Get ready to hear the sounds of the New York City school system like never before.
Next week, Chalkbeat and The Bell are launching P.S. Weekly, a student-created podcast exploring the most pressing issues affecting students — and discussing possible solutions.
Episodes will come out Wednesday mornings this spring, starting March 27. Each will tackle a different topic: migrant students, book bans, career readiness, and more. Led by experienced executive producer JoAnn DeLuna, 11 high school interns are the show’s hosts, reporters, producers, and sound engineers. They’re leading its engagement efforts, designing social media posts, and writing episode summaries.
The show teaser is available below. Listeners can subscribe to P.S. Weekly on all major podcast apps, including Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
For the past 10 years, Chalkbeat has been a leading source of education reporting in the nation’s largest school system. The Bell came on the scene seven years ago, quickly becoming a premier provider of audio journalism internship programs for New York City public high school students from underrepresented backgrounds.
The partnership between the two organizations comes at a crucial time. A 2022 study found that about 1 in 4 New York City public high schools has a student newspaper or news site. For high-poverty schools, only 7% have one. The students who are least supported in the school system are the least likely to have platforms to share their stories.
Through The Bell, the podcast’s high school interns are paired up with Chalkbeat NY’s team of seasoned reporters and editors to create a series that will become a “must-listen” for students, educators, parents, and policymakers. The show will feature the latest education news, reports from the field, and thoughtful one-on-one conversations with students, educators, and experts.
Think of it as your hall pass to issues in the New York City public school system: access and perspectives you won’t get anywhere else.
And we want to hear from you. Tell us what you’d like to hear more about. Drop us a line at PSWeekly@chalkbeat.org.
Meet your new guides:
Salma Baksh, senior
Forest Hills High School, Queens
Salma is the editor-in-chief of the school paper The Beacon; co-founder of Youth Informed, a political discussion club; and co-president of Double Up, a peer mentoring club. When Salma isn’t writing emails, she continues her attempt to build a second brain.
Bernie Carmona, junior
The Beacon School, Manhattan
Bernie is an active member of the Bronx Documentary Center and Google’s Code Next Program, which is centered on computer science. When Bernie isn’t focusing on schoolwork, he’s often practicing the guitar, cooking, or photographing the streets of NYC.
Dorothy Ha, senior
Stuyvesant High School, Manhattan
Dorothy holds leadership roles in her school’s yearbook, theater, poetry club, and art history club. In her free time, Dorothy loves visiting art museums and solving crossword puzzles.
Tanvir Kaur, senior
Academy of American Studies, Queens
Tanvir is a student voice writer for The Academy Gazette, an editor and producer for the Bronx Documentary Center, and a member of the NYC Youth Journalism Coalition. Outside of the newsroom, Tanvir is an avid singer of Indian classical music and enjoys playing harmonium and mandolin.
Shoaa Khan, senior
Landmark High School, Manhattan
Shoaa is part of her school’s student government and volleyball team. She enjoys painting, watching movies, and trying new cafes with friends.
Marcellino Melika, junior
Francis Lewis High School, Queens
Marcellino began his journalistic work as a part of his school’s journalism academy. He spends his time on his school’s Science Olympiad team and playing cello in the orchestra. Marcellino also loves to help others through his efforts to give back.
Santana Roach, senior
Frederick Douglass Academy II, Manhattan
At school, Santana enjoys mentoring his peers, conversing and connecting with others, and striving to tackle intellectual challenges. Santana serves as a role model to many students through the extracurriculars he takes on and values the connections he cultivates with those around him. He also spends his time watching cartoons and talking with his friends and family.
Jose Santana, senior
Dr. Richard Izquierdo Health & Science Charter School, Bronx
Jose serves as the president of his graduating class and leads the podcast/YouTube club in his school. Outside of school, he can usually be found reading a book, playing guitar or saxophone, shooting hoops, or messing around with tech.
Christian Rojas Linares, senior
University Neighborhood High School, Manhattan
Christian enjoys partaking in school events and using specialized AI technology to assist him with his assignments. He likes to listen to podcasts — including Science VS, The Daily, and many more.
Sanaa Stokes, junior
Professional Performing Arts School, Manhattan
At her school where she majors in drama, Sanaa participates in the Black Student Union, Global Glimpse, and is the vice president of the Women Advancement and Liberation Club. When she’s not learning her lines, she enjoys watching rom-com movies.
Ava Stryker-Robbins, senior
The Beacon School, Manhattan
Ava is the co-editor-in-chief of her school’s literary magazine, a reporter for the West Side Rag, and an organizer for the New York Civil Liberties Union’s Teen Activist Project. She’s an alumna of The Bell’s Summer Youth Podcast Academy and the City Limits Accountability Reporting Initiative for Youth, orCLARIFY. Ava also loves to read, play classical guitar, and knit.
JoAnn DeLuna, executive producer
JoAnn is an award-winning bilingual journalist/audio producer and poet originally from Texas. She’s produced and managed podcasts for Sony and OTHERTone (Drapetomaniax: Unshackled History), Pushkin (WorkLife with Adam Grant & Am I Normal? With Mona Chalabi), and NPR (Latino USA, Radio Diaries, KALW). Before switching to audio, JoAnn was a print reporter covering the travel industry from Asia, Europe, and the Americas for more than a decade. She was also a crime and education reporter for newspapers on the US-Mexico border. Her English and Spanish poetry is published in anthologies in California, New York, and Texas.
P.S. Weekly is a collaboration between The Bell and Chalkbeat, made possible by generous support from The Pinkerton Foundation.