Since 2018, NPR's Student Podcast Challenge has introduced tens of thousands of young people to the world of audio storytelling.

But this fall, the competition is opening up to folks with more life experience and gray hair. NPR is now taking submissions for its inaugural Senior Podcast Challenge. Those over the age of 65 are invited to tell stories in podcast form, about anything and everything, through Nov. 30.

WGCU Midday Host Emma Rodriguez spoke with Janet Woojeong Lee and Steve Drummond with NPR's Society and Culture Desk about the challenge.

RODRIGUEZ: We know NPR has done the Student Podcast Challenge, which normally draws in entries from kids, but why a senior challenge? How did that idea come to be?

DRUMMOND: So we've been seeing over the years that some of the best podcasts we get from young people are when they interview their elders. Interviews with grandparents about their immigration journey, or their career, or their their involvement with historical events. We've noticed this trend over several years.

And then a few years ago, when we began the College Podcast challenge, one of our most memorable stories that year was from a college student in her sixties who had raised her grandchildren. She had grandchildren, she was going back to school.

Through kind of noticing this trend, we came up with the idea of opening it up and seeing what people over 65 have to say. I think people out there might think you need a lot of fancy equipment or expensive microphones and such to make a podcast, and we found that's just not true. Basically, anybody with a smartphone and a computer and some simple, often free editing software can make a perfectly good podcast.

Fortunately, we've got tons of information for our students about how to make a podcast on our website, how to use music, what the rules are about length and music, how to do a good interview, how to sit in front of the microphone, all that stuff. You can find it on, Janet, remind me again?

WOOJEONG LEE: Yes, which you can all find by looking up "NPR sound advice."

RODRIGUEZ: Of course, you have no way of knowing what entries are going to look like come deadline, but what are some stories you and the team are hoping to hear?

WOOJEONG LEE: I think something that we can't emphasize enough is— it's an open topic contest. Over the years, we've noticed that any story that entrants are passionate about, like, really stick out. And when we listen to hundreds of them, we can really, really hear them.

Like you said, we're not sure what we're going to be getting, Emma. But if it helps to have some prompts or, like, things you can be thinking about, we're excited to hear about some challenges of adjusting to retirement or life, or fixed income, stories of adjusting to new health conditions, or isolation. We also are excited to hear about their rich lives; romance, travel, kids, grandkids, learning. And, like one of the college entries, we got new beginnings and adventures.

So yeah, we're really open to all. I will also say, traditionally from the student contest, we also get some incredibly well-reported episodes that've impressed our team. We're also open to that, from any senior journalists out there. We're excited to hear any hard hitting interviews, investigations, local reporting about any topics that you're excited about, whether it be identity or your hopes for the future.

RODRIGUEZ: Young folks and older folks experience the most barriers when it comes to having their voices heard in media. How does it feel to now be giving both groups a dedicated space to create media and be listened to?

DRUMMOND: That's a great question, Emma. And we found the same thing, that what we find from our student podcasts over the years, is that it's a very different voice. Instead of grown ups talking to young people, we hear them talking in their own voice about things that are important to them.

And we're thinking that the senior generation has the same issues, that this is a chance to raise their own voices from anywhere in the country, which is another thing we found really delightful about the student podcast challenge. We've heard from all fifty states, we've heard from all different groups of people and backgrounds and experiences and parts of the community, parts of the nation, I should say that NPR doesn't make it to all the time.

So anyway, we're really excited to give these people the chance to have their say and do it in their own voice.

RODRIGUEZ: If you can't tell me, that's okay, but are there plans to make this an annual thing, assuming all goes well this year?

DRUMMOND: Oh, I hope so.

WOOJEONG LEE: We hope so, yeah, that's the hope!

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