NYC teens and audio pros team up for immersive podcast academy

Students in the 2022 Summer Youth Podcast Academy pose for a photo after meeting with producers from The Daily at The New York Times.

NEW YORK, NY — For the fourth consecutive summer, a dozen NYC public high school students are participating in a three-week podcast academy with talented industry professionals as guest instructors and editors.

Kicking off today, The Bell’s Summer Youth Podcast Academy offers local teens hands-on training in all stages of podcast making, including sound recording, script writing and audio mixing. By the end of the three weeks, each student will make and narrate their own episode. This year’s theme is “unraveling family mysteries.”

“Even as an audio storytelling professional, the students, and the quality of their stories, surprise me time and time again, no matter how much I adjust my expectations,” said Peter Leonard, engineer and sound designer for The Journal podcast. “Watching students doggedly ask ‘but how?’ and ‘but why?’ is a consistent reminder that their perspectives and ideas are essential to making our city and its five boroughs better for everyone. This year, I’m looking forward to having my expectations blown away yet again.”

Leonard helped recruit many of this year’s volunteer instructors, including audio professionals from National Public Radio, Pushkin Industries, Spotify, Freakonomics Radio, Good Studio, Fortune Media and others. In all, 19 volunteers will support the students in learning the ropes of the medium and producing their stories.

Many SYPA alumni have gone on to pursue additional journalism and media opportunities in college and beyond. Two students from the 2022 SYPA cohort, David Cruz and Jayden Williams, were recently awarded honorable mentions in the highly competitive, nationwide NPR Student Podcast Challenge. David’s story, "Reaching Out to an Outreach,” documented his mother’s role as a city outreach worker tasked with recruiting homeless individuals to shelters. Jayden’s story, “A Journeyman’s Journey,” tracked his father’s long and winding career as an electrician, including how he helped unionize his workplace.

“I’m so excited to work with this next cohort,” said Sabrina DuQuesnay, The Bell’s student programs manager. “They’re all amazingly talented. I look forward to the great stories they’re going to tell, the fun we’re going to have and the memories we’re going to make.”

The Bell’s mission is to provide NYC students the tools to tell important stories today and the skills to thrive in the media careers of tomorrow. SYPA is supported in part by Spotify and the Solon E. Summerfield Foundation, with in kind support from Hindenburg Systems.

For anyone interested in contributing to or sponsoring future programs, please contact Taylor McGraw at taylor@bellvoices.org.

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Chosen from a competitive pool of applicants citywide, meet this year’s student participants:

Ava Stryker-Robbins is a rising senior at the Beacon School in New York City. She served as the head of design at her school’s literary magazine and is an active participant in her school’s debate club. She works as a reporter for the West Side Rag where she writes a weekly food column in addition to covering other local stories. Ava is a member of Manhattan Community Board 7, participates in the New York Civil Liberties Union’s Teen Activist Project, and served as an intern for the City Limits Accountability Reporting Initiative for Youth (CLARIFY). In her free time, Ava plays classical guitar and loves to knit.

Christian Rojas Linares is a senior at the University Neighborhood High School (UNHS) in Manhattan. He is an active member of the UNHS community by supporting and partaking in school events. When Christian isn't focused on academics, he enjoys going to the gym as well as learning about what it takes to become an entrepreneur because he aspires to become one in the near future.

Egypt Terry is a junior at The Urban Assembly for Media Studies. She actively participated in various clubs including their school's first Black Student Union, curated her school's first Podcast Club among mural and guitar club. Personally, Egypt takes part in binging cringey teen shows and going down the rabbit hole of controversial politics.

Fanta Kaba is a junior at Beacon High School in Manhattan. She is passionate about advocacy and creating safe spaces for marginalized communities. She is also the president of Women's of Color Club, Live Poet Society, and the Captain of the girl's varsity basketball team. When she is not busy reading or playing basketball, she loves to hang out with friends and try new foods.

Fatou Diallo is a rising junior at Uncommon Collegiate. Fatou spends her free time at her robotics club where she’s constantly working to build and program a robot with her teammates. Fatou is a hard working student who prioritizes her grades and is constantly looking to build her resume and experiences. When Fatou isn't keeping herself busy she uses her leisure time to explore New York, its parks, its museums, everything!

