Hundreds of thousands of federal employees voluntarily left their jobs in 2025. One of the middle- and high-school finalists in the 2026 NPR Student Podcast Challenge examined why.
Anna Su’s “The Government Exodus: Why Federal Workers Resign” investigates why federal employees left while Su’s mother stayed. Su also interviews former federal workers.
What Students Put on Record
NPR named finalists from nearly 1,500 podcasts submitted by students in 42 states and the District of Columbia. The challenge is in its eighth year, and NPR’s education team listened to entries over the summer.
A judging team will evaluate the finalists. NPR says it’ll announce grand prize winners in the coming weeks, and winning podcasts will air on Morning Edition, All Things Considered and other NPR programs.
The challenge asked students to explore what it means to be an American in the year marking the nation’s 250th anniversary. Other themes included technology in school, AI, cell phone bans, screen-time concerns, memory, family histories, intergenerational advice and grief.
Fifth graders made the middle-school finalist “Civics in Our Schools.” They ask, “What do you really know about our country?” The students discuss civics with classmates and teachers, then learn from an expert how to engage people.
Anthony Perez’s “I.C.E. Out” examines increased I.C.E. activity in 2026. The California middle schoolers investigate why the agency was created, research its history and conduct interviews.
School, Work and Technology
Eleanor Deutsch’s “The Device Debate” follows a fifth grader using a computer more than ever at school. Deutsch interviews students, parents and administrators about the benefits and drawbacks of school technology, and proposes alternatives, including paper and pencil.
Miles Jackman’s “Artificially Intelligent” examines how artificial intelligence, described in the article as pervasive in school, influences students’ work. Jackman is a New Mexico student who loves writing.
Cora Walsh’s “Dyslexia and MEE” considers her diagnosis and what it’s like to be an adult with dyslexia. Walsh talks with her mother and tutor, and says, “People with dyslexia can be amazing in so many ways.”
High school finalists made “A Small Town’s Meteoric Significance,” about a suspected gas leak at school. The students find a crater millions of years old and a subterranean storage facility, not broken pipes. One student recalls feeling light headed while sitting on the curb.
Haarrathi Kanna’s “Music on the Mind” draws on her volunteer work with a music therapist and her observations of music helping students with learning differences. Kanna asks three neurologists how music affects the brain.
Families, Memory and the Judging
Kate Baker’s “Dear Kate” recounts her relationship with her Grandpa Ted, with whom she exchanged letters, played games and heard stories. Baker seeks to understand dementia, the disease that took him from her. She says, “Words couldn't even describe how much he meant to me.”
Allen Mondragon’s “The Person I am Becoming” examines his father’s legacy four years after his death. Mondragon asks what people loved about his father as he works to become the man his father believed he could be.
Amit Biligiri’s “What Happens to Memories?” asks why some memories remain and others fade. “There are entire weeks of my life I don't remember,” the high school junior says.
Thousands of students, teachers, parents and sponsors participated in the challenge, NPR said. It’ll announce winners and honorable mentions in the fourth-grade category later. NPR also says it doesn’t offer or accept money for coverage or interviews.