Tumble Wins Gold in 2019 AAAS Kavli Science Journalism Awards
This article is at least a year old
Tumble, the popular science podcast for kids, has won the top award in the children’s science news category for the 2019 AAAS Kavli Science Journalism Awards. The awards are an internationally recognized measure of excellence in science journalism for a general audience. Tumble is the first children’s podcast to win this prestigious award.
Tumble is targeted at ages 6-12, and beloved by listeners of all ages. With the help of kids’ curiosity and working scientists, Tumble takes listeners behind the scenes of how science happens. Every episode of Tumble encourages both kids and adults around the world to participate in conversations about science.
The winning entry consisted of two episodes from Tumble’s fourth season. “The Science of Whiskers” begins with a child’s question about why seals have whiskers, and explores how whisker scientists determine the purpose of animals’ sensitive nose hairs. In “The Cave of the Underground Astronauts,” three female archeologists Skype from a nearly inaccessible cave in South Africa, to share their journey of excavating the bones of ancient human relative.
“The originality and creativity that went into these two pieces is remarkable,” said National Geographic editor Christine Dell’Amore, in the AAAS press release announcing the awards. “These podcasts taught kids a ton about science in a fun and engaging way.”
Creator and co-host Lindsay Patterson said Tumble’s mission is “to improve science literacy for younger generations, by telling engaging stories about how science actually works.” She added, “Receiving this award is a sign that our style of storytelling really works to communicate to kids the curiosity, excitement, and adventure that drives the scientific process.”
Tumble was built around the belief if kids understand how science works, the world will be a better place. The mission of the podcast is to encourage kids to be smart participants in society, who understand that science is one of the most powerful tools we have to shape our future. Tumble is partnered with GenZ, the Peabody Award-winning children’s podcast production house, and PRX, a non-profit media company specializing in audio journalism and storytelling. Their award-winning portfolio ranges from iconic public radio programs like The World and This American Life, to a growing body of podcast-first productions including the Radiotopia network.
Tumble will receive the award at a Feb. 14 ceremony held in conjunction with the 2020 AAAS Annual Meeting in Seattle.
CHILDREN’S SCIENCE NEWS
Gold Award
Lindsay Patterson, Marshall Escamilla and Sara Robberson Lentz
Tumble Science Podcast for Kids
April 5, 2019
“The Cave of the Underground Astronauts”
January 11, 2019
ABOUT AMERICAN ASSOCIATION FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF SCIENCE (AAAS)
The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) is the world’s largest general scientific society and publisher of the Science family of journals. It aims to “advance science, engineering, and innovation throughout the world for the benefit of all people.” It has extensive programs in policy analysis, diversifying the science and technology workforce, public engagement, science education and international affairs.
The Kavli Foundation is dedicated to advancing science for the benefit of humanity, promoting public understanding of scientific research, and supporting scientists and their work. The foundation’s mission is implemented through an international program of research institutes, initiatives and symposia in the fields of astrophysics, nanoscience, neuroscience, and theoretical physics, as well as the Kavli Prize and a program in public engagement with science.
This is a press release which we link to from Podnews, our daily newsletter about podcasting and on-demand. We may make small edits for editorial reasons.
Companies mentioned above:
National Geographic
PRX