"ON OUR MINDS” SEASON 3: Podcast and Audio Storytelling

Student Reporting Labs award-wining podcast, On Our Minds tells the real-life experiences young people face today, their mental health and emotional challenges, and where they are finding help and hope.

The third season of On Our Minds will dive deeper into topics most young people can relate to. Students will report on and produce stories and interviews about the teen experience: challenges, joys, hardships, and triumphs – and how these topics relate to mental wellness. The goal of the podcast is to share POWERFUL STORIES AND INTERVIEWS that document teen life at this point in history and provide tips and resources for how we can better support each other.

THREE OPPORTUNITIES FOR STUDENTS:

1. Apply to be one of our new podcast hosts! Information and application here. Deadline to apply: Sept 16
2. Submit original music to be considered for our NEW THEME SONG! Information and application here. Deadline to apply: Oct 14
3. Produce an audio story for one of our episodes! Details below. Please read everything carefully since there is a lot of information :)

This year, we are rolling out Season 3 over the course of the school year: 10 episodes will be released twice per month from December 2022 to May 2023.

Here is an EPISODE LIST WITH POTENTIAL STORY IDEAS:

Special Episode: “Passing the Mic” (to be released early Dec.)

• Outgoing hosts Matt and Faiza introduce and get to know new hosts, who then take the reins for Season Three!

Episode 1: Preparing for life after high school (to be released mid-Dec.)

• Students’ stories and interviews about deciding next steps after high school; applying to college, trade school, or the military; tips for dealing with the stress of applications and rejections; the cost of college, student loans, and inequality; plus high school grads share what post-high-school-life is really like and how to handle it.

Episode 2: Sports (to be released early Jan.)

• Students’ stories about student-athletes; mental health tips for competing well; the benefits and challenges of being on a team and/or working with coaches.

Episode 3: One-on-one with a famous athlete (to be released mid-Jan.)

• Hosts and/or a special student correspondent interviews a top-level athlete (guest TBD).

Episode 4: Poetry and the performing arts (to be released early Feb.)

• Stories and interviews about the power of language and performance; how poetry, spoken word, or theater helps young people reflect on and process their identities, cultures, and experiences.

Episode 5: One-on-one with a famous young poet or performer (to be released mid-Feb)

• Hosts and/or a special student correspondent interviews a well-known poet or performer (guest TBD).

Episode 6: Time management (to be released early March)

• Students’ stories and interviews about time and time management: staying focused and/or getting distracted; procrastination; getting enough sleep; spending too much time on social media; or how to find a creative flow.

Episode 7: Romantic relationships and friendships (to be released mid-Mar)

• Students’ stories and interviews about romantic relationships and friendships; tips for figuring out what is a healthy relationship or when to break it off.

Episode 8: One-on-one with a relationship psychologist (to be released early April)

• Hosts and/or a special student correspondent interviews a relationship psychologist about teen romance and friendship (guest TBD).

Episode 9: Foster care and adoption (to be released mid-April)

• Students’ stories and interviews about young people navigating the foster care system; teens finding new families, or who have been adopted by parents of different cultures or races, exploring identity.

Episode 10: Nature (to be released early May)

• Students’ stories and interviews about experiences in nature; wilderness therapy programs; climate change anxiety; experiences with natural disaster; the relationship between nature and wellbeing; tips for connecting with the earth.

Students can work on this project during the fall and/or spring semesters. We have two sets of deadlines. Deadlines in the fall are for stories and interviews that will be included in the first five episodes (see list above). Deadlines in the winter are for stories and interviews that will be included in the last five episodes. FYI: In the fall, students may choose to produce an audio story or interview about our later themes, but we might not be able to give feedback as immediately.

FALL DEADLINES

Themes: Life After High School; Sports; and Poetry/Performing Arts:

1. BY SEPT 16: Let us know you want to produce an audio story by filling out this SRL “ON OUR MINDS” STUDENT PRODUCER FORM
2. DURING SEPT: Meet with SRL producers to get feedback on story ideas
3. OCT 14: ROUGH CUTS AND SCRIPTS DUE
4. NOV 4: FINAL CUTS AND SCRIPTS DUE

WINTER/SPRING DEADLINES

Themes: Time Management; Romantic Relationships/Friendships; Foster Care/Adoption, and Nature

1. BY JAN 13: Let us know you want to produce an audio story by filling out this SRL “ON OUR MINDS” STUDENT PRODUCER FORM
2. DURING JAN: Meet with SRL producers to get feedback on story ideas
3. FEB 3: ROUGH CUTS AND SCRIPTS DUE
4. FEB 24: FINAL CUTS AND SCRIPTS DUE

• How to Record a Podcast (Level-Up)
• How to Conduct A Mental Health Interview
• Audio Storytelling Webinar Part 1 (Intro to Audio Storytelling)
• Audio Storytelling Webinar Part 2 (Audio Post-Production)
• NPR Audio Training