Students at nearly 700 Goddard Schools across the country had the opportunity to become junior journalists for a day, including students at The Goddard School of Baltimore. The school system hosted a day of journalism-themed activities in recognition of World News Day on Monday, Sept. 28.
Pre-K and kindergarten students were able to conduct interviews with their fellow classmates and teachers, report on the weather and goings-on in their classrooms and hold their own press conferences. Some even had the chance to interview professional journalists and ask questions about their work.
“Children may not know what a journalist is yet, but they’re already doing what great journalists do: asking questions and seeking answers,” says Dr. Lauren Loquasto, senior vice president and chief academic officer of Goddard Systems, LLC and manager of The Goddard School franchise system, in a news release. “That curiosity is how children make discoveries and begin to understand the world. World News Day is a chance to shine a light on the power of their questions and illustrate the value of an inquiry-based approach to learning.”
While many schools around the world observe World News Day, the initiative ties into the Goddard School’s inquiry-based Wonder of Learning program. This program aims to encourage children to be curious about the world around them and to ask questions, not dissimilar to the work journalists do.
As part of World News Day, Recess Therapy creator and host Julian Shapiro-Barnum posted several interviews with Goddard School students on social media. Shapiro-Barnum’s interviews with young children have regularly gone viral across the internet, highlighting the children’s unique perspectives on life’s big questions.
“I’ve learned more about the world from talking to children than almost anyone else. They’re honest, curious and completely authentic,” adds Shapiro-Barnum in the release. “I loved teaming up with The Goddard School for World News Day, putting the microphone in front of some very curious children and seeing where the conversation took us.”
