SXSW EDU 2026: SRL records live podcast episode, interviews author Casey McQuiston, hosts workshops + more
March 25, 2026
By: Anthony Payne
Once again, SRL had the pleasure of heading to Austin, Texas for SXSW: EDU, an annual conference of teachers, professionals, and organizations all interested in shaping the future of education.
We were joined by students from the Austin ISD school district, as well as our On Our Minds: Road Trip hosts Zack and Helena, to lead workshops, screen content, record interviews, and overall keep it weird in ATX. Get into this recap for a glimpse at what we were up to at the conference.
We’ll do it LIVE!
On Our Minds: Road Trip hosts Zack and Helena took the stage at SXSW Edu to record a special live episode, interviewing two Austin high school students about what makes their home city special. Highlights include a popping live music scene, the smell of Texas BBQ, communal living and an open door policy amongst friends.
Catch the Austin leg of On Our Minds: Road Trip this season – first stop out on April 15!
Interviews, Interviews, Interviews
Along with a lot of person on the street content, the Austin ISD students filmed some insightful interviews, including one with Erica Brozovsky, host of PBS’ Otherwords. The sociolinguist shared how she discovered her love of language, and what makes her hometown of Boston special.
Students also spoke with Casey McQuiston, author of Red, White, and Royal Blue. She shared how her hometown of Baton Rouge is a completely singular place, between its food, language, and spiritual traditions. The “rough-around-the-edges” southern vibe of her hometown and upbringing informs her sensibility as an author, tending toward underdog protagonists who battle odds that reflect her experience growing up queer in the religious south.
“My books are a big exercise in yes and,” says McQuiston. “And I’m always adding more in and letting my characters go to extremes.I think of that as sort of an extension of piling your plate at a southern barbecue or something, where there can never be too much to eat.”
More from these conversations will be published later this spring in conjunction with the new On Our Minds season — stay tuned!
A Short (and pretty sweet) Film Screening
Second Nature, SRL’s series about young people working to inspire their communities to address climate change, screened at SXSW EDU’s first-ever short film block, alongside OCD and Me and Death by Numbers. SRL Audio Producer Wyatt Mayes represented our team on the panel, sharing how rewarding it was shooting the project with such a passionate team of college students.
The Civic Playbook for Educators
We joined Grace Northern and Bailey Hoskins-Orr from the Listening Post Collective for a workshop on mapping out your community’s “information ecosystems.” The Listening Post collective works to understand how information flows in communities, what’s missing, identifying opportunities to create a more effectively informed public through civic media projects, engagement, and local funding priorities.
Last year, they released the Civic Media Playbook for Educators, a guide for teachers to map out these information ecosystems with their students, adapted in collaboration from the PBS News Student Reporting Labs team.
Youth Takeover Day
Designed by young people, for young people, Youth Takeover Day was a space for students to meet educators and journalists to exchange ideas on education, creativity, and civic power, and build stories that amplify student voice.
Team SRL gave a crash course on brainstorming story ideas based on what’s not typically depicted in media, the NPR Student Podcast Challenge led an interviewing workshop, and The Bell led a discussion between experts and students about how to improve education. Lessons covering these topics and more are always available for free on StoryMaker.
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