Children across the United States are using platforms like podcasts to discuss their experiences and perspectives on climate change and its impact on their communities.

In the spotlight: Over a hundred entries in the NPR’s Student Podcast Challenge this year focused on climate change, as young journalists delved into examining extreme weather events such as flash floods, hurricanes, droughts, and wildfires.
* Three fifth-graders from Washington State highlighted the dangers and prevention methods of wildfires.
* A class of sixth-graders from California recounted stories from the devastating Mosquito Fire in 2022, interviewing local firefighters.
* Three high schoolers from Kentucky offered firsthand accounts of deadly flooding that struck their hometown last year.

Active learning: The student journalists have been adopting research methods, interviewing practices, and fact-checking to communicate their understandings and hopes in relation to climate change.
* The fifth-graders from Washington interviewed experts and shared their research on wildfire safety.
* The middle schoolers from Montana reported on water shortages, tracing the history of their local water supply and discussing water conservation methods in response to unreliable mountain snowmelt.

Impact on daily life: The children’s experiences of climate change are not abstract — they directly feel its effects in their daily lives.
* For the Washington students, the reality of living with wildfire smoke included waiting for the school bus on smoky days.
* For the Kentucky high schoolers, the flooding changed their lives and affected their families.

View original article on NPR

This summary was created by an AI system. The use of this summary is subject to our Terms of Service.