“Voices in Action” – Empowering NYC District 75 Students Through Podcasting
How we supported students with diverse learning needs to create a podcast that fosters independence, dignity, and community integration.
Urban Stream Media partnered with P.S. X012 Lewis and Clark School, part of New York City’s District 75, to implement a podcasting program for students with significant challenges and diverse language needs. From November 2024 to June 2025, this program aligned with District 75’s mission to provide high-quality, individualized educational opportunities in a manner that nurtures independence, ensures dignity, and supports student integration into the community.
The principal of P.S. X012 envisioned this initiative to push back against societal limitations often placed on District 75 students, demonstrating their potential as creators, storytellers, and contributors to their communities. The result: “Voices in Action,” a podcast series built around classroom lessons and fueled by student creativity and collaboration.
URBAN STREAM MEDIA’S ROLE
Program Designer
Podcasting Educator
Teacher Mentor
Student Coach and Facilitator
Project Manager
ABOUT DISTRICT 75
District 75 provides highly specialized instructional support for students with significant challenges, including Autism Spectrum Disorder, cognitive delays, emotional disabilities, multiple disabilities, and diverse language needs. Its mission emphasizes fostering student independence, dignity, and integration into the community.
With a focus on diverse learning styles, District 75 supports its students’ academic and social-emotional development through individualized and rigorous educational opportunities. Literacy, communication, and community connection form key pillars of its pedagogical approach, empowering students to thrive as active, valued members of society.
THE CHALLENGE
Students in District 75 schools, including P.S. X012, often face societal perceptions that limit their perceived abilities due to their unique challenges and needs. While the community recognizes the students’ potential, opportunities for creative and practical skill-building through innovative programs can sometimes be limited.
The principal of P.S. X012 wanted to address this by providing students with a platform to demonstrate their creativity, critical thinking, and communication skills in a way that amplified their voices and strengthened their connection to their community. She sought a program that not only supported District 75’s mission but also challenged societal assumptions about the capabilities of her students.
SOLUTION
Urban Stream Media designed a comprehensive podcasting program to align with P.S. X012’s classroom curriculum and to highlight students’ strengths as creative learners. The program was tailored to the specific needs of District 75 students, incorporating strategies that empowered students to share their perspectives while nurturing their independence and encouraging collaboration.
Key components of the program included:
Curriculum Integration
Lessons from the classroom became the foundation for podcast topics, ensuring alignment with academic goals and subject relevance.
Professional Development for Teachers
Teachers were trained to guide students through research, scripting, and production, building their confidence in supporting podcasting as a learning tool.
Student Empowerment and Role Assignments
Students were introduced to podcasting fundamentals and assigned production roles (research, writing, recording, and editing), enabling hands-on skill-building.
Focus on Diversity and Community
Podcast episodes were developed to reflect students’ lived experiences, values, and cultural insights, ensuring their voices and identities were central throughout the process.
The “Voices in Action” Podcast
Students collaborated to create episodes for “Voices in Action,” showcasing their understanding of classroom lessons while blending creativity and storytelling.
RESULT
“Voices in Action” was more than just a podcast; it became a platform for District 75 students at P.S. X012 to demonstrate their abilities, share their voices, and express their potential as creators and contributors.
Key Achievements:
Highlighting Student Potential
The podcast shattered preconceived notions about the abilities of District 75 students, showing their creativity, intellect, and collaboration.
Curriculum-Based Learning
Each episode of "Voices in Action" was rooted in classroom lessons—ranging from social studies to literature—allowing students to apply their learning in real-world contexts.
Fostering Independence and Confidence
Students took ownership of the creative process, managing their roles effectively and growing in confidence as they recorded and produced each episode.
Creative Collaboration
Students worked as a team, exchanging ideas, writing scripts, sharing responsibilities, and supporting each other—fundamental social-emotional skills emphasized by District 75.
Expression and Inclusion
The podcast gave students a safe platform to express their ideas and identities, reinforcing District 75’s commitment to equity, inclusion, and respect for all learners.
PROGRAM FEEDBACK
Positive Outcomes
Student Empowerment:
“Our students showed that they can take creative control, collaborate, and produce something impactful. This program gave them a voice that so often goes unheard,” one teacher stated.Teacher Development:
Teachers appreciated the professional training, saying it equipped them to continue supporting innovative, student-centered learning:
“This program helped me see new ways to take lessons and connect them to students’ lives.”Community Building:
The podcast provided an opportunity for the students to feel integrated into their school community, sharing their voices with peers, teachers, and families.
Areas for Improvement
Program Duration:
A more extended program timeline would allow for greater depth in student projects and further refinement of episodes. One teacher remarked:
“If we had more time, the students could have built even more detailed and polished work.”Additional Resources:
Accessible pacing tools and visual organizers could help students stay on track during the production process, particularly given the diverse needs of the learners.
CONCLUSION
The “Voices in Action” Podcast was a transformative experience for P.S. X012 students, demonstrating how podcasting can serve as a creative and practical learning tool for District 75 schools. By aligning lessons with podcast production, students reinforced academic concepts while building confidence, independence, and collaboration skills.
This initiative perfectly embodied the mission of District 75 by nurturing independence, affirming student dignity, and supporting community integration. It showed that when given the opportunity and the right tools, students with significant challenges and diverse needs can thrive, express themselves meaningfully, and surpass societal expectations.
Through “Voices in Action,” students were not just participating in education—they were shaping it, showing the world what District 75 learners can achieve.
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