Robinson has been accepted as a founding member of a new FCPS technology initiative, and as a result is launching a broadcast news after-school club in the second semester of this academic year.

The Digital Technology Cohort is a new program launched by the Department of Information Technology to encourage students to use digital media technology to create their own original work, and to showcase students’ work across the county.

Chris Moore, English teacher and journalism adviser, developed the outline for an after-school broadcast journalism program for the Robinson middle school, in which participants plan their own stories and use class cameras and computers to interview sources, create and edit videos and use them to produce a broadcast news show.

As a result of Robinson’s acceptance into the DTC program, Principal Matt Eline and the middle school staff have approved the launch of a new after-school broadcast journalism club for the second semester of this school year, as well as the addition of a year-long broadcast journalism class in the middle school for the 2018-19 school year.

All the programs in the DTC are tied directly to the Portrait of a Graduate so they provide opportunities for students to practice the skills FCPS has identified as the most essential to lead to success later in life. “This club will enhance student knowledge and develop their skills as communicators, collaborators, creative and critical thinkers, and goal-directed and resilient individuals,” Principal Eline wrote in recommending the Robinson program. “I fully believe that the implementation of the program will not only enhance but improve the school environment at Robinson Secondary.”

The mission statement for the new program is: “The club is an inclusive organization that provides opportunities for students to explore their personal experiences in middle school and tell the stories of the people in the school community. Participants strive to find and report accurate information, to act with empathy towards others, to be independent in their thinking and planning, and to take accountability for their work.”

Mr. Moore, along with Ryan Good, adviser to the Good Morning Robinson broadcast and the Ram Network live streaming program, look forward to launching the after-school program at the start of the third quarter on Jan. 30.

Other schools accepted into the DTC program include Lee High School, Twain Middle School, and Groveton, Columbia, Woodburn, Centreville, Woodlawn, Bush Hill and Gunston middle schools.