Over the last decade, podcasting has become a frequent form of storytelling.
With various streaming platforms, podcasting provides an opportunity for the speaker to directly share their narrative. Recently, Ohio County Schools has decided to step into the ring.
“We want to be able to directly share our story with the community from the voices that matter most: the students,” states Dr. Kimberly Miller, Ohio County Schools Superintendent. Since the onset of the “All Things OCS,” podcast, seven episodes have aired. Each episode is themed to correlate with county-wide events. For example, when OCS Robotics hosted Gateway to the West, the Robotics students participated in the podcast the week leading up to the event.
The podcasts are organic conversations led by both Dr. Miller and assistant superintendent, Mr. Rick Jones. “I love that we’ve incorporated podcasts because the students that are participating and hopefully the community that is listening have the chance to see Dr. Miller and Mr. Jones as humans, as parents, and as stakeholders in OCS. It’s a great way for our leadership to build connections with students as they grow into future leaders,” Public Relations Director Karin Butyn states.
“Right now, the following is small, but growing. We have twenty consistent followers on Spotify and our episodes have streamed close to 100 times,” Butyn adds, “This is just one more additional way we can communicate with our families and do it from the perspective of our kids.”
Podcasting takes place at Wheeling Park High School’s Innovative Learning Center, or ILC. “The ILC exists because our community has consistently voted for the opportunities that support education in our school community,” Miller states. The ILC is fully equipped with technology tools that are relevant to students and the current world in which they live. WPHS Technology coordinator Brian Leggett and OCS teacher and news anchor Scott Nolte also play an integral role in the production of the podcasts, working with students in their classes to add special touches to each presentation.
New to the podcasting world? “Spotify is an app that is available to download for free on any smart device. Spotify streams music and podcasts directly to that device. Once you’ve downloaded the app, search for “All Things OCS,” and hit “follow.” You can also listen to episodes on the OCS website,” Butyn adds.
The next episode scheduled for “All Things OCS” highlights the various performing arts programs in Ohio County. We’ll here from members of the dance team, the musical, and the speech and debate team. “The stories of these students is just another example of all Ohio County has to offer. There is truly something for everyone,” Butyn states.
