Small Voice, Big Impact: We The Children Inspires Educators and Earns Major Awards
Contents
We the Children is giving voice to the next generation. It’s the chance for young minds and educators to learn and get excited about a climate curriculum. And it’s getting the attention it truly deserves through many podcasting awards.
We the Children is a podcast about climate change, hosted by 13-year-old Zachary Fox-DeVol (but you can call him Zach). It explores big environmental topics like sustainability, biodiversity, and climate solutions in a fun, approachable way. The podcast features insights from experts, teachers, and activists, with Zach’s own input to break down the conversation making it a great resource for kids and educators.
Zach, his teacher, and his parents knew he was onto something great, and they wanted to help him grow the show into something bigger. Beyond a podcast, the team were able to set their sights on building a larger brand and business.
We at Lower Street joined their team to take on production and level up promotion through audience development. This partnership helped the podcast earn recognition, including a Webby nomination, two W3 Gold Awards, and three Anthem Awards.
We The Children Podcast - The Beginnings
At age 10 Zach wanted more kids and adults to talk about climate change. And he wanted them to talk about it together. He had already experimented with podcasting, so he thought that would be the best route for his goals.
In the first season, Zach’s team worked to create thoughtful interviews with climate experts. But they struggled to share these important stories in a creative and exciting way.
“It was always the topics that seemed bigger than our little team. We were getting these incredible interviews we were doing the best we could, but the information wasn’t getting distributed in as great of a manner as it could be.”Katy Fox, Executive Producer
They wanted the podcast to connect better with kids, families, and teachers. To do that, they needed expert help with production and audience growth.
“It seemed like the next step for our little project was to join a company that's interested in putting out work that they care about and that has a heart.”
Building Up We The Children
From the beginning, Zach and his parents wanted to make sure We The Children wouldn’t make climate change scary but would offer solutions and hope.
“We didn't want these interviews to make kids worried about things. So we always tried to break episodes down so that there were solutions. Zach always wanted to focus on the solutions.”
After season one, the team brought us at Lower Street on for production and promotion. We helped transform the We The Children podcast by improving the storytelling and adding playful moments between Zach and his guests.
“I think the fun back-and-forth resonates really well with the age of the kids, teachers, and parents that we're trying to have join us on the podcast.”
Every episode features an expert or activist guest. They find inspiration for potential guests through their favorite environmental shows and social media profiles. Sometimes, they know they want to talk about a topic, and they go out to find an expert in that field. The good thing is that all these guests have been thrilled to share their insights and spread the word about climate change. They’re always happy to join in the show.
“It’s amazing, here’s a 13-year-old kid interviewing these incredible scientists, changemakers, environmentalists, and biologists. They were all really grateful that we’re talking about this important topic, and we’re so grateful for giving us their time to share their stories.”
Of course, having experts on means breaking down heavy topics.
Making these topics approachable for young audiences is no small task. In the first season, Zach often paused interviews to define complex ideas and big words. As the show evolved, Lower Street stepped in to craft expert narratives that made these ideas accessible and engaging.
Our producer Nate worked closely with Zach to structure questions and script episodes in a way that felt natural and easy to follow. By adding narration and playful voiceovers, we ensured the storytelling stayed fun while keeping big concepts digestible for young listeners. This approach transformed how We the Children educates and shares.
“I remember we had this incredible lawyer from the EPA and the terminology she used was incredible. It was difficult to understand, but the meaning came out with Zach, coming in with this playful way to define the situation.”
While Zach’s presence helped connect with a younger audience, the team also wanted to attract the attention of educators. They wanted We the Children to spark conversations among young peers, but it was more than that. They also wanted to give educators the tools to bring the conversation into the classroom. So, together with Lower Street they created a teacher toolkit.
“We reached out to Elizabeth at Lower Street, and she recommended this great educator from New York. We spoke a few times and were able to develop this whole educator toolkit. Now we're building more and more of those and they're on our website.”
This included the listening experience of the episode but also classroom activities based on each We the Children episode. It went from an audio-only medium to a multimedia experience. Now the podcast wasn’t only for entertainment and personal education, but a key resource for schools across the country.
Offering more than audio content, they were able to build We The Children to be a full brand and business within climate education.
The Outcome
Webby Nomination 2024
2x W3 Gold Winner
3x Anthem Winners
Featured in Amazon Music
2.5+ million trailer impressions in just one month
2,842 push notification subscribers in one month
Lower Street’s production and promotion efforts worked wonders for the show. We the Children gained much attention for becoming a young leader in the conversation on climate change. The show was nominated for a Webby, won 2 Gold awards at the W3s, and won three Anthem Awards for its creativity and leadership.
“The Webby really helped get our name out there. It was a big honor. And it was really great that Zach and the team at Lower Street were recognized.”
Teachers now can use the podcast as a tool to inspire and educate kids about the environment. The show was able to reach the audience they had in mind and spark more conversation about climate change.
The podcast’s audience continues to grow, especially among teachers and classrooms. The fun and interactive format helped it stand out. It was a unique approach for a children's podcast– taking on serious issues with experts. It was also a unique podcast in the sustainability industry - making the content approachable for a wider range of audiences.
Beyond the podcast, We The Children has been able to become a brand speaking to local schools and teachers, guiding the conversation on climate change.
“Zach went and talked to the second graders last week about changemakers and the environment and how important it is even to do small things for the environment. There's a lot of really fun, good things that are happening.”
This has helped build up a brand well beyond just a podcast. We The Children is now a trusted name in climate education, creating original valuable audio content, and climate curriculums for educators.
What’s next for We The Children? At the moment Zach is loving sharing the conversation on climate change, but he’s a busy kid. The team is taking it one day at a time, hoping that more children and teachers will be inspired to carry the message even beyond their reach.
Author
Steven Bonnard
Head of Marketing
Hi, I'm Steven. I'm a globe-trotter who loves running long distances and listening to podcasts, especially from the news, politics and fantasy categories.