Kenneth Stewart is a recent high school graduate from John V. Lindsay Wildcat Academy. He is co-owner of a Twitter page called “TheOnikaMagazine” and is a member of “Fruit of the Spirit” dance ministry at Highland Church. When Kenneth isn’t busy working or dedicating his time at church, he loves to go out with friends or just enjoying his personal time at home listening to music or delving into current news within pop culture.

Mahdia Tully Carr is a junior at Repertory Company High School. She loves to read, write, sing, and perform--especially in her school's musical productions. In the future, she hopes to perform on bigger stages, and in her downtime, she writes songs and draws.

Marcellino Melika is a sophomore at Francis Lewis High School in Queens. He is a part of his school's string orchestra, science research program, and numerous clubs. In his free time, he enjoys trying new things.

Nora Dergam is a rising senior at the Institute for Collaborative Education in Manhattan. She is constantly engaged in sports, music, writing, and weightlifting. She is also an active member in Model UN, performs at venues as a drummer with her band at school, and writes horror stories in her free time. She loves going on thrilling adventures whether it's hiking at night or even going to abandoned places!

Santana Roach is a rising senior at the Frederick Douglass Academy II in Harlem. He tends to enjoy his school year filled with conversation and connection as well as being intellectually challenged. Funny and also relatable, as a NYC high school student Santana deals with occasional procrastination and seemingly gets his assignments completed and turned in on time. When he doesn't feel flooded with work, he enjoys his downtime watching cartoons and talking with his friends.

Tanvir Kaur is a New York resident commuting through crowded subways. Although she doesn't love the overpopulation of New York, she appreciates the cultural diversity. She believes rich cultures grow richer knowledge. Tanvir is an aspiring photographer, who hopes to capture everyday mundane moments.

William Ramos is a junior at Bronx Leadership Academy 2 at the Mott Haven campus. He helps tutor students in after school on Geometry, Algebra 2, and chemistry, and is an active member of art club and video game club to help younger students to socialize and help them be in a community they feel safe and comfortable in. When William isn’t at school studying or sleeping till 12pm, he helps to take care of and maintain his little brother and goes to the gym with friends.

Pushkin Industries and The Bell announce new podcast incubator for college students

March 1, 2023

NEW YORK, NY — Today, Pushkin Industries, the award-winning audio company co-founded by Malcolm Gladwell and Jacob Weisberg, and The Bell, a leading youth journalism nonprofit, announce a new partnership aimed at diversifying the pipeline of podcast creators.

Podcast U, a nine-week training program for motivated college-age students with dreams of hosting their own podcast, will debut this spring with five students who graduated from New York City public high schools within the last two years.

“I’m excited by the unpredictability of working with my peers on an audio project,” said Carmen Lopez Villamil, sophomore at Yale University. “I want to learn how to assemble stories that make listeners feel things.”

Podcast U lead coordinator Mia Lobel photo by Tatiana Flowers

Weekly virtual workshops will run from March 3 to April 28. Students will each work to complete a pilot episode for a new show that they hope to launch.

Pushkin’s former head of content, Mia Lobel, will serve as the program’s lead coordinator, and several Pushkin employees across various departmental functions will teach workshops or serve as one-on-one mentors throughout the program.

“There is nothing more inspiring than working with a talented group of students who bring fresh ideas and perspectives to podcasting,” Lobel said. “This is exactly what the industry needs to survive and thrive!”

Podcast U represents an exciting addition to The Bell’s programmatic offerings. Its summer and school-year internships have provided rigorous audio journalism training to more than 100 public high school students since 2018.

“So many of our program alumni graduate high school wanting to keep pursuing podcasting, but quality training programs can be cost prohibitive,” said Taylor McGraw, The Bell’s executive director. “We’re thrilled now to offer another rung on the ladder toward professional podcasting for young people whose voices the world needs to hear.”

In addition to professional instruction and mentorship, participating students will receive complimentary access to Hindenburg Journalist Pro editing software and a personal stipend.

