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Durham Elementary second grader Coco Whitehurst has plenty of time to decide what she wants to be when she grows up, but, spoiler alert, the young book lover is eyeing a life in one of her favorite places: the library.
The 8-year-old recently explored that interest as a guest host for Portland-based International Children’s Arts Network’s (ICAN) series ICAN Become, a podcast that pairs kids with working professionals.
In her episode ICAN Become …A Librarian, Coco sat down with Tigard Youth Librarian Holly Campbell-Polivka for a charming conversation that drifted easily from Campbell Polivaka’s career path and favorite parts of the job to the pair’s mutual love of books.
“I learned how to work with readers on different reading levels and different interests, and about information literacy, which is looking for answers with trusted sources,” Coco tells listeners to close the episode. “What do you want to become when you grow up?”
ICAN radio, which operates out of a KOIN Tower studio in downtown Portland as part of KQAC 89.9 All Classical Radio, broadcasts youth programming and streams content on demand.
Its mission is to let kids lead the way and put them on the air, said All Classical Radio development director Allison Fuller.
“ICAN Become, alongside many of our other flagship programs, really provided a new opportunity for youth to have their voices heard,” she said. “(Youth) lead the programming. So this is not something we as a bunch of adults are putting together and hoping that the youth enjoy, but having them be part of the creative process, the decision-making process, to provide that platform for young people to hear themselves, to hear their stories.”
Coco found her way to the studio after her mom saw a social media post from the station inviting kids to participate.
She’s one of about 25 kids who have recorded segments of the podcast. Most are from the Metro area, but a few have been recorded virtually from distant states. In a space where previous hosts have talked to Broadway performers and professional athletes, Coco chose to keep it local.
During the 16-minute episode, she peppered Campbell Polivka with questions about the life of a librarian, learning the job is more than just story times and shelving books.
“If you’re going to be a children’s librarian like me, you need to like kids, which, of course, I do. I love kids,” Campbell Polivka said. “You need to be able if somebody’s asking an informational question, and this is really important for people in life in general; you have to be able to figure out how you can find the answer to that question and make sure that you’re using a good source.”
For kids like Coco, who also get an education in broadcasting that culminates with hearing the finished episode, it’s a thrilling experience.
And it’s available for free to anyone who’s interested.
“(Kids) come to me just like Coco did and we get to talk,” production assistant Steven Joinson said, explaining the process. “We learn what it’s like to use a microphone, to record our voices, to hear it back, to edit a little bit. You know, the magic of radio.”
From the furniture to the mic set-ups, everything at ICAN’s Moonflower studio is tailored to kids. Every young visitor has an opportunity to record. Some, like Coco, host a whole segment, while the youngest visitors might say a few words.
“I have youth as young as 4 or 5,” Joinson said. “We get some little fun toys off the shelf. We play with the toys on the desk, then we slowly start introducing the fact that there’s a microphone; pop some headphones on and see what your voice sounds like.”
ICAN Become episodes follow their young hosts’ interests.
“I felt really excited that I could interview a librarian, and they could give me really good tips,” Coco said. “I spend a whole bunch of my time reading. At night, I have my own reading light, and I read and read and read.”
Coco’s younger siblings Enzo, 5, and Remy, 3, have a quick cameo, providing a chorus of “Yay” when she mentions them in the podcast.
“(Going to record) felt very professional,” said Coco’s mom, Kyla Whitehurst. “It felt like Coco had a job, getting into Portland and going to this big building with the fancy elevators and it’s like a beautiful studio for this huge radio station.”
Coco loved the experience so much that she’s considering going back to do an episode of the station’s storytelling show, and she says every kid should give it a try.
“It’s really, really fun,” said said. “I would say ‘go for what you like, don’t push yourself. Just have fun, act like you’re having a normal conversation. You don’t want to be superduper hard on yourself. Don’t be too worried, you’ll feel like you’re just talking to someone.’”
Visit icanradio.org to hear Coco’s ICAN Become episode or to arrange a studio visit.
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