A MARTÍNEZ, HOST:
Today we're announcing the best student podcasts in America as part of NPR's annual Student Podcast Challenge. Our judges reviewed thousands of submissions. NPR's Janet Woojeong Lee brings us standouts from students in grades five through eight.
JANET WOOJEONG LEE, BYLINE: Let's start in south Florida with eighth-grader Juliana Nelson.
(SOUNDBITE OF PODCAST, "FROM HERE TO THERE")
JULIANA NELSON: You would think, as a 13-year-old girl, I would be devastated to leave my home in Germantown, Maryland, and move to Miramar, Florida. And you would be right.
WOOJEONG LEE: Her podcast, "From Here To There," is all about her life-changing move last summer.
(SOUNDBITE OF PODCAST, "FROM HERE TO THERE")
JULIANA: Moving was one of the biggest things that happened in my life so far. It's had its ups and downs.
WOOJEONG LEE: A story relatable for many students, Juliana discusses all the reasons that make moving especially hard for young people, like living far away from her dad.
(SOUNDBITE OF PODCAST, "FROM HERE TO THERE")
UNIDENTIFIED FATHER: Good morning, my love.
WOOJEONG LEE: They still text every day and exchange voice memos and video messages.
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UNIDENTIFIED FATHER: The boys and I say hello. Have a beautiful day.
JULIANA: These videos are bittersweet. On one hand, I know I'm the luckiest daughter in the world because my dad loves to show his love. On the other hand, this reminds me of how painful change can be.
WOOJEONG LEE: Despite all the changes and challenges that come with moving, Juliana says she's trying to focus on the ups, all the new experiences and memories she's making in Florida.
(SOUNDBITE OF PODCAST, "FROM HERE TO THERE")
JULIANA: I learned how to skate, cook, surf, speak Portuguese so I can understand my family and do a podcast episode. See what I did there? So I guess what I'm trying to say is moving isn't something I regret.
(SOUNDBITE OF PODCAST, "RISING FROM THE ASHES")
UNIDENTIFIED STUDENT #1: What would you grab if you only had two minutes to leave your house?
UNIDENTIFIED STUDENT #2: What would it feel like to go back and find nothing left?
JULIANA: That's from our next finalist in Carlsbad, California. Earlier this year, the fifth graders at Magnolia Elementary School witnessed the lasting impact of the Palisades Fire in Los Angeles. That's some 90 minutes north of their school. But these student journalists saw something else rising from the ashes. They reported on how their community came together, spotlighting local heroes like firefighter Shane Lawlor.
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UNIDENTIFIED STUDENT #3: When the call came in about the fires, he packed up his gear and drove straight into the danger zone. He didn't know whose homes he'd be saving or the wind would turn and put him in the path of the fire, but he showed up anyway.
UNIDENTIFIED STUDENT #4: What drives someone to face that kind of risk? And what did he see when he stood at the edge of the fire line?
SHANE LAWLOR: The hardest part for me was the days after. But just going back into those neighborhoods after everything had blown through, when it was all done, during daylight and just seeing how much devastation was everywhere.
WOOJEONG LEE: They made their podcast sparkle using natural sound.
(SOUNDBITE OF PODCAST, "RISING FROM THE ASHES")
UNIDENTIFIED PERSON: Are you trying to get ahold of Engine 39?
WOOJEONG LEE: And brought it home by interviewing another student, 7-year-old Goldie (ph), whose family had to evacuate.
(SOUNDBITE OF PODCAST, "RISING FROM THE ASHES")
GOLDIE: I felt a little scared. And I saw the smoke from the sky when I was at school. We had to skip lunch. They just sounded the fire alarms, and we had to evacuate.
WOOJEONG LEE: Thankfully, Goldie and her family safely evacuated. And when they made the move down to Carlsbad, they were showered with love and donated items.
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GOLDIE: Toys, like this egg thing. You open it up, then there's, like, a stuffy inside.
WOOJEONG LEE: And the student journalists found in this disaster a big life lesson.
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UNIDENTIFIED STUDENT #5: From everyone we talked to, we learned this, fires can take things away, but they can't take away kindness. They can't burn up hope, and they can't stop people from rising from the ashes together.
WOOJEONG LEE: Janet Woojeong Lee, NPR News. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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