ROCKFORD, Mich. — Rockford High School's award-winning broadcast news program is seeking community donations to add weather forecasting to its weekly student-produced newscast.
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The school's Beyond the Rock (BTR) program needs $15,000 to purchase weather equipment and technology for their broadcast journalism class.
BTR is Rockford High School's broadcast news class, where students create content for a weekly newscast that covers local news and sports for students and the community.
"As far as the day-to-day basis, we try to give them an experience that is a professional-level experience," said Kris DeYoung, BTR instructor.
The program currently focuses on news and sports coverage, but wants to expand into weather forecasting.
"It's the news for our students, it's the news for the community, and we focus on everything local," DeYoung said.
Senior Camden Henderson, who hopes to become a television meteorologist, is particularly excited about the weather addition.
"When I heard we were getting a weather desk, that excited me, because that allows me to live my dream here at school and really practice and gain the experience a lot of other people aren't privileged to get," Henderson said.
Henderson believes the weather technology will give him an advantage in his future career pursuits.
"With the new weather technology, we're getting something that gives me an advantage to make sure I put my best foot forward whenever I'm there on that desk," he said.
Fellow senior Chloe Elizondo also supports adding weather to the program.
"I think it's a really good stepping stone so that I can kind of get my own experience," Elizondo said.
She emphasized the importance of building confidence for on-camera work.
"I think confidence is a really big and important part, especially when you're, like, stuck in front of a camera, like, you need to kind of be sure of yourself and, like, know what you're doing, because first you're translating information, and then you're communicating it to other people," Elizondo said.
DeYoung said the weather component will help students explore another potential career path.
"We want to bring weather to our program and just give them a chance to see what it's like to broadcast the weather," DeYoung said.
She believes students have the necessary qualities to succeed with the right resources.
"I think our students have got the passion. They've got the personality. If we can just give them the technology and the structure that they need to be able to do it and give them the tools, I think they're going to take it and run with it," DeYoung said.
The program hopes to have the weather equipment operational before Christmas break.
If you would like to donate to Beyond The Rock, click here.
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