As a result of the overwhelming interest WFAE received during the 2019 Queen City PodQuest, we were excited to expand podcasting opportunities for the Charlotte area community with the newly-formed Queen City PodQuest Academy.
For those who wanted to turn their ideas into a podcast but weren’t sure where to start, WFAE offered free “Podcasting 101″ classes as part of its newly formed Queen City PodQuest Academy program. Over the course of 10 weeks (one class per week, all with the same presentation/class materials), ‘Podcasting 101” students gained:
– An understanding of the fundamentals of podcasting
– Tips on how to record, produce, and upload a podcast
– Ideas on how to market the podcast and connect with listeners
– A resource list (with tips, tricks and how-to’s) to help continue podcasting
About 500 students were able to attend our “Podcasting 101” classes, and the students ranged in age (high school to retirees), race/ethnicity, location and experience. Out of those, 30 proceeded to the Queen City PodQuest Academy for in-depth lessons on podcast production, marketing, monetization and beyond. Throughout the eight-week PodQuest Academy, students were able to connect with skilled audio professionals, network with local podcasters and receive expert training to bring their podcast ideas to life.
As a result of the program, some students have reached out to say that their podcast was now being produced, or even released! Through our post-event surveys, we saw the impact of offering this program during quarantine; one of the students shared his gratitude for being inspired to reinvest his time during quarantine to pursue podcasting and to finally be able to share his story.