“By producing a podcast, receiving quality mentorship, and collaborating with fellow peers, I hope to put my journalistic skills into practice and acquire new ones that would make me stand out in the workforce,” said Malak Kassem, freshman at Pace University.

Read about the inaugural student class below.

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STUDENT BIOS

Renika Jack is a freshman at York College. Originally from Guyana, Renika moved to New York City in 2019. She has worked with The Bell’s Miseducation Podcast since her junior year of high school. She enjoys writing stories of her life and conducting interviews. In her free time Renika listens to music or goes on mini adventures with her friends all around NYC. She hopes to major in journalism in college and become a journalist for the New York Times or a News Anchor for CBS or Good Morning America.

Malak Kassem was born and raised in NYC. She comes from an Egyptian family. She is a freshman at Pace University and is majoring in Journalism. She believes that journalism can lead to positive community engagement, unity, and provide quality knowledge and information. Malak’s internship experience includes The School of the New York Times, the Manhattan DA’s office, and published work with 826NYC. She is excited to meet professionals in the industry and hear their narratives of what it was like to achieve their career successes. She loves books, travel, and trying out different cuisines.

Carmen Lopez Villamil is from Brooklyn. Carmen likes well-planned gatherings that feel spontaneous, watching people in their flow states, listening to young and working people, and recording groups in their least comfortable moments. She is excited by the humanizing capacity of conversation and plans to spend her life interviewing people. By learning audio journalism, she hopes to gather youth to investigate inequity and construct sustainable institutions. She has worked in education organizing as a Fellow at Freedom Reads and an organizer at Teens Take Charge. She also makes pizza at the Yale Farm. She is studying the history of Indigenous student organizing at Yale University.

Salomé Noufele is a New York City native with a passion for activism and uplifting marginalized voices. Through her personal photojournalism and interviewing endeavors, she hopes to bring light to racial, social, and economic inequalities that have been ignored for far too long. Salomé recognizes the importance of journalism as an indispensable tool for the functioning of society and strives to be an agent of change. A first-year student at Brown University, she is interested in pursuing psychology and political science, as well as language studies. In her free time, Salomé enjoys playing basketball, learning how to play songs on the guitar, and traveling to new countries. 

Betsy-Jane Paul-Odionhin is a freshman at Williams College from Queens, NY. Although majoring in neuroscience, she always had a passion for media and communication and debated studying journalism for a while. She is excited to explore the interconnectivity between neuroscience and journalism and publish her findings through the medium of audio storytelling. She was a participant in WNYC’s Radio Rookies initiative. Her favorite book series is the Harry Potter series, and her favorite podcast genres are true crime and book commentary. She hopes to start her own podcast after gaining the knowledge necessary to reach multiple audiences.

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Pushkin Industries is an award-winning audio production company co-founded by Malcolm Gladwell and Jacob Weisberg. Pushkin has produced numerous podcasts that have broken into the top 10 on Apple’s Top Podcasts chart, including Gladwell’s hugely successful Revisionist History, as well as Against the Rules, The Happiness Lab, Broken Record, Cautionary Tales, The Last Archive, Deep Cover, Lost Hills and Apple’s Best Show of 2021, A Slight Change of Plans. Pushkin’s podcast hosts include Michael Lewis, Jill Lepore, Rick Rubin, Maya Shankar, Tim Harford, Laurie Santos, Khalil Gibran Muhammad, Ben Austen, Dana Goodyear, Jake Halpern, Hallie Rubenhold, Sam Fragoso, Jacob Goldstein, Brendan Francis Newnam, Lauren Ober, Helen Molesworth, Joel Stein, Maya Lau, Justin Richmond and many more. Pushkin’s audiobooks include the Pulitzer Prize-winning The Netanyahus by Joshua Cohen, Liar’s Poker by Michael Lewis, Fauci by Michael Specter, Heartbreak by Florence Williams, Malcolm Gladwell’s Miracle and Wonder: Conversations with Paul Simon, The Bomber Mafia and Talking to Strangers, Inside Voice: My Obsession with How We Sound by Lake Bell, and the upcoming Higher Animals by Michael Specter. Pushkin is dedicated to producing audio in any format that challenges listeners, encourages their curiosity, and inspires joy. Our work is built on principles of trust: respect, fairness, accuracy, accountability, and honesty. Visit pushkin.fm, where you can purchase our audiobooks and then listen on your podcast player of choice. Follow us @PushkinPods.

