Children at Jacksonville's Richard Lewis Brown Academy are finding their voices in ways their parents never could. Through podcasting.
Podcasts, which are part of the school's PEARLS program, allow students to discuss a variety of topics that are important to them, things that they may not have any other way to express.
“We know that adults don't always stop to ask children what they're thinking, and children have thoughts and feelings they want to express, too.” said Arlene Cameron Lloyd, one of the adults who helped get the effort started. Podcast.
Richard Lewis Brown Academy is a magnet school for gifted and academically gifted children located in Jacksonville's Eastside neighborhood.
Cameron Lloyd said the PEARLS program is an acronym for Positive Engagement Accelerate Relevant Leadership Skills. This allows children to explore opportunities through workshops that they may have never considered before, such as sewing, gardening, health, and in this case, podcasting.
Children will write, speak and produce content for the podcast under the supervision of Cameron Lloyd.
“I like drawing because it makes me happy,” a fourth-grader named Jada said on last week's podcast. “I think art is best for me, and I like drawing on paper. I like sketching and doodling on paper.”
Maria, a third-grader, talked about how writing helps her relieve stress.
“When you write to calm down stress, you can write out your emotions instead of screaming, screaming, or slamming doors,” Maria said. “That's how I used to de-stress, but I taught myself an easier way.”
Fifth-grader Taylor Brown said she was excited to be able to write about topics like trivia and fashion.
“When I found out about the podcast, I was excited to be able to talk about my work and express what I wanted to say,” Brown said.
She hopes someone listens to the podcast and becomes a sponsor. That way, she and her fellow students will have a chance to explore more.
The podcast was launched in January, and Cameron Lloyd said he wants kids to gain skills they can use as they move on to middle school, high school and possibly a career.
You can listen to the PEARLS podcast on Spotify. New episodes are released every week.
Lead image: Children at Richard Lewis Brown Academy smile as they prepare for a podcast session l William Jackson
