Host Hayes interviews 10-year-old Micah, a fifth-grader at Hemeter Elementary. Micah shares mixed feelings about school — he enjoys math and reading and playing sports at recess (football, soccer, king of the hill) and hopes to go to Harvard to become a lawyer with his friend Bennett — but says the school day feels too long and some subjects (like social studies) seem unnecessary or could be learned from books. He also outlines a typical school day (morning work, math, ELA, recess, gym, lunch, writing/reading, and rotating science/social studies) and mentions Friday STEAM activities like Lego robotics.

🎧 Voice of Youth Podcast – Episode Description

Welcome to this season’s Voice of Youth podcast, featuring the inspiring voices of 4th and 5th grade students from Hemmeter Elementary School. This podcast celebrates youth storytelling and provides a platform for students to share their ideas, experiences, and perspectives with confidence.

The Voice of Youth Podcast is part of the Voice of Youth Program, a 10-week, hands-on podcasting and storytelling experience provided by United We Go and supported by the Unity Through Diversity. The program is designed to help youth build confidence, communication skills, and self-expression while learning how to turn their voices into meaningful stories.

Over the course of the program, students explore topics they care about, develop public speaking and storytelling skills, and experience the full podcasting process—from idea creation to recording. Be sure to listen until the end to hear student reflections on what they learned, the challenges they faced, and their favorite moments from the journey.

As the program continues to grow, the Voice of Youth Podcast is expanding to reach more cities and schools, including middle and high school students, creating even more opportunities for youth voices to be heard.

If your child is interested in joining the Voice of Youth Program in January, please keep an eye out for flyers coming home in student folders. Schools interested in bringing this program to their students, as well as organizations that support youth development or offer youth-empowering products or services, are encouraged to connect with us.

We are currently welcoming episode sponsors, program sponsors for our 2026 season, and in-class guest speakers.

📩 To learn more or get involved, please contact us at [email protected]

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