Partnerships

RTNDF is a matchmaker for three kinds of partnerships.

1. School to Station - matches high school broadcast classes with local television or radio stations. Twice each school year, RTNDF calls for teachers to request partnerships. Then RTNDF's High School Project works to match the first 20 qualifying schools with station partners. In most cases the station's staff are members of our sister group, the Radio-Television News Directors Association.

What constitutes a School-to-Station partnership? It can be as simple as having the pros critique student work or visiting the classroom or having classes visit the local station newsroom. Over time, School-to-Station partnerships can lead to station internships and maybe even student work airing on the station.

The September Partnership Application Period  is now closed. We have chosen  20 schools and are now matchmaking with radio and television stations across the country.  In November we will open applications for the next School to Station partnerships.

2. School to School - matches veteran teachers with new teachers. In our pilot program, a school in Maine partnered with a school in Alabama. At first the students did a little video conferencing and exchanged DVDs. Then came a fun exchange of gifts (maple syrup and Moxie for cotton balls and Moon Pies). Finally the two schools did some stories together (one was on Senior-itis). The two teachers learned from each other and the experienced enriched both programs. 

 The call for applications for School to School matches will go out in November.

3. Station to Community - helps local television and radio stations work with underserved and minority high schools and teens in their own communities. RTNDF helps with small grants and other resources. 

The following schools qualified for our Fall 2006 School-to-Station Partnership Search. Kate Sullivan will be working to match each school to a local radio or television station. The next School-to Station Partnership Application Period will open Thursday, Nov. 2.

Name		School	City	State
Deborah	Barnes	Sabin-Schellenberg Professional Technical Center	Milwaukie	OR
Dave	Cornelius	Arcadia High School	Phoenix	AZ
Bonnie	Dickason	Utterback Middle Magnet School	Tucson	AZ
Ken	Elm	Lopez High School	Brownsville	TX
Blair	Hamilton	Dorman High School Freshman Campus	Roebuck	SC
Mary	Honaker	Fleming County High School	Flemingsburg	KY
Daniel	Kester	Rincon High School	Tucson	AZ
Kevin	Kneisley	Gainesville City Schools	Gainesville	GA
Richard	Knight	Lancaster High School	Lancaster	SC
Richard	Kotrla	Hitchcock High School	Hitchcock	TX
Gayle	Moore	Bay High School	Bay St. Louis	MS
Tammy	Parks	Howe Public Schools	Howe	OK
Debra	Rein	Osceola High School	Seinole	FL
Tony	Schoepke	Sandia Preparatory School	Albuquerque	NM
Pam	Shapiro	Pueblo Magnet High School	Tucson	AZ
Scott	Spicher	Conner High School	Hebron	KY
Sundae	Stubbs	Orange Park High School	Orange Park	FL
Jo	Tucker	Byron Advanced Technology Center	Lubbock	TX
Thomas	Wheeler	Tonopah Valley High School	Tonopah	AZ
Fred	Whitaker	Dunedin High School	Dunedin	FL
Alternates
Pete	Crawford	Centennial High School	Circle Pines	MN
Patti	Mennes	Memorial High School	Houston	TX
Lori	Norton	Red Mesa High School	Teec Nos Pos	AZ
Clay	Zigler	Rockwood Summit High School	Fenton	MO

Grant Announcement

RTNDF’s High School Project has opened three new grant programs: Seed Grants to schools to start new broadcast classes. (Up to $5,000). Download seed grant application form. Mentor Grants for local stations to work with schools or community groups. (Up to $2,500).  Mentor grants are aimed at starting or improving school broadcast classes or offering broadcast training to underserved teens. Download mentor grant application form. Additionally, RTNDF is introducing the D.C. Public Schools – Prime Movers – RTNDF Radio Curriculum with twenty $1,000 Radio Grantsforschools that will begin radio journalism programs or add radio to their broadcast or print classes. Download mentor grant application form. Priority in all grants is given to schools with high percentages of minority students; students who qualify for the federal free-or-reduced lunch program; or schools in underserved areas.