Students affected by pandemic build connection through podcast

January 26, 2024

In Cherry Hill Public Schools, high school students who experienced the brunt of the pandemic have begun to rebuild connections and gain social-emotional support through podcasts.

With the help of a Horace Mann Educators Foundation grant, Cherry Hill Public Schools created a podcast studio that offers lab learning experiences. In December, the district launched “WE Care,” a podcast devoted to social-emotional support and community connectedness. This podcast reaches a district community of 10,500 students, 7,000 families, and 1,700 employees.

In the first episode of their podcast, students discuss the importance of student peer leaders and connection with Acting Superintendent of the Cherry Hill Public Schools Dr. Kwame Morton. The podcasting students also described how they view their role in helping fellow students transition to high school in a post-pandemic world.

“When we shut down, there was a lack of closure, of getting to move forward from middle school,” said one student. “We were hoping the transition would be as normal as possible, but after not seeing each other for so long, it was scary to think about.”

You can listen to the “WE Care” podcast on Spotify.