On Wednesday, March 8, at the Austin Convention Center during SXSW EDU 2023, anyone without an official ticket to the conference can explore events in the Expo area—at no charge. If you decide to go, we recommend checking out some amazing Austin student journalists featured in a presentation about PBS’s StoryMaker platform. Leah Clapman of PBS NewsHour’s Student Reporting Labs will be hosting the event in Hall 4, and the young storytellers will talk about their experiences in local and national media.

The StoryMaker platform can be used by kids—with support from educators and parents—who want to learn the ropes of traditional and especially digital media so they can investigate any topic under the sun, share ideas with their peers, and advocate for causes they care about.

For kids, the site offers a huge array of tools, explainers, and other resources that can assist them in their storytelling. For example, they can learn the vocabulary of video and audio technology, take online lessons to polish their skills as interviewers and researchers, practice editing a visual or written piece, learn to fact-check like a pro, and discover how to avoid spreading misinformation in social media. For kids who are interested in communicating their passions—whether they’re traditionally schooled, alt schooled, homeschooled, or unschooled—there’s plenty to spark experimentation and connection.

And for educators, there are additional sets of resources, including project prompts and lesson plans. All the tools are designed to help students find their voices, express themselves in new ways, and reach new audiences.

You can check out more of PBS’s student reporters’ stories here. And the best place to begin with the StoryMaker platform is—logically—on their Getting Started page.

Shelley Sperry | Sperry Editorial