These are some of our favorite stories from NPR's Student Podcast Challenge
This year, finalists in NPR's student podcast challenge asked big questions about hatred and love, identity and belonging.
Education
Beware, new student loan borrowers: Interest rates are about to jump
Student loan interest rates reset every May. This year, they're on the rise.
New mountain biking program in Greensboro aims to grow the sport in the Piedmont
A new program to grow the sport of mountain biking is coming to Greensboro: Greensboro Mountain Biking Experience.
Afghans who want teen girls back in school have new allies: Taliban-affiliated clerics
For 9 months, teen girls have been pretty much unable to go to school. Protests have been shut down. Now clerics — including some affiliated with the Taliban – are urging an end to the school ban.
A popular program for teaching kids to read just took another hit to its credibility
Reading Recovery is one of the world's most widely used reading intervention programs for young children. A new study questions its long-term impact.
Dartmouth returns the papers of an 18th century Mohegan scholar to the tribe
Samson Occom was sent to Europe to raise funds for a school for Native American students, but the money was diverted to found Dartmouth College. Now a step toward reconciliation.
Good news for college seniors: The job market is booming
College graduates are entering a hot labor market with national data showing employers are significantly boosting recruitment. Many seniors are accepting job offers months before they graduate.
Texas got a sex ed update, but students and educators say there's still a lot missing
The last time Texas updated its sex education curriculum, was in the '90s. Students will now learn about contraception and STIs — but not gender or consent. And the classes are all optional.
USC settles lawsuits with 80 men who say a former school doctor sexually abused them
Attorneys for the alleged victims say the cases date back to as early as 1997, with the latest occurring in 2018. The terms of the settlement were not disclosed.
Afghans unite in demanding that the Taliban let girls attend secondary school
Afghans are protesting the Taliban's ban on girls attending secondary school, including a surprising cohort: pro-Taliban clerics.