PBS NewsHour names 20 fellows for summer student reporting academy

Produced by Jordan Vesey

This summer, 20 talented young storytellers from 11 states will gather in the nation’s capital to help build the future of public media.

The middle and high school fellows are participants in the annual Student Reporting Labs Academy in Washington, D.C. They’ll work alongside public media mentors to produce original digital content and sharpen their journalism and production skills. They will also help program leaders develop strategies to engage young people with the news and current affairs and ensure that diverse youth voices are active in the conversations about critical issues facing the nation.

During the 2015-2016 school year, these young journalists have reported on how their peers view racial tensions in their own communities and how young people are breaking down gender stereotypes, contributing to the NewsHour’s broadcast and digital platforms.

Here is the list of this year’s fellows:

Christine Alonzo, Maui Waena Intermediate School, Hawaii

Kendra Amick, Richwood High School, West Virginia  

Evan Aquinde, Maui Waena Intermediate School, Hawaii

Danielle Link, Alonzo and Tracy Mourning Senior High School, Florida 

Colten Birkland, Turtle Mountain Community High School, North Dakota

Alexis Davis, Turtle Mountain Community High School, North Dakota

Allicia Dean, Etiwanda High School, California

Sydney Dempsey, Maui High School, Hawaii

Christopher Ediger, Vista PEAK Preparatory, Colorado

Mercedes Ezeji, Pflugerville High School, Texas

Christian Guzman, South Mountain High School, Arizona

Cesar Haros, Cedar Ridge High School, Texas

Nick Hinojosa, Etiwanda High School, California

Pamela Kapolka, Cedar Crest High School, Pennsylvania

Ty Koslowski, Etiwanda High School, California

Jailen Leavell, Pleasure Ridge Park High School, Kentucky

Sydney Miller, Fort Mill High School, South Carolina

Keenan Penn II, Fraser High School, Michigan

Ty Smith, Vist PEAK Preparatory, Colorado

Hannah West, Etiwanda High School, California

The fellows are connected to local PBS stations Arizona PBS, Detroit Public Television, KET, KLRU in Austin, PBS Hawaii, PBS SoCal, Prairie Public Broadcasting, Rocky Mountain PBS, South Carolina ETV, West Virginia Public Broadcasting, WITF in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania and WLRN in Miami, Florida.

To learn more about the students and to watch their submission videos, please visit the official 2016 SRL Academy Tumblr.

Student Reporting Labs is a part of  “American Graduate: Let’s Make It Happen,” a public media initiative helping communities improve education opportunities for all students and build the next generation of skilled graduates, supported by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.  Student Reporting Labs STEM strand is supported by the National Science Foundation.