How to work with SRL: New for the 2025-26 school year!
July 24, 2025 | updated October 24, 2025
Your guide to working with SRL this school year is here! This year PBS News Student Reporting Labs is offering reporting opportunities across formats, topics, and skill levels — podcast production, social media video, longer form video packages, plus in-person training and more opportunities to get support from the SRL team. Read on for details.
The SRL team hosted a three-part virtual event series this fall for educators to ready to guide student storytelling: watch the Back to School Kickoff recording here,
START WITH STORYMAKER
Sign up for StoryMaker, SRL’s resource platform. Use the activities and prompts on SRL’s resource platform to brainstorm reported story ideas and practice reporting skills like interviewing and filming b-roll in your classroom. Book office hours with Community Engagement Manager Emily Dobkin for a personalized introduction.
When you join StoryMaker, you also get access to our brand new virtual community hub for teachers to learn and share, the SRL Community Commons, where you can connect with and learn from staff and SRL Ambassadors, educator experts who can help you incorporate SRL resources into your classroom.
TAKE THE NEXT STEP WITH STUDENT REPORTING OPPORTUNITIES AT EVERY LEVEL
SRL SHORTS (Easy)
Create short (1–2 min), vertical videos for SRL social media that explore identity, mental health, hobbies, culture, and more. Fun, personal, reflective content for and by young people. Deadlines throughout the school year. No pitch required: learn more and submit here. Get updates via the SRL newsletter and social media (Students: join our Instagram broadcast channel here).
RAPID RESPONSE (Medium)
Quick-turn videos on breaking news or cultural moments. No pitch required, just fast, thoughtful storytelling. Look for announcements throughout the school year via our newsletter and social media.
CONTRIBUTE TO OUR PODCAST! (Medium)
On Our Minds is Student Reporting Labs’ award-winning teen life podcast. Season six is hitting the road with stories about what makes teen life unique across the country. Applications open in August. Note: these are paid opportunities.
- Podcast Host: Apply to be a co-host by OCTOBER 31.
- Student Producer: Pitch your audio story idea by DECEMBER 19. Free audio storytelling workshop Nov 12 to help you prep! Sign up here.
- Theme Music: Submit your 1-min original song by FEBRUARY 6.
PITCH & PUBLISH (Advanced)
For student stories to be considered for publication on national and local platforms, students must pitch a story idea, and if accepted, collaborate with SRL staff on production and edits. This will include a process of receiving feedback from SRL staff and making multiple edits and revisions, which may take several weeks/months, depending on the story.
- 2025-2026 SCHOOL YEAR PROMPTS: Use these prompts as guidance for reporting a longer-form horizontal video report in your community. Pitch your idea to Student Reporting Labs from August 1, 2025 to March 31, 2026 to be considered for publication. Or, use these prompts as inspiration to report stories and publish stories on your school’s platforms.
TIPS BEFORE YOU PITCH
- RESEARCH: Spend time doing research and talking to people you might interview.
- WATCH: This short video about pitching.
- REVIEW: The pitch page on StoryMaker, plus these quick tips to develop a successful pitch.
- SUBMIT YOUR PITCH: Submit your pitch using this form from August 1, 2025, to March 31, 2026.
- NEXT STEPS: If your pitch is selected, a team member will reach out within three weeks of submission to provide feedback on further story development and production support. Pitches that move forward will include submitting a rough cut, fine cut, final cut, and collaborative work with the SRL team to be considered for publication.
MORE STUDENT & TEACHER OPPORTUNITIES
- Teacher Workshop 2026: Multi-day journalism training | Details to come in early spring 2026
- SRL Summer Academy 2026: All-expenses-paid weeklong journalism camp | Details to come in early spring 2026
- 2025-26 Student Advisory Team (application now closed)
- Apply for up to $1000 to host a screening of SRL documentary Run, Hide, Fight: Growing up under the gun (application now closed)
OUR TEAM IS HERE TO HELP!
Send an email to the SRL team to get help with the reporting/production process, advice about equipment, etc.
- StoryMaker resources + educator community – Emily Dobkin edobkin@reportinglabs.org
- Pitches + Student Advisory Team — Marie Cusick marie@reportinglabs.org
- SRL social media + SRL Shorts — Rawan Elbaba rawan@reportinglabs.org
- In-person training and equipment — Victor Fernandez victor@reportinglabs.org
- On Our Minds podcast — Becky Wandel becky@reportinglabs.org
- General Inquiries — Contact form. Learn more about our team here.