The Bell is a New York City-based nonprofit that equips public school students with the tools to tell impactful stories today and the skills to thrive in the media careers of tomorrow. Since 2018, The Bell has trained more than 100 NYC public high school students in its audio journalism and podcasting internship programs. Its student-powered Miseducation podcast reports on the city’s school system through the voices of young people. From the persistence of school segregation to disparities in access to school sports, Miseducation raises broader local awareness of educational inequities hiding in plain sight. The Bell’s student journalists have partnered with professional media outlets on long-form reporting projects, including Keeping Score, a 2022 collaboration with WNYC Studios that aired on The United States of Anxiety and The New Yorker Radio Hour. In partnership with Gimlet Media, The Bell runs the popular Summer Youth Podcast Academy, an intensive “bootcamp” program that gives students the training and tools to report, write, and produce a narrative podcast episode in just three weeks. In addition to its student programs, The Bell convenes the NYC Youth Journalism Coalition, a cross-sector partnership aimed at expanding youth journalism opportunities citywide. Follow us @BellVoices.

Meet our 2022-23 school-year volunteers

This school year, 11 audio professionals are helping train and mentor The Bell’s student journalists.

Volunteer Erica Huang (standing) leads a workshop on field recording with Miseducation’s advanced reporting cohort.

Staff Report

Making a podcast can be a lonely endeavor hunched over a laptop meticulously adjusting levels, cutting tape and editing out dreaded P-pops.

Fortunately, students in the Miseducation podcast internship have company at every stage of the process.

One of the program’s hallmarks is its collaborative learning model. Students, who come from different schools and different backgrounds, receive weekly hands-on training from The Bell’s staff and teaching fellows. This year, they also have the benefit of learning directly from professionals in the field.

If you are interested in volunteering with The Bell this summer or next school year, please email mira@bellvoices.org.

Each student in the introductory track has been receiving regular feedback and coaching from a one-on-one volunteer editor since November.

This month, volunteer Erica Huang has led workshops on field recording and audio editing.

“I really would love to see a new generation of editors and post (production) people and mix engineers come into the field,” Huang said. “I feel like everyone that I've met who sort of does my job is at least a decade older, and they're all like white men.”

The students have really enjoyed learning from the pros.

“My editor gave me great ideas on how to shape my podcast,” said Miseducation intern Shoaa Khan. “She specifically wrote notes after hearing my interview, which was a great way for us to follow along together!”

See the full list of 2022-23 school-year volunteers below.

Jade Abdul-Malik believes her purpose in life is to make stories and stay curious. Based in the Atlanta area, she's currently a producer at Gimlet Media + Spotify, hunting down archival, powering through assemblies, and happily talking to people for hours. During her time at Gimlet, she's had the pleasure of mentoring and editing for The Bell's Summer Youth Podcast Academy. Before that, she pursued social services, crime and society, and disability beats at Georgia Public Broadcasting. Off the clock, she writes, walks through beautiful neighborhoods with her dog, and throws dinner parties for her friends.

Joey Fischground is a producer at Pushkin Industries. He comes to audio from a documentary filmmaking background. He got his start in LA as an intern at Radiotopia’s Mortified and Neon Hum Media. Joey spent 6 months in DC associate producing the first season of Verified, an investigative show from Stitcher and Witness Docs. He then diversified his experience freelance producing on a variety of shows. Joey moved to NYC in 2021 while freelancing with Pushkin. After spending the day in Protools, you can find him rollerblading the streets of the city, watching obscure urbanism videos, and eating falafel.

Mona Hassan is an Egyptian American podcast producer based in Brooklyn, NY. She's worked with Vox, NowThis, and Kast Media among others.

Alexis Haut is a podcast producer and consultant, writer and education consultant based in Brooklyn. She spent seven years teaching, leading teachers and coaching basketball in middle schools in Brooklyn and Newark before independently producing her first podcast series New York, I Love You But You’ve Changed in 2018. She also produced the 2019 B Free Award Winning podcast, Appropriate: Stories from the Grey Area of Consuming Culture and the show Ball is Business for iHeart Radio. She is currently a full time Senior Producer at Fortune Media.

