The Tribune

By DONITRA DAVIS

ENDING with a blast, the ‘Kidz Radio Club’ took over Radio House and the studios of 100Jamz for a while yesterday as an innovative summer student programme in educational broadcasting comes to a finish this week.

More than 30 students from public and private schools across New Providence have been taking part in the initiative, and for some it has changed their thoughts on a career as they have interacted with professional radio production and personalities.

“I came to the camp with no knowledge of all the equipment and sections in radio use, but the camp really made it easier for me to understand,” Lornte Mccarney said. “Being here at the radio station helped me as well by giving me a visual point of view.”

Donnae Burrows said she had wanted to be a forensic scientist before the programme. “But now that they have shown me the various radio stations, its fantastic and I don’t think I want to go in to forensics any more.”

Kidz Radio Club is an after school/summer intervention programme that aims to help children find their voice by improving their oral and written literacy skills and encouraging creativity. The students learned how to write and perform, work with microphones, use the effects of sound and music to enhance their work and how to support each other and present to the public.

The programme was run by the Audio Broadcasting Unit, Learning Resources section of the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology and was launched at the end of last month. The twice-weekly sessions included how to become a radio host, script writing, conducting an effective interview, studio ethics, editing and mixing and field trips to Radio House and other stations.

The students worked together to write and produce radio shows based on their ideas and recorded in the final four sessions. Each student will be awarded a CD of their work, a Kidz Radio Club certificate, badge and their work aired in the new school year on “A Time for Education” on 1540 ZNS and 104.5FM for an hour four days a week.

The club’s goal is to bring their programme to all public and private schools in the Bahamas. Grade 10 to 12 students from C R Walker, C I Gibson, R M Bailey, St Augustine College, T A Thomson and Queen’s College took part.

Antoinette Gibson-Sands, Melvern Davis, Laverne Cooper and Dorothy Rolle were involved in organising and supervising the Kidz Radio Club while Keno Burrows was the technical producer. Dairy Queen provided wristbands for the students.