Shaping The Next Generation Of Storytellers: A Year of Impact With GPB's Student Voices Collective

As the school year comes to a close, Georgia Public Broadcasting reflects on the powerful first year of the Student Voices Collective (SVC)—an initiative designed to empower Georgia’s youth through civic storytelling, media literacy, and digital journalism.

Launched in June 2024, the SVC has brought together secondary students and educators from across the state to engage in real-world journalism. This program helps equip students with the tools, training, and platform to report on the issues that matter most to them—whether from their communities or the national stage.

A Strong Start: The Kickoff Workshop

The program began with a dynamic workshop at GPB headquarters in Atlanta, where nearly 40 educators and mentors participated in hands-on training in mobile journalism, field recording, editing, and narrative craft. The participants hailed from a diverse range of schools—public, private, and postsecondary—all united by a shared commitment to amplifying student voices.

The feedback was immediate and inspiring:

"This was the best professional development I’ve experienced in 16 years."

"A perfect balance of support for both newcomers and experienced media educators."

That energy has carried forward throughout the school year.

Student Projects: Amplifying Voice

Through a series of quarterly prompts, students created original reporting projects on timely and relevant themes, including:

• The Young Creator Electorate: The Effects of AI in the Acting Industry
  
  A podcast by Spelman College sophomore Sabbath Canady on artificial intelligence and creativity.

• Howard High School: What Would You Do if Social Media Disappeared Today?
  
  A student-led interview exploring digital life and mental health.

• Harrison High School: Youth Leadership in Action
  
  Teens explore what leadership means to them and how their peers are making a difference.

• Hammond Creek Middle School: What Should We Be Learning?
  
  Middle schoolers in Dalton reflect on what’s missing from their curriculum.

These stories are more than just examples of media training—they reflect growth in confidence, citizenship, and communication. Students aren’t just learning how to report the news; they’re learning how to shape it.

Looking Ahead: A Bright Future for Georgia’s Students

The Student Voices Collective is helping lay the foundation for a more informed and engaged Georgia. With the continued support of our communities, the next chapter of this initiative begins in June 2025 with our second annual kickoff workshop. More educators and students will join this growing initiative, continuing to strengthen the voices of young storytellers across the state.

On behalf of the team at GPB Education—and the hundreds of students and educators now part of the Student Voices Collective—thank you for supporting this effort to amplify the voices of Georgia’s next generation of leaders, citizens, and storytellers. Together, we are helping shape the future of education in Georgia.

Follow the Stories

To explore more of these impactful student projects, visit GPB.org/SVC.