Growing up in Scottsdale Unified School District, I atteneded Cochise elementary for first through fourth grade. At this school, they had a video program that was specially reserved for fifth graders, that I was always excited to participate in. However, I switched to Redfield Elementary for fifth grade, for access to different educational opportunities. Upon my arrival, I was shocked to find out that this school did not have a film and television program like my old school did.
Despite being in the same school district, many schools do not have the same programs avaliable to students, which can contribute to discrepencies in the education system. While I cannot change many of these gaps, I made it my mission to bring a film and television program to Redfield. My younger sister, Lilah, also attended Redfield, so I've stayed strongly connected to their community.
By working with my advisor, Ms. Shadt, a teacher at Redfield, I was able to introduce a sample film and television program to her PACT 4th and 5th graders. Through the teacher community at Redfield, the videos I made with her class were posted to a google classroom so all classes at the school could view their end product. I am beyond grateful for the continual support from not only my advisor, but the Redfield community as well.
When trying to understand the for discrepencies between schools in relation to video-journalism, I found that the main reasons for the divide was due to a lack of resources.
Many schools do not have access to video equipment, or the necessary funds to purchase a video studio. To tackle this problem, I created a list of essential, but cheap video equipment, that would allow students to explore video journalism without a full studio setup.
Another issue I found was that many teachers had interest in creating a video-journliasm program at their school but had no idea how to get started. In addition to my guide of easy to use and cheap video equipment, I also developed a cirriculum and video tutorials that guide teachers on getting started.
Below are links to websites that speak on the importance of digital literacy, and how video-journalism programs can positively influence a student's education.