SUGAR HILL — Young students will get a chance to become reporters for a day as The Goddard School celebrates World News Day on Sept. 28.
The nationwide initiative includes The Goddard School network, which has a Sugar Hill campus on Peachtree Industrial Boulevard serving local families through early childhood education programs.
Students will participate in age-appropriate journalism activities, including interviewing classmates and teachers, observing and photographing events, holding mock press conferences and reporting classroom news.
Goddard officials said the activities are designed around something young children already do naturally — ask questions.
“Children may not know what a journalist is yet, but they’re already doing what great journalists do: asking questions and seeking answers,” said Dr. Lauren Loquasto, senior vice president and chief academic officer for Goddard Systems LLC.
The activities also connect with Goddard’s Wonder of Learning program, an inquiry-based approach that encourages children to explore their interests, investigate ideas and ask questions. The Sugar Hill school uses the Wonder of Learning curriculum as part of its educational program.
“That curiosity is how children make discoveries and begin to understand the world,” Loquasto said. “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.”
World News Day is a global initiative that highlights journalism and the importance of trustworthy news.
The Goddard School celebration will also include a series of interviews with students hosted by Julian Shapiro-Barnum, creator of the social media series Recess Therapy.
“I’ve learned more about the world from talking to children than almost anyone else,” Shapiro-Barnum said. “They’re honest, curious and completely authentic.”
The World News Day initiative is intended to give young students an early introduction to interviewing, listening and storytelling while showing them how their questions can help them learn more about the people and world around them.
