Students in classrooms throughout Las Cruces Public Schools are now broadcasters, thanks to the vision of the late LCPS superintendent, Dr. Karen Trujillo. State-of-the-art mobile media labs – including tripods, cameras and computers required to broadcast video to streaming platforms such as YouTube – are set up at all LCPS elementary and middle schools, providing students with the equipment needed to produce morning announcements or stories in their schools that are best told through the magic of television.
Thoughtfully coined ‘KREN Studio 40’, in honor of Trujillo and representative of the 40 LCPS campuses, the broadcast labs have been fully functional in the 2022-2023 school year and have contributed content to LCPS’s new monthly newscast, Super News.
“The broadcast labs studio project really started during the 2021 legislative session with Dr. Trujillo and her cabinet,” said Josh Silver, Chief Technology Officer at LCPS. “They had a vision for every elementary and middle school to have the tools necessary to tell their stories.”
Trujillo passed away in February 2021, before all the broadcast studio labs were installed. One of the first studios at Valley View Elementary School hosted their inaugural interview with Trujillo, asking her what her favorite part of the job was as superintendent.
“The best part of my job is probably doing things like this,” said Trujillo, using a Zoom connection with the students at Valley View. “It’s hard to remind ourselves that the whole purpose and reason we’re doing what we do is for you (the students).”
Since last semester, students and staff representing the KREN Studio 40 affiliates, or campus locations, have created videos and project assignments that are captured on social media and shared on the district’s YouTube page. On Sept. 9, several videos were posted on the district’s “Tell The Story” page, featuring stories from the elementary, middle and high school levels.
Educators throughout the district say the labs have improved morale and give students a sense of ownership in their school.
“The students are really excited and show up early when it’s their turn to be part of our broadcast,” said Jason Day, the assistant principal at Conlee Elementary School at the time when their broadcast lab was installed. He is currently the principal at Valley View Elementary School.
“The goal here is to create a kindergarten through 12th grade experience,” said Silver. “And be able to provide a platform for every campus in the district to tell their story.”
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