Fifteen Hewlett-Woodmere students named NPR podcast finalists
Woodmere Middle School's 'Civics in Our Schools' is one of 10 middle school finalists in the national contest.
Fifteen students at Woodmere Middle School have been named finalists in the 2026 NPR Student Podcast Challenge for their podcast, Civics in Our Schools. The Hewlett-Woodmere school district announced the recognition. The students are among 10 middle school finalists chosen from nearly 1,500 submissions from students in 42 states and the District of Columbia.
The podcast explores what young people know about the country and how civic education can create more informed and engaged citizens. It includes interviews with classmates and teachers and a conversation with a civics expert. The same podcast previously won NPR's America 250 Prize in July as part of the America In Pursuit initiative.
The team includes Izabella Anthony, Benjamin Baigel, Bridget Castellon, Rile DeLeon, Maxwell Gibbs, Daniel Hernandez, Malcolm Johnson, Sylpa Kafle, Mason King, Kyle Li, Maximus Lin, Emmerson Quinn, Ariella Schoenfeld, Owenize Udevbulu and Dara Widzowski. They worked with teacher Jaime Harrington. Three students earned an honorable mention for a separate podcast on homework stress, and Maxwell Gibbs earned one for a history of video games. Grand prize winners will be announced in the coming weeks.