Sssh! Periods

Ssh! Periods  was conceived as an entry to NPR’s Student Podcast Challenge . Seven eighth graders and I spent four months writing, recording, editing, and mixing a four-minute long podcast. Our story beat out 5,700 entries from 25,000 students across the United States to win. Since then we’ve been covered byJezebel , Afropunk , News 12 , the ACLU , WNYC, the Today Show at NBC, and several programs on NPR including Morning Edition  and Code Switch. As one of our podcasters Kassy Abad puts it, "We see the need to continue this podcast to give voice to the ladies of Bronx Prep, whose narratives have connected with women across generations all throughout America." We also believe that turning Ssh! Periods into a weekly podcast will help the ladies of Bronx Prep to advocate for issues that matter to them while also getting hands-on experience with the nitty-gritty of creating and sustaining such a project.

 The funds would primarily go toward equipment and podcast hosting fees, including:

· 5 microphones ($50 each, $250 total)

· 5 XLR cords ($7 each, $35 total)

· 1 sound mixer ($48)

· 5 mic stands ($18 each, $90 total)

· 5 headphones ($40 each, $200 total)

· Headphone wiring ($20)

· Storage drives ($60)

· SoundCloud subscription fee ($10/month, $120/year)

· Recording studio sessions ($150/month)

As one of our podcasters Kassy Abad puts it, “We’ve been given the opportunity to share our voice. Now we have to keep up this work because other people are listening.”