AN idea sparked from a breakfast outing has led two best mates at Hunter Valley Grammar School (HVGS) to launch a podcast.
Year 10 students Chelsea Cox and Flynn Thomas are now streaming The Grammar Grapevine on Spotify.
With weekly Tuesday episodes, the 16-year-olds explore school life, showcase achievements, and highlight inspiring stories, bringing the entire school community closer together.
"We just thought we'd make a pretty good podcast and we know the school has some really good equipment for us to make it happen," Chelsea said.
With help from the school, the podcast plan became a reality and the first episode was released on Tuesday, October 22.
The first episode had almost 300 downloads within the first 24 hours and introduced the hosts, who hope to work in media when they leave school.
"We've pre-recorded half the season, so we're going to do a new episode every week that drops on Tuesday morning with a new guest each week," Flynn said.
"We will have about seven episodes in this season and we have already started preparation for season two, which will come out in term one, next year," Chelsea said.
"We've got some very exciting guests in alumni, students and staff members," she said.
The duo said they hoped the podcast connected the whole school community and would become a legacy at HVGS.
"I think it's really good for the junior school, upcoming students coming into high school, the ELC who will be soon starting their time in the junior school," Chelsea said.
"It's kind of good to get a feel for everyone in our community, because for some it might be daunting, but I think by doing this, it will just help it feel a bit less frightening," she said.
"We are very lucky to have such a big school community, so I think making sure we're connected is really important."
Flynn said producing the podcast would allow him and Chelsea to gain real-world experience in the safe space of their school.
The hosts hope to see future students take over the mic once they leave HVGS.
"We want to make sure that after we graduate it continues and it's not just a two-year thing. We really want it to continue," Chelsea said.
