KALW’s Summer High School Podcasting Institute Students Wrap it Up
By Ben Trefny, Interim Executive Director, KALW
We recently wrapped up instruction for KALW‘s Summer High School Podcasting Institute. Congratulations to the teenagers who took part in the media criticism, training, and production at the station’s Burton High School campus on the southeast side of San Francisco.
Clockwise from left: Carolina Cuadros, George Reitan, Aria Baldinger-Williams, Elise Muchowski, Cassidy Kanner-Gomes, and Elizabeth Truong.
Now it’s time to get back to school — whether it’s high school or college. But the memories of a hands-on, media-making, student-focused, training program remain. And so does the anticipation of season 3 of the podcast tbh: by, about, and for teenagers. Coming next month. They made it happen! And we all benefit!
Elizabeth Truong, Aria Baldinger-Williams, Carolina Cuadros, and George Reitan record a roundtable session in KALW’s Studio B.
Here are some outgoing thoughts shared by some of the students who completed the program.
Instructor Holly J. McDede engineers while Cassidy Kanner-Gomes voices her story.
The KALW Podcasting Institute has been an incredible and very educational experience for me. I got to meet and work with a group of amazing, motivated teens. The instructors were extremely supportive and helpful, and I was able to learn a lot about my own writing in the process of working with them. It was amazing to be able to go through the entire reporting and writing process on a subject that I’m really passionate about. I’m extremely glad I got the opportunity to do this, and I definitely gained skills that I will continue using for years. — Cassidy Kanner-Gomes
Elizabeth Truong gets ready to lay down voice tracks.
While there were a million other things I wanted to do, working with KALW was a great summer experience just before university. One thing I learned was that the power of radio has more impact as it actively engages the audience with vivid descriptions while requiring attention. I got to work with other students who either shared a passion for media or wanted their voices to be heard! I had so much fun and would do this again! — Elizabeth Truong
Interning at KALW has been a very educational experience. Through this program, I was able to investigate a subject further than its surface level. I gained exposure to the world of real time interviews and learned to prepare for them. Constructing a script was also very enjoyable, and I received lots of amazing criticism, helping me improve my story, and writing skills. This experience has ignited my love for journalism and introduced me to the exciting world of audio news. — Elise Muchowski
The 2022 KALW Summer High School Podcasting Institute students and teachers.
Congratulations to the team!