Reporters examine archived OVN newspapers with editor Misty Volaski.
Founded in 2008, the third issue of Ojai Valley Kids’ Press was published last Friday after a week of interviewing, writing, and photographing by OVKP reporters enrolled in the Ignite summer session of the same name. Ignite was transformed into a newsroom and students wore their press credentials each day as they learned the ins and outs of newspaper content and reporting. The class culminated with visits to Ojai Printing, where students could see how their paper was to be printed and learn about a variety of print processes, and to the Ojai Valley News, to experience a real newsroom in action.
The original Summer 2008 OVKP staff was gathered as a response to a need for gifted elementary school writers to have a professional and productive outlet for their work. Natalie Cahill, now an eighth grader, was the first editor of the paper as a fourth grader. Christopher Van Son, an eighth grade intern in this week’s geocaching summer session at Ignite, was a reporter for the two 2008 issues of OVKP.
Through the experience of teaching the first OVKP sessions, Ignite founder Katie Haydon realized that the experience provided a productive and exciting outlet for interested writers. However, there were many additional academic interests represented in the group, including math and science, into which students needed opportunities to delve deeper. The concept for Ignite Creative Learning Studio grew out of this seed of an idea, and the paper has been on hiatus only because we have been working on developing classes for a broad spectrum of interests.
We hope to continue to publish the OVKP at least annually on an ongoing basis, so please let us know if your child would like to join the reporting staff.
With a little red wagon and stacks of papers, OVKP staff distributed over 400 copies to kid-friendly merchants in town. Get yours at Bliss, Ojai Ice Cream, La Fonte, Ojai Library, and more!
Sophie's mom treated all paper delivery staff to a cold treat on a hot day.
