B
ethel Park High
School senior
Tania Beattie is
considering a career in
Broadcast Journalism, so
she successfully applied
and was one of 30 area
high school students
who were accepted to
participate in the 33rd
Annual Frank Bolden
Urban Journalism
Workshop for Teens.
This eight-day
program, sponsored
by the Pittsburgh Black
Tania Beattie
Media Federation, was
held at Point Park University, which served as Tania’s home for
the program, as she stayed in one of the dorms at Point Park
throughout the program’s duration.
Participating in this program were students from the area
and as far away as York, PA, who were interested in learning
more about Broadcast Journalism, Newspaper Journalism, Web
Journalism and Photography.
Tania selected the Broadcast track, but she also picked up some
experience in writing as she was required to participate in some
writing exercises from the Journalism track.
The Broadcast track students spent a great deal of time putting
together a local news show, which they rehearsed in the Point
Park studios to practice “cold reads” off the teleprompter before
going to the KDKA-TV studios and filming on the news set.
Tania auditioned and was selected as one of the two anchors
for the program. She also produced a story segment, where she
and a KDKA cameraman traveled to Bethel Park High School to
interview BPHS Nurse Tracy Ford about the STAND (Standing
Together Against Negativity and Discrimination) group at the
High School.
You can see Tania’s STAND story and her work as an
anchorwoman online at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ow4lnV1Ahg.
“I was so excited to be selected,” said Tania. “I never thought I
would get picked, but I’m glad I was able to participate.”
While her experiences were enjoyable and she had the
opportunity to make new friends, the program was not all fun and
games.
“They told us the first day that this was going to be harder
than we thought, and it was,” she said. “They explained that this
program was more than just journalism. They told us that it was
also going to teach us about life. They were right.”
Her first instinct was to go home after the first day, but she
persevered and she’s glad that she did. “I want to go back next
year,” exclaimed Tania. “The instructors were terrific and I am glad
that I made the friends that I did.
“I would encourage anybody who is interested in learning more
about journalism to apply.”
Her last piece of advice: “Do it and don’t go home. Push through
it or you’ll miss out on a lot!”
In addition to her work at KDKA, the program’s participants also
had a chance to tour KDKA, the Post-Gazette and Tribune-Review.
The program was free to all attendees and applications will be
available next spring on the Bethel Park High School Counseling
website. When they become available, it will be announced in the
Bethel Park School District’s weekly email newsletter.
While Tania enjoys broadcast journalism, she is not completely
decided on her future. When she graduates from Bethel Park
High School in June 2017, she would like to attend either Howard
University or
Virginia State
University and
major either
in broadcast
journalism or
teaching. If
she decides to
be a teacher,
Tania would
like to teach
either History or
Tania Beattie as she reads the news in the KDKA-TV
African American
studios.
Studies.
Bethel Park | Winter 2016 | icmags.com 59
B E THE L PARK S CHOOL DIS TR IC T
SENIOR PARTICIPATES IN WEEK-LONG,
HANDS-ON JOURNALISM WORKSHOP
Bethel Park
with the Fluency Project. Now that the
teachers to expand their own teaching
teachers have completed the summer
repertoire, and our broad goal is for these
project, Dr. Hutchins will be visiting the
teachers to collaborate with many other
schools throughout the year to work with
Bethel Park teachers to empower them to
the teachers, helping them to shape what
incorporate more of this technology into
they learned this summer into something
their teaching methods as well.”
practical for their students.
Ms. O’Rourke thought it was important
Lee Cristofano (left) works with Sara Steeb, who
is looking at data on drug overdoses in Allegheny
“We don’t know exactly what the final
for Bethel Park teachers to be involved
County as part of her data mapping project for the
outcome will look like,” said Dr. Hutchins,
with this project. “The technology being
BPHS Big Data Analytics class.
“but I have been extremely impressed with
developed at CMU is, by far, on the cutting
the relationships that were developed
edge for what can have a positive impact
this summer. As the teachers feel more comfortable using the
on instruction.
technology tools, they will, in turn, help their students to become
“As a District, we appreciate that our participating teachers
authentic learners. I look forward to seeing some wonderful
now have a ground-up view of what is out there to enhance
outcomes as a result of the Fluency Project.
instruction, as well as the opportunity to be able to collaborate
“Students come to school curious. Technology allows them to
with a renowned university to bring this technology into our
drive how they learn. Additionally educational technology allows
classrooms.”