On Friday, we held a "Career Day" for nine students and three teachers from "Breakthrough Sacramento," a year-long program that provides college prep for motivated students from under-resourced schools in the Sacramento region.
It was a great day, beginning with an introduction to the newspaper then an hour-long tour conducted by Dave Wesley. The students were able to see everything from the newsroom to the pressroom. They learned about the history of The Bee and its founders.
After the tour, the students were treated to a talk by political cartoonist Rex Babin. He shared his passion for drawing and news with the 7th and 8th graders. He also gave them a peek at his cartoon for Sunday's paper.
Next stop, was Media in Education (www.sacbee.com/mie) director Ron Brand. Ron went over the website with the students and showed them where to find practice SAT questions. He also showed them how to access all the great information on the M.I.E. site, including a place where students can explore life at colleges throughout the nation. They ended by creating a silly story and promising to get a library card.
Bee Columnist Marcos Breton talked about growing up in San Jose and how he came to be a journalist. He spoke about some of his favorite stories and how readers react to controversy.
Just before lunch, Ed de la Fuente, an online editor at The Bee, gave the students a view into the digital world and where the newspaper fits in the future of online media.
After numerous questions, a great lunch and lots of takeaways, the students headed back to campus. It was great to share our story with such bright, promising students.
Breakthrough Sacramento is a member of the Breakthrough Collaborative, a group of 34 educational programs in the U.S. and Hong Kong. To learn more about the program, contact Adolfo R. Mercado or Marianne Ceballos. The summer program is sponsored by and held at Sacramento Country Day School. Contact number is 916-481-8811, extension 316.
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