Press Release: SRL Launches Special Unit for Students around Coronavirus
Arlington, Va.– PBS NewsHour Student Reporting Labs (SRL) created a new resource packet in response to the global coronavirus pandemic which aims to empower students to take positive action by producing vital news stories in their community.
“As we move to uncharted territory with so many schools closing and shifting to virtual learning, it’s important for SRL to do its part to stay connected to our network and be a resource during this time of need,” said Leah Clapman, SRL Founder & Managing Editor for Education at the PBS NewsHour
The special unit consists of project-based assignments that include some of SRL’s best tutorials, graphic organizers and explainers. The unit is broken up into different pathways that lead learners through the steps necessary to tell stories about the coronavirus’ impact on themselves, their families and communities. The options were created to accommodate different levels of difficulty, time-considerations and interest. Educators can set their own deadlines and timelines.
This is a living document and the SRL Team will continue to add resources, including suggestions by educators.
Join SRL’s informational webinar on Tuesday, March 17 at 7pm ET to learn how to navigate the unit and share how you are grappling with unprecedented changes to the country’s education system.
REGISTER HERE.
SRL hopes educators can pass this resource to others who might be able to start citizen journalism for the first time, especially to those students who do not have internet access at home and schools that are not prepared should coronavirus force education online.
WATCH the stories and responses SRL is collecting from students about the the impact and repercussions of the coronavirus.
About SRL
PBS NewsHour Student Reporting Labs (SRL) is building the next generation of video journalists by connecting educators with an innovative video journalism curriculum and network of public broadcasting mentors to develop digital media, critical thinking, and communication skills while producing original news reports from a youth perspective. Over 150 schools across 46 states and the District of Columbia participate, reaching 3,000 students. Over the last decade, SRL youth media producers have helped students place over 50 video news reports on the PBS NewsHour’s nightly broadcast and more on local media outlets. Visit www.studentreportinglabs.org to learn more.
About PBS NewsHour
For more than 40 years, millions of Americans and citizens of the world have turned to the PBS NewsHour for the solid, reliable reporting that has made it one of the most trusted news programs on television. PBS NewsHour is a production of NewsHour Productions LLC, a wholly-owned non-profit subsidiary of WETA Washington, DC, in association with WNET in New York. More information on PBS NewsHour is available at www.pbs.org/newshour. On social media, visit PBS NewsHour on Facebook or follow NewsHour on Twitter.
Support Provided By
The MacArthur Foundation, National Institutes of Health SEPA partnership, The American Graduate: Getting to Work initiative, public media’s long-term commitment, made possible by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) to help young people succeed in school, career, and life.