Shine news

‘Do it right, it runs itself’ is the motto of Alan Williams, formerly of Altrincham Grammar School for Boys, whose student publication has won several accolades under his overseeing eye.

He gives this advice on how to start up a student project:

I’m not the kind of person who tells other professionals what they should do. Instead, I will give an account of the things that I did in my ten years of running a Publications Committee. First off is to have a vision of the direction you want to go. Are you a political/opinion-based Publication or are you reflecting the things going on in your school community?

Now is the time to talk to your students about beginning a team project that will enhance their enjoyment of school and learning and give them great life skills!

Whether it’s recording a podcast, editing, designing, or writing a feature, working as a team on a publication is a meaningful and useful learning experience, and it is also great fun for all involved. All ages can get involved and it is a great vehicle for connecting different age groups in the school.

A magazine, newspaper or podcast is ultimately all-inclusive and offers a platform for diverse groups to communicate with their immediate and wider worlds.

We’re launching Shine 2023 with encouragement from our Chair, Alison, who says;

If your school does not yet offer its students a platform for self-expression then we strongly recommend that you start one this year!

Having the skill to communicate effectively is essential for all young people, whatever future career they may end up in.

A publication offers the opportunity to learn teamwork, to work to deadlines, to think about how to get a message across, and to express concerns or interests that are outside of curriculum restraints.

This week we are celebrating more of our invaluable ‘Ask the Expert’ videos, which we hope will give you some ideas and advice on different aspects of journalism and the industries linked to publishing.

Today we announce our very own *drum roll* Shine School Media Awards Archive!

Here you will find a record of all our past winning entries over the past eleven years. We hope this wonderful resource will demystify what constitutes a winner for those teachers new to Shine, as well as being a record for posterity. If your school has won or been highly commended in years past, those entries will be there.

The gates are down and I hope 2022 is off to a good start for you all after the slog that was 2021. I expect your students are giddy with inspiration and creativity after their Christmas hols (yeah right!, I hear you say), but to help any teachers out there who are struggling to motivate their students or who want get a Shine entry together but have limited time available, this month we will be focusing on our multimedia and podcast categories.