The Finding Your Place Podcast features compelling audio storytelling by six outstanding student producers from two Minnesota State institutions: Century College (a community and technical college) and Minnesota State University, Mankato. In addition to sharing their own stories about the college experience, the producers have conducted recorded interviews with experts in higher education as well as created immersive storytelling moments where the microphone is taken into places on campus such as student organization spaces and faculty offices. There are twelve core episodes in the series and, to date, ten supplementary episodes, each designed to shed light on the most important and challenging issues of the college experience. The podcast is one additional way we can support our students--all students, but especially first-generation students and those students experiencing struggles in college. Of course, how you use it is up to you. The podcast is meant to promote deeper exploration into a variety of important college topics. We assume that, in some way, you and your students will take the episode content further and make it local—exploring support and resources at your college or university through discussion and activities in whatever ways you see fit. This updated Educator’s Guide provides a few tools for faculty and staff, including a discussion guide for each episode and sample assignments that build on the strategies of mentoring, disclosure and dialogue found in the podcast. Build suggested playlists and customize as you see fit, though we do hope that all twelve episodes will be heard by your students, as doing so may give your students a chance to build a stronger mentoring connection with the student producers and their journeys.