Erica Huang is a sound designer and mix engineer based in Brooklyn. She's worked on documentary shows for PRX, Prologue Projects, CNN, LWC Media, and Spoke Media. You can hear her work here: ericahua.ng

Harry Huggins has been a producer for a wide range of shows including Freakonomics Radio, Science Rules! with Bill Nye, The Sporkful, By the Book, LeVar Burton Reads, and Atlas Obscura and helped launch Tell Me Something I Don't Know, Love To See It, This Is Critical, and two forthcoming shows including a singing competition and a news quiz. He got his MSJ from Medill in audio and social justice reporting and a BA in communication and economics from Fordham. He loves old things and is an aspiring retiree.

Alina Kulman is an associate producer at Freakonomics Radio, producing episodes on technology and the future of work. Before that, she worked at RIPR and WNYC Studios. She learned how to make audio stories with her college podcasting group, Now Here This.

Nathalia Novaes de Alcantara is a recent grad of Columbia Journalism School. She is originally from Sao Paulo, Brazil, and has been based in NYC for 12 years. She has a B.A. in communications and Women, Gender and Sexuality studies. She has worked as a podcast producer at The Juggernaut, and is currently producing and hosting a podcast at PodHer, a platform that empowers immigrant women. She is passionate about preventative health and wellness - She tries to inspire those around her to find more balance and purpose in what they do. As an immigrant, she believes she has learned the skills to become an excellent mentor.

Dan Rosato is an audio producer based in Brooklyn. His work spans music, audio for video and podcasting. He’s provided production support on podcasts for Spotify, the History Channel, Film Nation and Blumhouse. After over a decade working in audio, he remains in awe of the power of sound to enhance storytelling.

Blythe Terrell has been an editor at Gimlet for more than five years, working mostly on their show Science Vs. Before that she worked in print as a reporter and editor. She loves audio & how powerful it is as a connector between people.

Lauren Vespoli is a freelance journalist and producer based in Brooklyn. She's worked on documentary series for Prologue Projects and Campside Media, and her writing has appeared in publications including The New York Times, New York magazine, and Vox. She's a graduate of the Salt Institute for Documentary Studies and Dartmouth College. In her downtime, you can find her biking around NYC or catching live music/comedy/theater.

Meet the 2022-23 Miseducation team

This year, 15 public high school students are reporting audio stories about issues in the NYC school system.

Introductory track students spent Election Day 2022 doing “vox pop” interviews in Manhattan’s Washington Square Park.

Staff Report

Earlier this school year, we welcomed our 10th Miseducation podcast internship cohort. The program, which has traditionally recruited a new group of students each semester, now runs from October until May. This year, we added an Advanced Reporting track for alumni of the Summer Youth Podcast Academy interested in sharpening their skills.

“As one of the first Miseducation interns, it's now a dream to be leading the program,” said Sabrina DuQuesnay, The Bell’s student programs manager. “While in high school, the internship gave me a platform for issues I was deeply passionate about. I want to create opportunities for students to share their stories and make their mark on the world. Every day at The Bell is an adventure, and I look forward to discovering new ways to support and empower the next generation of journalists.”

Ten introductory track students are reporting individual stories on the theme "Challenging the Status Quo in NYC Education.” Why do students have to take Regents exams? Why does school start so early? Why doesn’t NYC mandate sex education in public schools? These are just a few of the questions they’re digging into. Stay tuned later this year for the finished stories in the Miseducation podcast feed.

Advanced track students and instructors

Meanwhile, five advanced track students are collaborating on an investigative series about inequities in high school journalism education and the implications for school communities, the news industry and civic life more broadly. The project has received support from the Education Writers Association and the Pinkerton Foundation.

Miseducation fellows Esther Alatishe, Melani Bonilla and Abe Levine have been working alongside DuQuesnay, site manager Mira Gordon and a team of volunteers to support our student reporters on their journalism journeys.

See the full list of 2022-23 school-year interns below to learn more about our wonderful student reporters!

