‘Podcasting Democracy’ Brings Constitution to Life for Teens Ahead of US 250th

Before participating in Podcasting Democracy, 17-year-old Eumari King Perez said she had read the Constitution, but acknowledged that she really didn’t have a deep understanding of the document. Now, she cites the Preamble, and how it emphasizes the well-being of the population.

“It tells us that it has our back, that it’s for the people,” she said. “The federal government [exists] to protect the people and secure their rights.”

According to Roberson, students’ pieces focused on a wide range of topics — everything from climate change to college debt — and they received submissions written in both Spanish and English.

For her commentary, Food Deserts in California, and One Simple Solution,

Perez connected the lack of access to fresh foods in her hometown of Antioch to “promoting the general welfare” in the Preamble.

Our Constitution doesn’t mention food deserts, no. Still, it does set a vision for America to promote the general welfare and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves in our posterity. If millions of Californians can’t even access fresh, healthy food, a matter of life and death, are we really living up to that promise?

“I noticed that where I do live you can find a lot more fast food places, or there’s the produce being sold at the corner shop, but there’s not a whole bunch of supermarkets that have all that fresh produce,” Perez said.

“It’s a huge issue when people don’t have access to food, especially in California, when we do have such great agriculture.”

“We’re a huge state with so many people,” she added. Perez’s friend and classmate, Amir, also connected to the concept of general well-being cited in the Preamble. He wrote about the consequences of lack of access to healthcare, which his own family has experienced.

About a year ago, my father suffered from a stroke. He lay on the couch for multiple days, losing his vision, not being able to walk, refusing to go to the hospital. Why? Because he did not have health care. This went on for two, almost three days. The damage my father received from the stroke affected the right side of his brain, which was his vision and his balance. Extensive therapy was needed, but he has made an almost full recovery. Healthcare shouldn’t be a privilege. It should be a right for all.

Perez said that as she approaches voting age, the project has made her think more deeply about participating in the political system.

“Being able to work on this project showed me how much power a voice can have,” she said. “I think it’s absolutely important to find those candidates that represent the issues that you’re worried about because that’s a step closer to change, and every vote counts.”

That engagement and connection with their communities and the founding documents is exactly what Roberson hoped would unfold with students in the pilot project.

“Before completing the Podcasting Democracy pilot, 50% of middle and high school students agreed that they could kind of explain the main rights of the Constitution,” Roberson said. “But afterwards, 80% did.”

She said that before the pilot, about 50% of participants said they could describe what each branch of government did and how democracy works. But afterward, “72% of participating students were able to do that.”

“So it’s exciting to know that there’s hard data to back up the fact that this kind of project really inspires both students to look around at their communities in the now, but also learn more deeply about those founding documents,” she said.

“The Constitution represents a lot more than it used to for me,” Perez said. “A lot of people aren’t aware of the rights that they do have.”

“It’s a very important piece of writing,” she continued. “It tells us what we can and cannot do under the law, that no one is above the law.”

You can read more student commentaries and get additional information about the free curriculum for teachers at Podcasting Democracy.