Even before Serial, podcast listenership has been rising since 2013 with 1.6 billion subscriptions and 20 billion downloads. Students are interested in podcasts, and Austin Bat Cave is excited to help them explore this alternative form of writing to grow their digital literacy. Led by a freelance writer for Austin American-Statesman and frequent contributor to KUT, this workshop gives students the opportunity to learn how podcasts move from the conceptual stage to the recording studio. Students will listen to different podcast genres--mystery, comedy & humor, feminist, sci-fi, news, etc--and practice writing in each form. Austin Bat Cave will bring in radio wizards like Matt Laregy, the managing editor at KUT, who will guide our campers through the process of producing a radio show. This week-long summer camp is being offered free to local high school students with preference given to our partner programs at Title 1 schools.

Over the course of the week, students will use professional recording equipment and editing software to produce professional-quality podcast episodes. Their work will be highlighted on the Austin Bat Cave website as well as included in our annual anthology of kid’s writing. Our classroom volunteers guide students and work one-on-one with them through the writing process. Students improve their composition skills, necessary to apply for jobs and achieve success in professional settings. In the short term, students gain knowledge of a given writing area or genre, produce work for an intended purpose or project, and complete an assignment or prompt. In the long term, students gain confidence, self-efficacy, and cumulative knowledge regarding how to express themselves through the written word.