Copy and paste the following questions--and your answers--into an email to send to John and David.

There is no paper form.

Personal Information

Your FULL NAME:

eMail:

Home phone #(s):

Cell phone # (if you have one):

Parent Permission

I understand that my child will travel to other cities (San Francisco and Washington, D.C. are potential destinations), and that these travel costs are only partially covered by tuition. I understand that he/she will have to work ahead academically to make this possible. I give my permission for __________________________________to be apply to be part of the Santa Barbara Middle School Teen Press, Team 26.

Parent name __________________________________________

Parents, please copy/paste this section into a separate email and send to John and David by 6pm, Tuesday, November 11th.

Commitments

Please let us know what activities you have that might interfere with your participation.

My activity commitments that might interfere with SBMS Teen Press are (list them here):

I understand that I will have to be prepared both academically and logistically to participate.

(Type your name here to acknowledge this):________________________________

Research Assignment

Unlike red carpet interviews which can only be 1 or 2 questions long, our interviews this session will longer and more in-depth. Think about how you would prepare to interview a someone who makes a difference in our world, based on research you do on them. This is the heart of the Teen Press process.

1. There are 4 people we are hoping to interview (among many) below. Choose one to study, and come up with at least 2 substantial questions for that person, showing in the course of the question something about your research (examples below).
   
   
2. Teen Press reporters come up with their own ideas for stories and interview subjects. Who is someone YOU think we should interview...and what should we ask them? Develop at least 2 questions for this person, based on what you can find out about them and their work.
   
   

----------------------------------------More information, and examples-------------------------------------

To show the person you're interviewing that you've done your homework, refer to what you've discovered about them as an introduction to your question. Here are some examples of questions by past Teen Press reporters:

• Nelson Mandella said "Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world." What’s one thing that you hope education accomplishes for Tibet?
  
  
• I learned that one of your childhood idols was Esther Williams. She once said that, “The wisdom acquired with the passage of time is a useless gift unless you share it.” You have done a lot of work to share with people the wonders of swimming and the ocean. What is your goal when it comes to ocean awareness?

You can also relate the question to issues relevant to students your age, or actual activities here at SBMS.

• In one video of Selma Rubin that we watched, she said it was up to the children now. What messages do you think Selma would pass on to kids my age?
  
  
• Our class is going out for four days to explore the Channel Islands and the Santa Barbara Channel. As the founder of an ocean exploration scholarship foundation, why do you believe it is important for students to have the opportunity to explore the oceans around them?

Team 26: Dec 2014-Feb 2015

Near & Far--It’s About the Stories

This winter brings a different kind of schedule for Teen Press, but the mission is the same: to find, research, gather and share interesting stories. Team 26 will also be the subject of a documentary short film by TC Johnstone. Admission will be limited to 8 sixth & seventh graders who successfully complete the application process.

What's in store

The selected reporters will take 6th period Teen Press Elective. During Teen Press class sessions, we will:

• Introduce and practice interviewing skills
• Discuss the approach we use as reporters (strategies and ethics), aka "Journalism 101"
• Research story opportunities
• Contact individuals and organizations by email and phone to request interviews and/or sponsorship
• Watch films about some of the subjects and/or people we will be writing about
• Practice mock interviews and reviews
• Optionally learn how to edit videos in Final Cut
• AND THEN…
• Travel out into the world to actually cover our stories! This can be for extended periods of time (if we travel to San Francisco or Washington, D.C.) during class periods (often including lunch period), other times of the school day, and some evenings and weekends.
  
  

What's required to take part

1. A Teen Press reporter represents Santa Barbara Middle School to the world. "Because of them, us--because of us, them." You must exhibit the highest level of SBMS citizenship to be selected to represent the school. You must also be an independent, responsible and reliable learner, dependable and ready to work without reminder.
   
2. Classroom commitment: You must be able to and you must commit to keeping up with your academic work.
   
   • You must also receive approval by your teachers. (Applications will be circulated among the faculty to be evaluated regarding your standing in citizenship and scholarship.)
     
3. You must receive permission from your parents to take part. This team is planning to travel to other cities for some of our interviews, and your parents will be asked to help make this happen.
4. Desire to be in front of camera and/or microphone. You will be interviewing people from all walks of life.
5. Dedication to serving people through information. You will be helping your viewers by giving them your perspective--informing them--through the questions you ask and the stories you write. (And the first step in this is to be informed yourself.) Be prepared to do some research!
6. You must demonstrate your desire to become part of the team by completing the application below.