A new class of students from Springfield Public Schools will begin their semester at New England Public Radio’s Media Lab on September 27, and Carlos McBride, the newly hired director of the program will be ready to greet them. After an extensive national search, New England Public Radio chose McBride, who spent his childhood in Springfield, to lead the fledgling media program.
Media Lab is an after school program for young people, ages 14 to 18. Through basic journalism and audio production, participants learn to tell stories with sound. The curriculum includes learning how to interview, writing for radio and producing commentaries and radio features. NEPR launched the program in January under the direction of John Voci, Executive Director of Programming and Content for NEPR, and it is quickly becoming a well-respected program in the Springfield area.
“Media Lab is an important community initiative for New England Public Radio that provides opportunities for young people to learn about media and more importantly it encourages their creative expression,” said Voci. “Carlos is the perfect person to lead the project into the future. His experience as an educator and knowledge of and commitment to the community will help Media Lab develop and become a model for youth media projects.”
McBride brings extensive teaching experience to the position, both at the high school and college levels. Most recently, he’s served as adjunct faculty at several local colleges including Smith, Hampshire and Holyoke Community Colleges and the University of Massachusetts Amherst.
McBride also works with Commerce High School students through The Community Journalism program at UMass, Amherst. The program was started in 2008 by his father, UMass Professor Nicholas McBride, to increase college opportunities for students at Commerce. The focus is the integration of UMass and Commerce students, and exposure to reporting and writing. At the end of each year, the class publishes a magazine showcasing Commerce student work. Media Lab follows a similar model, employing interns from local colleges and universities to assist with each class of high school students.
The co-founder of TRGGR (Teach. Respect. Growth. Greatness. Responsibility.) Media Group, McBride also ran a weekly radio show called TRGGR RADIO for ten years on 91.1 WMUA, exploring politics, art, education, prison reform, media justice and music.