NPR's Student Podcast Challenge 2026

It's March (Audio) Madness time. NPR's Student Podcast Challenge has released the names of its finalists. Undergrads Syd Walter from Sarah Lawrence College, Luisa Sukkar from Barnard College, and Colby McCaskill from Fordham University discuss their contributions to the challenge, and share selections of their work, which include the sounds of a New York City neighborhood, the imaginary country created by someone's brother, and a love letter to aging grandparents. Photo by L. Malik Anderson/WNYC Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.