Dear Teacher,

Kennywood and Point Park University have planned an exciting and educational experience for high school students attending Communication Day on Thursday, May 8, 2008. This year's activities include a broadcast interviewing component, an advertising competition, a student press conference, and a media career panel discussion. The day’s activities will offer your students insights into communication careers and hands-on learning activities.

The on-site events and activities have worked well in the past years, and we plan to continue them. The advertising workshop / contest will be held on site that day, with advance material available for class discussion and preparation. Students interested in broadcasting will learn from Point Park faculty how to collect sound bites. The winners of the contest will be recognized at the conclusion of the media panel.

The following describes each of these events in detail so you can make a decision on the extent of your participation. (Note: Be sure to register your group with Joyce King at Kennywood to participate.  Click here for on-line registration.)

Advertising Workshop / Contest: Middle and high school students will create ads for the region’s foremost amusement park. Point Park faculty and Kennywood marketing professionals will lead the students in their work and serve as judges when they are done. (Note: Schools are limited to two groups of 10 students per group.)

Broadcasting: Students interested in radio or TV broadcasting will learn what it takes to interview people live at an event. Selected students will be sent out into the park to record interviews using questions developed by the group. Tapes will then be reviewed with Point Park University faculty members. Reviews will include advice about selecting sound bites for a report, the order of sound bites that might be used in a story and what other interviews could be done to add depth and perspective to a report.

Media Workshop: Media professionals will provide details on how they entered the business and explain the requirements and skills needed for successful journalism careers. The participants will represent both the broadcast and print media, and the session will include a question and answer session with the students.

Press Conference: Students will have an opportunity to interview Kennywood officials about the park’s new rides and future plans. School newspaper, TV, and radio staffs are welcome to participate and prepare stories for their publications or broadcasts.  Students may also use information gathered for their school or personal Web site. Materials on the new rides will be available on the Kennywood Web site closer to the event.

We hope you decide to participate in our Communication Day program. Please take advantage of the materials on the Web site in preparation for the event. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact me at 412-392-3982 or by e-mail at hfallon@pointpark.edu.

I hope to see many of you on May 8.

Sincerely,

Helen Fallon

Chair, Journalism and Mass Communication Department