PBS NewsHour turns 10th annual Teacher Workshop into virtual professional development series

May 1, 2020

Washington, D.C. – PBS NewsHour Student Reporting Labs (SRL) is excited to announce its inaugural virtual professional development series for educators around the country. This event replaces our annual workshop in Washington, D.C., due to the uncertainty of coronavirus risk factors this summer.

This year, selected teachers will work alongside the Student Reporting Labs team and other public media professionals for a series of webinars from July 20 to July 24 to learn best practices for implementing SRL’s original video journalism and media literacy curriculum during the 2020-2021 academic year. 

This year’s workshop will focus on identifying the needs of educators in a distance learning environment, training for remote journalism, and creating strong teacher communities with local PBS stations throughout the country. Teachers will also help national program leaders design assignment prompts and instructional tools to engage middle and high school students in the news and infuse youth voices to coverage on issues including the 2020 elections and long-term impacts of COVID-19. 

“Creative teachers with a passion for student voice and civic journalism are our lifeblood,” says Leah Clapman, PBS NewsHour Managing Editor for Education. “Every year, we learn so much from new educators about the needs of local communities and innovative ways to engage teenagers, school leaders and families, especially during times of crisis.”

About Student Reporting Labs

Student Reporting Labs (SRL) creates transformative educational experiences through video journalism that inspire youth to find their voice and engage with their communities. SRL lesson plans, assignment prompts and instruction tools facilitate project-based learning that builds critical thinking, problem-solving, teamwork, and communication skills. Follow Student Reporting Labs on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram

Major support is provided by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, the MacArthur Foundation, the National Science Foundation and the National Institutes of Health Science Education Partnership Award.                                                                                                                                                                                                                   

About PBS NewsHour                                                                                  

PBS NewsHour is seen by over four million weekly viewers and is also available online, via public radio in select markets, and via podcast. PBS NewsHour is a production of NewsHour Productions LLC, a wholly-owned nonprofit subsidiary of WETA Washington, D.C., in association with WNET in New York. Major corporate funding is provided by BNSF, with additional support from Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, Carnegie Corporation of New York, the J. Paul Getty Trust, the S.D. Bechtel, Jr. Foundation, the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, the Lemelson Foundation, National Institutes of Health, National Science Foundation, The PEW Charitable Trusts, The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, Ford Foundation, Skoll Foundation, The Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, Friends of the NewsHour and others. More information on PBS NewsHour is available at pbs.org/newshour. On social media, visit NewsHour on Facebook or follow @NewsHour on Twitter.

Media Contact

Marcus Markle, Communications Manager: mmarkle@newshour.org

Elis Estrada, Senior Director, Student Reporting Labs: eestrada@newshour.org