They get support from their advisor Keesha Bowden, Achievement and Behavior Support Specialist, who has been at Quest Charter Academy for three years. This is her 19th year in education. “I love NHA, the structure and the culture. We have a great culture at Quest. Everyone is so supportive from the top down.”
This is the second year the Ambassador Group has produced this show. Bowden got the idea from another NHA school who was doing a TV news show for announcements, and she thought it was a great idea.
Bowden writes the script, and the students do the rest. This is an after-school project. When the kids get to the classroom, they review the script and do a practice rundown before filming. Bowden likes them to switch around roles. Usually there are three news anchors, two weather announcers, and sometimes they do breaking news in another location. The tele-prompter is a student who holds up the information on a sheet of paper. Someone helps with sound and Bowden usually films the kids.
“I encourage them to try all the roles. As an educator, it’s part of my job to cultivate and push them into trying different things,” said Bowden. “It’s okay if you stumble. Even professionals stumble, it’s how you recover that counts.”
After the students have left, Bowden edits and puts the final show together. Typically, the Morning Show is about 5 – 6 minutes long. The Morning Show link is also added into the principal’s newsletter, so parents can see it too.
The Student Ambassador Group does other things as well. They help give tours to kids who are thinking about coming to Quest. They are greeters for special visitors and give a student’s perspective on school tours. They serve as mentors to kids who are new to the school. During March for reading month, they go around to lower-level classes and read to the students.
“They help represent the school in a variety of ways. They are the brightest and best,” said Bowden. “They are shining stars and academically strong.”
When Bowden asked her students, “What has the experience of being a Student Ambassador meant to you?” Here were their responses:
“Sometimes I feel like I'm on a real news channel, it’s so cool! It was an honor to be selected!” ~Tyler Williams (sixth grade)
“I love being an ambassador because I like helping people. I also like all the compliments I get from my friends and family.” ~Taya Robbins (fifth grade)
“It’s a special feeling because you get to see yourself on TV (YouTube). It makes me feel more confident in myself, and my parents are very proud of me.” ~Jeremiah Lee (fifth grade)
“I feel like a celebrity because sometimes people in my class ask me for pictures and autographs!” ~Bella Roberts (fifth grade)
“Being a student ambassador makes me feel very proud. It feels great to know that I can be trusted to represent the school well!” ~Kynzie Miller (sixth grade)
“It is an honor to be a student ambassador. It has really helped me to feel more confident in myself.” ~Brayden Foeller (fifth grade)
About Quest Charter Academy
Quest Charter Academy is a tuition-free, public charter school in Taylor, Michigan, serving students in kindergarten through eighth grade. It is part of the National Heritage Academies network, which includes more than 100 tuition-free, public charter schools serving more than 65,000 students in kindergarten through 12th grade across nine states. For more information, visit nhaschools.com.
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