, Colo.
Students: Victoria Covino, Jackie Perez and Kianna Maldonado
Teacher: Rachel Reyes, West Hempstead Secondary School in West Hempstead, N.Y.
Web of Culture-The Impact of Spider-Man
Student: Taylor Fowler
Teacher: Sharon Livingston, Westminster Christian Academy in Huntsville, Ala.
Student: Angel Parada-Viera
Teacher: Kyla Riccobon, Berwick Area Senior High School in Berwick, Pa.
Why do Jewish Americans Eat Chinese Food on Christmas?
Students: Allen Chan, Jason Chen, Blake Feinstein and Max Wang
Teacher: Molly Earle, Edgemont Jr./Sr. High School in Scarsdale, N.Y.
Why is San Francisco's Chinatown a Digital Desert?
Students: Ally and Jack
Teacher: Richard Masland, Marin Academy in San Rafael, Calif.
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