At Thayer J. Hill Middle School in Naperville, a student transformed a question about homework into a podcast featuring research, audio clips, and interviews with teachers and classmates. The episode earned an honorable mention in the 2026 NPR Student Podcast Challenge. NPR’s recognition shares more about this accomplishment.

Before students created their podcasts, instructional technology teacher Megan Tillotson helped them study how successful creators use sound, pacing, and voice to engage an audience. Students then made decisions about the questions they explored, the perspectives they included, and the stories they wanted to tell.

“One of my favorite parts about creating podcasts with students is actually getting to hear their own voices sharing ideas that matter to them,” Megan shared. “It’s a beautiful way to tell stories.”

Learning Worth Sharing

This project shows what can happen when an educator creates space for student curiosity and ownership. Technology supported the experience, but the heart of the work was the student’s question, research, decision-making, and voice. Stories like this deserve to travel beyond a single classroom or school. By sharing examples from across Illinois, educators can discover practical ideas from one another and find new ways to help students connect, grow, share, and inspire.

“When students have a voice in what they create and the freedom to share ideas that really matter to them, they become more invested in their work,” Megan reflected. “Their voices, ideas, and stories are worth hearing.”

Congratulations to the student on this recognition, and thank you to Megan for creating an experience in which student thinking could be heard. Where could students have more ownership over the questions they explore and the stories they tell?