Introductory Track

Christina Adja is a sophomore at Central Park East High School in Harlem. She is a part of the Black Student Union and Glamour Gals at her school. If she is not at school talking up a storm, she is at home using her phone and adding more shows to her list.

Bree Campbell is a junior at Frank Sinatra School of the Arts in Queens. Attending the school for film, she is an active student in numerous extracurricular activities outside of her school–some pertaining to film and media, creative writing and activism of all kinds. Upon her prominent activism, she is passionate about combating climate change, gun violence and race and gender discrimination.

Bernie Carmona is a sophomore at Beacon High School in Hell’s Kitchen. He is an active member of a STEM program in CCNY. He has participated in other social justice internships. When Bernie isn’t at school and isn’t doing homework, he cooks for fun and listens to music. Bernie loves food.

Janina Guballa is a junior at Academy of American Studies located in Long Island City, Queens. She is the vice president of her school’s art club and a member of the bowling team. Her hobbies are playing the electric guitar (she is in the process of self teaching) and listening to music (her current favorites are The Strokes and Arctic Monkeys) but a lot of her time is consumed by school/homework/studying/after school activities.

Shoaa Khan is a junior at Landmark High School. She is a part of her school’s student council, on the varsity volleyball team, and one of the school’s student ambassadors. When Shoaa is not busy taking part in her school activities, she loves to read realistic fiction books and listen to music in her room.

Zainab Kuta is a junior at Bronx Academy of Letters. She’s in the debate team, participates in the sewing club and is a part of the Fencing team. When Zainab isn’t busy she’s listening to an audiobook while reading it going to Islamic school.

Denisse Merino is a senior in Leadership and Public Service High school in Manhattan. She's a member of the newspaper club of her school, and yearbook club. She loves listening to music, watching K-dramas, reading and cooking.

Jose Santana is a junior at Dr. Richard Izquierdo Health and Science Charter School in the Bronx. He's an online community manager, student advisor, and math nerd! When Jose isn't busy studying, you'll usually find him playing saxophone, taking walks in nature, taking pictures, or making new friends!

Tovi Tankoano is a sophomore at Marble Hill School for International Studies in the Bronx. He participates in the school Chess Club, Music Production program, Swims, and practices Economics. When Tovi isn’t busy studying or procrastinating, he loves to play games with his friends and read.

Nusrath Uddin is a junior at Manhattan Center for Science and Mathematics. She is a First Tech Fund fellow and after school she tutors her neighbor’s daughter. Her interests lie in Science, Writing, and Law. When Nusrath isn’t think about her future or stressing about school, she loves to read romance novels and watch Grey's Anatomy.

Advanced Track

Wesley Almanzar is a Bronx Native and a senior at the Bronx School for Law, Government, and Justice. He has many interests ranging from movies, games, music, photography, and many other forms of entertainment. With some experience in podcasting, he participated in The Bell’s SYPA program during the summer of 2021. With the help of The Bell, he hopes to explore the world of journalism and what it has in store for him.

Jadelyn Camey is a 17-year-old hardcore New Yorker. She is a Queens resident and is currently a senior at Energy Tech High School. She is a student journalist at The Bell where she reports and creates stories. In her free time she enjoys to read, watch movies, listen to music and travel around the city.

Fredlove Deshommes goes to Urban Assembly School for Law and Justice and is currently in the 10th grade. In her search for ways to not only educate herself on the different social issues in her community but to also spread knowledge on how to rectify some of those issues with truth/honesty, she has stumbled on the world of audio journalism. In her free time Fredlove likes to read, play volleyball and hang out with friends.

Edward Mui is from the forgotten borough: Staten Island. He was first exposed to journalism through the Summer Youth Podcast Academy where he learned the power stories hold. In his free time you may find him playing volleyball, exploring places to eat and stories to tell.

Jayden Williams is currently a senior at Bard High School Early College Manhattan. He has been involved with The Bell through the Summer Youth Podcasting Academy since his junior year in high school. He is always looking to make new friends, is the leader of his school's Badminton Club, and loves playing basketball. Someday in the future, he hopes to become a data scientist.

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To learn more about our work, including volunteering and partnership opportunities, email info@bellvoices.org.