Showcase

GVSRL Students at GVSU
Students from all four high schools visited GVSU's campus to hear from several leaders, explore the university, and work on storytelling prompts.
Geoff Bennet Fireside Chat
Geoff Bennet, co-host of the PBS News Hour participated in a fireside chat with GVSRL students, student mentors, teachers, and other stakeholders about journalism, careers, and the power of story.
futurEDlab Ribbon Cutting
Our high school and college students participating in GVSRL attended the ribbon cutting for GVSU's futurEDlab.
futurEDlab Ribbon Cutting
As part of the futurEDlab event, GVSRL students participated as student press. Students are seen interviewing GVSU's President, Dr. Philomena V. Mantella.
Ira Glass Meet & Greet
GVSRL students sat down with the host of the podcast "This American Life," to learn about its inspiration and the process behind it, as well as ask questions.
GVSRL Career Fair
GVSRL students attended a Career Fair at GVSU. Here, they are seen touring WGVU studios after connecting with employers and other organizations about opportunities for their future.

About

Grand Valley Student Reporting Labs is a partnership between local high schools and GVSU using storytelling curriculum as a powerful way to build community, develop projects addressing relevant topics, center equity and inclusion, share real-world knowledge and lived experiences, and scale GVSU's impact on our next generation of diverse leaders. GVSRL is a partnership between WGVU Public Media and GVSU's College of Education & Community Innovation, School of Communications, and Charter Schools Office, pivoting from PBS News Hour's national program teaching students to tell stories through video journalism. Its innovative, project-based curriculum supports digital literacy, critical thinking, communication skills, and civic engagement. Student stories have the opportunity to be showcased on local and national PBS platforms, amplifying youth voices and cultivating 21st century skills.

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MEET THE NEXT GENERATION OF INFORMED AND EMPOWERED STORYTELLERS!

WGVU and GVSU have partnered to bring a new youth journalism program to West Michigan. Grand Valley Student Reporting Labs, or GVSRL for short, supports schools and students as they develop and hone their media literacy, journalism, and production skills.

GVSRL Labs are in our community reporting on the latest headlines, bringing a local point of view to national stories and shining a light on topics important to teens.

GVSRL YouTube Channel

GVSRL Lab Schools

PBS News Hour collaborates with dozens of K-12 schools across the country to implement their Student Reporting Labs (SRL) program. Through SRL, students and teachers learn to create short broadcast news stories in PBS’ unique style that investigate issues and events important to young people, and which are then considered for presentation on national and local public media outlets. Predictably, there is a significant waiting list of educators interested in participating in SRL. Thanks to a generous GVSU Innovation Fund grant, we have developed the Grand Valley Student Reporting Labs (GVSRL) model to meet this need, and tailor the SRL curriculum to the specific needs of Michigan high school educators and students. This two-year pilot goes through June of 2025 and works directly with four West Michigan high schools, providing them with equipment, training, curriculum development, campus visits, and more.