Capturing Life - Thinking Critically - Building A Community.

Celebrating Hispanic & Latinx Heritage Month

This project is a part of the Hispanic & Latinx Heritage Month celebration because it supports a Latino teacher or a school where the majority of students are Latino.

My Students

Every class period starts with two simple questions: “How are y’all doing today?” and “Since our last class, what is the last news story you read, heard, watched or witnessed?” At the beginning of the year there was silence, now we’re discussing issues that matter to them —and it’s AMAZING.

The facts about my students are quite simple: 99.9% of my students are minority Hispanic, 98% of my students are Economically Disadvantaged, 70% are labeled “At Risk” and roughly a quarter are “Limited English Proficient” students —and they all have the potential to do great things.

While one could go on with statistics and labels, what is most important to know is WHO my students are. They are hard working, they come from humble backgrounds, they struggle both academically and in life. A large number of my students don’t have easy access to a supermarket, let along libraries, museums or learning centers. A lot of what they do in life centers around school.School is where they make their friends, their long-lasting memories and set their sights for the future.

My Project

Over the last handful of years, my students had a handful of different Journalism/Yearbook teachers; what little equipment we have is in disrepair and outdated. The items requested aren't a complete fix, but they will get us on track to achieve multi-media greatness. I am requesting: one flash kit to make "impossible" shots possible for students, replacement batteries that will let students shoot for longer period of time enabling them to be creative, SD cards to replace failing ones and prevent file loss, Two tripods to enable students to learn a new tool, and a 'studio' light kit to let students run wild with their ideas. My students will use the tech to build and improve various skills. From team-building and communication skills, to technical and life skills surrounding deadlines and responsibilities —these items will go a long way. My students will also build our yearbook and are in the planning stages of launching a school newsletter (we have no school newspaper) to share their work.

A 2008 NAA Foundation study showed, that high school GPAs of students with journalism experience on school newspapers or yearbooks scored higher across than their counterparts; moreover, they also scored hight on ACT scores and maintained higher college GPAs.

My students will learn how to better write, think critically and enter the world more prepared to meet modern challenges for years to come. For many of my students getting an education means changing their entire family tree and legacy.