Woodland Forrest Secures $10k Funding For Broadcasting Studio

Woodland Forrest Elementary will have a new addition for students to take advantage of in the fall of 2024.

According to school principal Teresa Croom Bivens, Woodland Forrest Elementary has secured $10,000 in funding, thanks to Alabama House District 70 Representative Chris England, to build the school a broadcast studio.

"When we heard about the funding opportunity, we saw it as a means to provide students with a unique way to develop skills and see how the real-world works," said Woodland Forrest Librarian Jolynn Fenton.

Fenton was an instrumental part in securing this funding according to Principal Croom Bivens.

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"Funding, such as this, makes it possible to expand upon the curriculum and provide students with an engaging and interactive learning environment. Our kids deserve this."

The broadcasting studio aims to enhance students' communication skills, boost confidence, instill and foster critical thinking and media literacy skills as well.

The funding provided for the studio will be used to purchase technical equipment, studio setup requirements, and the software needed to successfully create a variety of videos and live streams. The physical space will be used for Morning and Afternoon announcements videos that will be prerecorded for teacher accessibility and school wide live-streaming for other events.

The introduction of a school television studio will enrich our students' educational environment by providing multifaceted learning opportunities incorporating traditional classroom skills and STEM activities, said Fenton.

Woodland Forrest Elementary's broadcast studio is expected to open August 2024 just in time for the new school year.

Fenton hopes the studio encourages students to see the importance of teamwork and possibly reveal future career paths that they might not have otherwise considered.

"Most importantly, I hope the studio helps students become more confident in themselves."