PBS NewsHour Student Reporting Labs to host special highlighting the impact of COVID-19 on education

Arlington, VA (Tuesday, May 4, 2021) — PBS NewsHour Student Reporting Labs (SRL) will host “Disrupted: How COVID changed Education”, a one-hour live event on PBS NewsHour’s YouTube channel on Tuesday, May 18 at 7pm ET, with encore presentations on PBS Plus streaming platforms.

More than a year after schools were forced to shut down, districts are grappling with reopening plans, and reckoning with the systemic problems magnified by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Disrupted: How COVID Changed Education” will explore the impact of this world-shaking event on teens in America and confront big questions about the future of education at the beginning of a critical recovery period for the country’s 16,800 school districts.  

Hosted by Amna Nawaz, senior national correspondent for the PBS NewsHour, the show will feature teen voices, conversations with educators, and leaders — including the U.S Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona — and student stories about learning and growing up in a pandemic. 

“My school is one of the biggest in New York state with over 5,000 students, many of which are low income and minority,” said Janice Aragon of Brentwood High School, who asked Secretary Cardona in the show, “what will you do to help bridge the gap in education quality for disadvantaged communities like mine?” 

“This program is designed to spotlight student stories within critical conversations about the future of education. We’re going to be dealing with the aftermath of this pandemic for a long time so it’s critical to understand what teenagers have been through and listen to their ideas for what needs to change,” said Leah Clapman, SRL founder and managing editor of education for the PBS NewsHour.

Audience members will be invited to engage with featured guests in a live chat during the premiere event and share their stories and ideas for shaping the future of education. 

The event is free and open to the public — register on Eventbrite: bit.ly/DisruptedEducation

About Student Reporting Labs

Now in over 160 middle and high schools, Student Reporting Labs (SRL) is a national youth journalism program and public media initiative that trains teenagers across the country to produce stories that highlight the achievements, challenges, and reality of today’s youth. SRL creates transformative educational experiences through video journalism that inspires students to find their voice and engage in their communities. Since 2009, SRL youth media producers have helped students place over 100 video news reports on PBS NewsHour’s nightly broadcast and more on local media outlets. SRL is supported by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private corporation funded by the American people, and the MacArthur Foundation. Visit www.studentreportinglabs.org to learn more. 

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Media contacts:

Student Reporting Labs

Marcus Markle marcus@studentreportinglabs.org

818-282-5679