🎉 Congrats to our Student Podcast Challenge winners!

Plus, nationwide math scores see a sharp drop [View this email online]( [NPR Education]( June 25, 2023 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 Happy Sunday! NPR Ed’s Janet Lee here. It was a jaw-dropping moment for me, when we closed the [Student Podcast Challenge]( in April with more than 3,300 entries. I was instantly filled with delight and excitement, while simultaneously dreading the challenge of sorting through, listening to and, most of all, judging students’ stories. As with all contests, the judging process felt inevitably subjective: We received a mix of personal narratives, local news stories and fiction podcasts – all told through the lens and voice of young people. And it was really tough to narrow down our [13 middle school and 13 high school finalists](. After listening with my fellow NPR Ed teammates and then our panel of judges, we are so excited to share the winning entries of our fifth annual contest. These are podcasts that spoke to us, beautifully written and produced – but they also tell very different stories. Our [middle school winners]( are classmates and best friends in San Francisco, Norah Weiner and Erika Young. Their [podcast]( discusses the ups and downs of being a teenager today, feelings anyone who’s been through middle school can relate to. It’s a full-package entry that discusses everything from school shootings and fast-changing fashion trends to mental health. Georgianna McKenny, 17, is the high school grand-prize winner in NPR's fifth-annual Student Podcast Challenge. Imani Khayyam for NPR Our [high school winner]( on the other hand, invites us to her home state of Mississippi. It’s a [carefully reported story]( about how the Jackson water crisis impacts education – and it was all written, voiced and produced by 17-year-old Georgianna McKenny. Georgianna starts with the story of her cousin, who lives in Jackson, and she interviews a Jackson Public School administrator about how the lack of water has impacted young people. For more student podcasts, you can listen to all our finalist entries [here]( Congrats and many thanks to everyone who entered this year’s Student Podcast Challenge. We’ll continue sharing stories from the contest on air and online over the summer, so please keep an eye out for those! Students, teachers and sponsors – we love hearing from you! Please send us feedback, comments or any questions to [studentpodcastchallenge@npr.org](mailto:studentpodcastchallenge@npr.org?subject=). Until next year, take care. — [Janet Woojeong Lee]( Producer, NPR Ed --------------------------------------------------------------- Newsletter continues after sponsor message --------------------------------------------------------------- Now, news from the week… The [average test scores]( for U.S. 13-year-olds have dipped in reading and dropped sharply in math since 2020, according to new data from [National Assessment of Educational Progress](. The average scores, from tests given last fall, [declined 4 points in reading and 9 points in math]( compared with tests given in the 2019-2020 school year, and are the lowest in decades. – [Sequoia Carrillo]( Reporter, NPR Ed And finally a sprinkle of joy… What lullabies do the best at bedtime? From our friends at NPR’s Goats and Soda blog, here’s a [roundup]( of our listeners’ (surprising) favorites. And this [father interviewed his daughter]( every year on her birthday, from age 2 to 18. He made a documentary featuring their annual conversations, and what he’s learned from her. --------------------------------------------------------------- Listen to your local NPR station. Visit NPR.org to find your local station stream. [Listen Live]( [Facebook]( [Instagram]( [Twitter]( What do you think of today's email? We'd love to hear your thoughts, questions and feedback: [npred@npr.org](mailto:npred@npr.org?subject=Newsletter%20Feedback) Enjoying this newsletter? Forward to a friend! [They can sign up here.]( Looking for more great content? [Check out all of our newsletter offerings]( — including Music, Politics, Code Switch and more! You received this message because you're subscribed to Education emails. This email was sent by National Public Radio, Inc., 1111 North Capitol Street NE, Washington, DC 20002 [Unsubscribe]( | [Privacy Policy]( [NPR logo]