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Callaway High School has unveiled updates to its media broadcast center.

Serenity Graham, who oversees this Career, Technical and Agricultural Education program, said students will get the chance to produce media that will make a connection within the school and community.

“We want you to feel like, even if you’re not at Callaway, you’re still a part of Callaway. We want our students to feel like they’re part of a community that’s bigger than just what’s in the hallways. That’s what we’re hoping to do when we start producing live broadcasts,” Graham said.

Starting in August, Graham said they hope to begin producing live daily broadcasts in the center. 

“As soon as we get our production studio up and running, we’re going to start off slow with maybe one to two broadcasts a week. Then slowly try to increase what we do for productions and live videos,” Graham said.

From writing scripts about gun violence to segments about prom fashion and creating commercials, the center has been a hub of student creativity.

Kianna Watson said she has really been learning a lot about scriptwriting and reporting.

“It has been a process, but I’m really enjoying myself,” Watson said. “The environment makes you want to come here, learn new things and keep trying to learn them. Mrs. Graham doesn’t let you give up. You’ll get frustrated and she’ll say, ‘OK, let’s figure it out together.”

De’Nia Brown said she likes getting hands-on experience in production and looks forward to doing more. 

“What’s so neat about this is that I thought we would have to brainstorm, but we didn’t have to. Once they picked their positions, they took off with it,” Graham said. “We want to cover things that are relevant to them but also make it interesting enough that whoever’s watching it will keep watching the whole time we’re on air.”

The program is giving students hands-on experience with skills such as communication, script writing, editing, producing and more, Graham said.

“I think this will help make them a desirable person to hire anywhere in the work field. CTE works to help prepare students for the future for when they leave. I know that if I have students come out of here, and they will be able to run Premiere Pro, and Photoshop and Lightroom and that will be huge going into any kind of business,” Graham said. “They’re gaining valuable computer skills I know people go to college for years for, and they’re getting it right here in the classroom.”

The content created and produced by the talented bunch will be streamed on the school’s YouTube channel called Callaway Media.

As the program gains its footing, Graham said they have a few goals they’d like to meet.

“Once we get going, one thing I would love to do is to work side by side with the middle school AV programs, so that they can start to pick up on skills that once they come in here, we can start off on a different level,” Graham said “Another goal is to bring in the community and bridge the high schools together —  say GreenPower events. We’re going to do our first huge livestream on the Diverse Power race, and they’re going to run it. Hopefully, we’re going to do such a good job, we’ll go to Talladega and do the nationals event and be the first high school to stream that event.”

Graham said the CHS’s media broadcast center couldn’t have happened without the students.

“We’ve worked really hard in here. It was a huge undertaking, and they showed up, constantly inventoried and were constant in helping get the center up and rolling,” Graham said.