P.S. Weekly PodcastDiversity & Equity

P.S. Weekly at SXSW EDU: Teen journalists on NYC admissions, resources, and real change

By 
Chalkbeat and The Bell staff
 | March 26, 2025, 2:55pm UTC
Three teens stand in front of a yellow background with black letters.
P.S. Weekly reporters Marcellino Melika, Bernie Carmona, and Salma Baksh shared their experiences with educational inequities in NYC schools and what they think needs to change during a March 3 panel at SXSW EDU. (Tico Mendoza)
P.S. Weekly is a student-produced podcast that casts light on important issues in the nation's largest school system. The Bell's team of 10 student producers who come from different public high schools work alongside Chalkbeat NY's reporters to bring you stories, perspectives, and commentary you won't get anywhere else.

Sign up for Chalkbeat New York’s free daily newsletter to get essential news about NYC’s public schools delivered to your inbox.

We recorded this bonus episode live at the annual SXSW EDU conference, hosted earlier this month in Austin, Texas. P.S. Weekly’s student reporters spoke on a panel at the event, diving into the pressing inequities of New York City’s school system.

Listen to what it’s really like to navigate the largest school system in the country, from the admission process to stark resource disparities within schools — and what students would change if they were in charge.

Featuring: P.S. Weekly reporters Marcellino Melika, Bernie Carmona, and Salma Baksh, along with Chalkbeat New York reporter Alex Zimmerman.

P.S. Weekly is available on major podcast platforms, including Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Be sure to drop a review in your app or shoot an email to PSWeekly@chalkbeat.org.

P.S. Weekly is a collaboration between Chalkbeat and The Bell, made possible by generous support from The Pinkerton Foundation. P.S. Weekly’s SXSW EDU panel was made possible by generous support from the Siegel Family Endowment.

Listen for new P.S. Weekly episodes Thursdays this spring.

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