Brand New Youth News Collaborative Project!

And we're looking for some high schools/middle schools to take the lead!

This spring, MAGPI will be launching a brand-new project called "Youth News Collaborative." We'll be looking for schools all across our network to join the project and submit 2-3 minute news segments for a magazine-style news show produced entirely by students. We'll be using videoconferencing to plan and coordinate each program - - and will be webcasting live (and archiving via podcast) so that everyone can see.

We are looking for four high schools/middle schools to take the lead and produce/host one program this spring. By taking the lead, a school agrees to:

• Determine a 'theme' for the program and submit that theme to Heather for posting by January 15, 2010
• Run a pre-production meeting videoconference with students at schools submitting content for the new program two weeks before the live event (pre-production meetings will be held two Fridays before the live event, from 11:30 AM - 12:30 PM)
• Write the script for the 25 minute program that includes videos submitted by 5 other schools
• Participate in a live rehearsal with the MAGPI Tech Team two days befor the live broadcast (time to be agreed on by the school and the MAGPI Tech Team)
• "Go Live!" and be the on camera talent for one program (held the last Friday of the month from 12:00 PM - 12:25 PM)

Below, please find the production timeline. If your school would like to take the lead on one of these webcasts, please contact Heather Weisse Walsh at hweisse@magpi.net ASAP. Lead roles are available on a first-come, first-serve basis.

• FEBRUARY 2010
  Live Webcast: 2/26/2010 @ 12:00 PM EST
  Pre-Production Meeting VC: 2/12/2010 @ 11:30 AM EST
  
  
• MARCH 2010
  Live Webcast: 3/26/2010 @ 12:00 PM EST
  Pre-Production Meeting VC: 2/12/2010 @ 11:30 AM EST
  
  
• APRIL 2010
  Live Webcast: 4/23/2010 @ 12:00 PM EST
  Pre-Production Meeting VC: 4/9/2010 @ 11:30 AM EST
  
  
• MAY 2010
  Live Webcast: 5/28/2010 @ 12:00 PM EST
  Pre-Production Meeting VC: 5/14/2010 @ 11:30 AM EST

Not interested in taking the lead but want your student journalists to submit content? GREAT! We'll be opening registration for each session January after our lead schools have determined the theme for their production. We will be accepting videos submitted by middle and high school students for this project. And if you don't think you can contribute to the project this spring, start planning to show the webcasts during your school's lunchtime!

At this time, this program is only open to MAGPI member schools.

Thanks for your consideration! We're looking forward to this collaboration!

Virtual Visits to the North Pole

Here are some photos (far end - - so I'm taking images of a screen!) from some of our Virtual Cookies with Santa videoconference programs yesterday. It was so nice to be able to 'visit' the North Pole and so many schools without having to travel! Students got to share their cookie creations with Santa, hear Twas the Night Before Christmas and ask questions. The students at the Kentucky School for the Deaf showed us all how to sign Merry Christmas and we learned the Santa likes to vacation in the southern hemisphere... He also eats sugar cookies for breakfast (although MAGPI does not recommend nor endorse a steady diet of sugar cookie breakfasts). Personally, I was VERY impressed with how many good deeds all of the students were doing, and I know Santa was, too.

We'll be scheduling a week of virtual visits to the North Pole next year for MAGPI members ... so start planning now! :0) View the videoconference agenda and projects at http://www.magpi.net/Community/Programs/Cookies-Santa.