SRL Educators produce stories they’d like to see on PBS NewsHour

Thirty-five educators converged on the nation’s capital this summer for #SRLBootcamp2016, an annual workshop devoted to storytelling, student engagement and the future of public media.

Teachers and program leaders worked alongside commercial and public media mentors to hone video production, journalism and social media skills. They brainstormed strategies to approach difficult subjects in the classroom and discussed ways to spark interest in news and public affairs.

Honoring the best of project-based learning strategies, the teachers split into groups and hit the streets to produce stories they’d like to see on the PBS NewsHour. Watch the completed pieces below.

Local D.C. barbershop buzzes with history

Produced by:
Mary Dunn, Pleasure Ridge Park High School
Christopher Jones, Cape May County Technical High School
LeVar Jones, FBR Branch Boys & Girls Club’s Best Buy Teen Tech Center
Karin McKemey, Fort Mill High School

Native American family weaves together modernity and tradition

Produced by:
Renee Aalund, Turtle Mountain Community High School
Joseph Donnelly, Jackson Creek Middle School
Melissa Sherman, Hughes STEM High School
Rafael Vela, Eastside Memorial High School

A fencer on the road to the Olympics

Produced by:
Kadesha Bonds, Woodrow Wilson High School
Joanna Greer, John F. Kennedy High School
Alan Humbert, West Roxbury Academy
Susan Johnson, Richwood High School
Christopher Lazarski, Wauwatosa West High School

Pokemon-Go gets players of all ages on their feet 

Produced by:
Stephen Erle, Burlingame High School
Gina Gray, Dalton Middle School
James McDaniel, Centennial Academy
Dawnna Talley, UTPB STEM Academy

New hope, new home for returning citizens

Produced by:
Mike Conrad, Royal Oak High School
Elisa Cundiff, Las Cruces High School
Tina DiChiara, Next + Gen Academy
Jennifer Keintz, Sentinel High School
Donald Pearce, Denver Public Schools

“Spying is real and happens all the time”

Produced by:
Jean Biebel, Wauwatosa East High School
Patricia Fergusson, San Mateo High School
Allison Gamlen, Hillsdale High School
Michael Kaufman, Frederick V. Pankow Center

D.C.’s iceberg exhibit helps locals cool down and reflect

Produced by:
William Isom, Smoky Mountain Youth Media
Bernadine Judson, Etiwanda High School
Neena Kumar, Legacy Early College High School
Jane McCabe, San Mateo High School
Holly Ortega, Lewis and Clark Middle School

Torn between two worlds: the challenges of transracial adoption

Produced by:
Nick Carrillo, Aragon High School
Kerri Lynn Cobb, Bozeman High School
Carol Dawkins, York Comprehensive High School
Timothy Knipe Jr., Social Justice Humanitas Academy
Julie Tiedens, Black River Falls High School