By Yumna Owais (YES 2015-2016, Pakistan, placed by AFS-USA in Bethesda, MD) 

“Traveling leaves you speechless and then turns you into a storyteller.” - Ibn Battuta

As a kid, I wondered why people were obsessed with traveling. It seemed overhyped. I wondered what good leaving your comfort zone and putting yourself through new challenges would bring. Luckily, I found my answers when I got the opportunity to call the United States my “home” for ten months as a foreign exchange student. Embracing cultural eccentricities and promoting peace through one-on-one diplomacy really broadened my experiences. It gave me memories that I can cherish forever and stories I can proudly share with others. 

Driven to bring forward stories of the impact YES students from around the world have created in their host as well as local communities, I participated in the 2022 YES Voices Podcasting Workshop virtually, and then in-person in Albania. During the three-month-long workshop, I learned the fundamentals of podcast production and editing techniques from the amazing trainers at StoryCenter. 

At the workshop I was paired with Joyce (YES 2016-2017, Liberia, placed by CIEE in Newcastle, TX), a YES alumna from Liberia, and together we made a podcast titled, “YES Inspires.” In this podcast, we reflected on the exceptional work two senior YES alumni from Pakistan and Liberia have done for their communities. We interviewed them to learn about their community service initiatives, collaborative actions, and start-ups. Our guest speakers shared their career trajectories with younger YES alumni with the goal of motivating them to think outside the box when pursuing a career. Our “YES Inspires” podcast was one of the most popular podcasts at the workshop. 

Using the skills I learned during the YES Voices Podcasting workshop, I led a similar one-day workshop in October of 2022 at a local school for underprivileged students in my community called Divisional Public School (DPS). The workshop audience comprised 35 high school students and 3 faculty members. Two other YES alumni, Laiba Athar (YES 2017-2018, Pakistan, placed by Aspect in Omaha, NE) and Husnain Ahmed (YES 2021-2022, Pakistan, placed by AFS-USA in Falls Village, CT), with some experience in digital content creation and vlogging, were also engaged as trainers at the workshop. 

During the workshop, students were taught the importance of having a clear, distinctive voice for their podcast within a storytelling framework. In addition to covering the essentials of podcast pre-and-post-production techniques, I also covered the basics of website content creation, Search Engine Optimization (SEO), strategy, and brand voice. Additionally, I conducted activities like mock podcast interviews during the workshop. With the goal of making storytelling effective for learning, the project enabled students to develop a platform for people whose voices need to be heard. 

The workshop was well-received as students not only got hands-on experience in podcasting and social media content creation but also got the motivation to apply for the YES program. The DPS administration applauded our efforts in enhancing the leadership skills of their students. 

I would like to thank the U.S. Department of State Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, AFS Intercultural Programs, American Councils, the Society for International Education (iEARN-Pakistan), StoryCenter, and the DPS administration for their assistance in my project planning. I would also like to implement this project on a bigger scale and engage in additional podcasting opportunities in the future. YES alumni from anywhere in the world with podcasting interests are welcome to join me. I would be happy to assist our alumni and collaborate in any way I can. 

Let’s keep on inspiring our communities and making a difference!