KOROR, Palau – Twenty-three (23) students from Palau High School experienced what it is like to produce, publish, and report a story as journalists during a six (6) day exposure workshop conducted by members of Palau Media Council under a project called “Nurturing Future Journalists” made possible through a grant from the Republic of China-Taiwan’s small grant program.
The program culminated yesterday, November 30, 2023, with a live broadcast of students showcasing stories they developed and produced in short video clips on live television, radio, YouTube, and Facebook Live. The live broadcast was put together by Palau Media Council members, TMC Broadcasting, OTV Broadcasting, and Palau Wave Radio.
The students expressed excitement and satisfaction seeing their work displayed. “I loved the entire workshop. I think it’s a great opportunity for us high schoolers to get an in-depth insight into what it is like working as a media person. It was very educational and informational, and it was such a good hands-on experience. And I think this will stick with most of us for the rest of our high school years and really help us figure out what we want to do after graduating high school,” Delaine Termeteet, a high school senior, expressed.
“I enjoyed this workshop a lot. I thought the activities were great, and I enjoyed working with my group throughout the program,” said Edward Santos after seeing their live video story.
The six-day workshop was spread over two months to accommodate the students’ schedules and the Palau Media Council members. The content focus of the grant program was on “eco-tourism as a component of Palau’s economy.”
The students worked in groups for six days to develop stories for print, radio, TV, and other media platforms. Groups submitted written stories and video presentations of their stories based on what they learned from workshops.
Ongerung Kambes Kesolei, President of Palau Media Council, said he was quite impressed with the students, their efforts to research their stories, and their level of skills, particularly their use of technology to convey their ideas. Rebluud, an English III and World Literature Instructor at Palau High School, was quite pleased with the program. “The program is a great opportunity for our kids to use the skills we teach in the classroom, writing, grammar, and communication, and apply them to the real world. It is a great opportunity for them to consider journalism and mass communication as a profession.”
Principal Rdang said he was impressed by the results of the students’ efforts and congratulated them. He expressed appreciation to Palau Media Council and the Republic of China-Taiwan for making the program possible for the young people.
Palau High School Principal Smyth Rdang and PMC President Ongerung Kambes Kesolei presented the students with certificates of completion.