Student Reporting Labs Squad Grows to 3!
Ever wish your high school journalism classroom could be transformed into a newsroom with support from a professional media mentor and the opportunity to be featured on PBS Newshour? Enter PBS NewsHour Student Reporting Labs
PBS NewsHour Student Reporting Labs are classes, after-school programs, and clubs around the country producing original, inspiring reports about how national and global issues affect local communities. Hundreds of schools apply for the program, and this year PBS SoCal's squad of Student Reporting Lab sites has grown from one to THREE awesome sites at Etiwanda High School, Daniel Pearl Magnet School, and Social Justice Humanitas Academy.
We'll be following the experience of the brand-new Reporting Lab at Social Justice Humanitas Academy as they explore their first year of the program. To start, meet Tim and Rosa...
Tim Knipe, Student Reporting Labs teacher, Social Justice Humanities Academy
What's your story, Tim?
Teaching is my fourth or fifth career. It took me a while to realize my calling. I teach journalism, in addition to 11th Grade English, because it is important for my students to be able to tell their stories. In a democracy, all voices are important. The voices of the community in which my students live have not always been heard. I teach to change that.
What excites you about the reporting labs?
Receiving acknowledgment and support from a national news organization is inspiring for students who have been too frequently overlooked by our society. SRL gives them a model for success that they themselves can achieve.
Who is your media inspiration, and why?
I think I would have to say Jacques-Yves Cousteau. He used a camera along with other technology that he created to open an entire world to my generation that we would otherwise never have seen. Rather than be limited by traditional tools, he designed and built whatever he needed to get the story he wanted to tell.
What is your favorite PBS show?
Honestly, I would have to say first PBS Newshour and second, Frontline.
Rosa Maria Ruvalcaba, Student Reporting Labs mentor, Social Justice Humanitas Academy
What's your story, Rosa?
I'm a filmmaker and educator at ALAS Media. After graduating college, I decided to follow my passion and co-founded ALAS Media, a video production company that focuses on telling stories to help create change.
What excites you about the reporting labs?
What excites me about the reporting labs is that students have a platform to share their voice with the world.
Who is your journalist/media/filmmaker inspiration, and why?
My current inspiration is Anthony Bourdain and his media company Zero Point Zero Productions. I love their approach to stories.
What is your favorite PBS show?
My current favorite is A Chef's Life!