Quote from Forum Archives on May 27, 2004, 7:20 pm

Posted by: homenews <homenews@...>

Dear Hope Chest readers,

 

This extra announcement is primarily for Central Florida area home schoolers, but I would appreciate your feedback even if you are not in the area.   Thank you!

 

Blessings,

Mary Knowles

(daughter of Virginia)

 

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Journalism Group Needs Founding Members

 

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Hello, home schooling families!

 

        My name is Mary Knowles, and this fall I will be a high school senior, finishing my lifelong home schooling adventure (it's been a trip, all right).  I want to do something exciting in my last year, something to give back to the home schooling community, and that's the reason I am writing to you.  I want to start a journalism group for home schooled high school students in the Central Florida area.  This group will be an opportunity for students to gather, discuss journalistic topics, help each other with writing projects, hear from speakers, and generally be in a motivating, encouraging, enriching environment to learn about journalism.  Joining this group won't require journalistic experience -- that's the point of the group, after all -- but it will require enthusiasm and active participation!   We will start small, most likely informally, and work our way up to something bigger and better.  The emphasis will be print journalism.  I also need to say up front that this group will have a Christian influence, simply because many of the people and resources of this group will be Christian (including myself).  However, please feel more than welcome to come if you are not a Christian. 

 

        Now that I've introduced the idea, let me give you some background on its origin.  To my knowledge, this group will be breaking ground among the Central Florida home schooling community.  I say this because since my freshman year of high school, I have looked for and asked around for groups of this type, and found only a journalism class at Circle Christian School, which I am not a part of.  Students like me who are considering journalism as a career are faced with an interest but not much of an outlet.  The home schooling community is forming groups for athletics, music, and other extracurricular activities, but a journalism group is largely unexplored territory.  To me this is an exciting chance!   It's a chance to help encourage and equip students in a calling that is irreplaceable in our culture.   It seems that every year America rediscovers how influence and integrity are both crucial to good journalism (unfortunately, influence is there even when integrity isn't). 

 

        So this is an important chance -- now what?  For the past few months I've been investigating that question, and things have been picking up speed.  In tenth grade I had an excellent English teacher, Ms. Missy Duncan, and she has agreed to be the advisor for the group.  A journalism professor I recently met at UCF, Mr. Rick Brunson, has agreed to lead a workshop, and most likely we'll go to the Orlando Sentinel for a tour or possibly an editorial board meeting.  WORLD magazine also has good resources (if you're interested in its high school workshop August 1-13 in Chattanooga, TN, ask me for details or go to http://www.worldji.com).  These are starting points, and now I'd love to team up with other students, hear their ideas, and get things moving!  Anyone interested in being a founding member of this group is invited to a brainstorm session -- see below.  Ms. Duncan will be there, and I'm getting the word out in Central Florida, so I'd appreciate your help. If you can't come to this initial meeting but are still interested, please write to me at [email protected].  We might be able to reschedule based on the availability of those who respond.  I'm not sure about the meeting place yet, but I'll keep you updated if you indicate an interest.  For now, plan on meeting somewhere in the Casselberry/North Orlando area.

 

        Now that you've read my thoughts, I hope you are as excited about this opportunity as I am!  Please pass this on to anyone who you think will be interested, and give me your suggestions for the group!  I would love to hear from you.  Thanks for your time and consideration as this adventure gets underway! 

 

        Blessings,

       

        Mary Knowles

 

 

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New Journalism Group

for Central Florida high school students…

 

...Become a founding member!

 

Bring your ideas and questions to an

Ideas Meeting

 

Tentatively Planned for Saturday, July 17, 2004

 

RSVP or for more info:

Mary Knowles

[email protected]

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