The Queen City Podcast Network
Summer Podcast Lab is a four‑day immersive program where high school students learn storytelling, interviewing, recording, editing, and publishing, all inside our professional studios in Uptown Charlotte.
Every student leaves with a fully produced, publicly available podcast episode they can use for college, career, and creative portfolios.
WHAT STUDENTS LEARN
Hands-On Training from Broadcast and Podcast Professionals in a Real Studio
The Queen City Podcast Network is Charlotte’s local audio storytelling hub,
producing hundreds of podcast episodes each year.
Our Uptown Charlotte studio gives students access to the same professional environment used by creators, businesses, storytellers and organizations across the region.
Frequently Asked Questions
General
The program is open to rising 9th–12th grade students from any Charlotte‑area school — public, private, charter, or homeschool. No prior experience is required.
Not at all. The program is designed for complete beginners as well as students with creative or technical experience. We teach everything from the ground up.
All sessions take place at the Queen City Podcast Network’s professional Uptown Charlotte studio, the same space used by local creators, businesses, and organizations. Parking and drop-off instructions will be delivered via email after registration.
Students receive hands‑on training in:
• Story development
• Interviewing Skills
• Recording Techniques
• Editing + sound design
• Publishing + distribution
• Media literacy and responsible storytelling
• Marketing and Promoting
Every student leaves with:
• A fully produced, publicly available podcast episode
• A portfolio‑ready project
• A certificate of completion
• Real‑world studio experience
• Instruction and mentorship from broadcast and podcast professionals
• A T-shirt
Each session runs for four days, four hours per day.
Each session is capped at 8 students to ensure one-on-one instruction and a professional, small‑cohort environment.
• Standard tuition: $600
• Early bird tuition (Sign up before June 5): $550
Students should bring:
• A notebook
• Snacks
• A water bottle
All recording and editing equipment is provided.
Some snacks and water will be provided.
Yes. Students are supervised at all times by trained instructors and staff.
Only authorized personnel are allowed in studio spaces.
Parents may drop off and pick up at the studio entrance. To maintain a focused learning environment, sessions are closed to observers, but parents are invited to the final listening session on Day 4.
Refunds are available up to 14 days before the session start date. After that, tuition can be transferred to another session if space is available.
We’ll help them catch up, but due to the hands‑on nature of the program, missed days cannot be made up outside the session.
Yes. Students publish their episodes to a real podcast feed. Parents sign a media release as part of registration.
Click Register Now on your preferred session above and follow the instructions.
