A Shreveport 10-year-old will pen news reports for the national kid reporting program called Scholastic News Kids Press Corps.
Samuel Davis is among 32 budding writers selected to be on a news team that’s by kids and for kids. Davis, a fifth grader at A.C. Steere Elementary School, says his New York editor will guide him through the process, along with the other members of the press corps ages 10 to 14.
“I get to interview famous people who come [to Shreveport]. My editor will tell me to interview a certain person that is coming or I can tell her hey, I’m going to write about this person and she’ll say OK, and set me up,” Davis said.
Davis earned a spot in the Scholastic journalism program after writing a profile story on a 17-year-old from Keithville, La., who is addressing the local hunger problem. Davis says his story about Isaac McFarland was inspiring to write because his organization Game Changers Tackling Hunger is helping children stay well.
Mother Roslyn Davis believes the Scholastic reporting program will expose her son to new perspectives.
“In so many ways, it’s going to show him that there’s a whole world out there -- so many news stories, so much to learn, so many different cultures. I believe it will open his eyes to so much,” Davis said, who first learned about the contest through her work.
A Scholastic kid reporter once interviewed President Barack Obama. Who would Davis love to sit down with?
“I would like to interview the cast of 'Jessie' or 'Lab Rats,'" Davis said, referring to two popular television sitcoms aimed at young audiences.
Davis’ reports will appear in Scholastic’s magazines, which Scholastic says are read by more than 25 million students in classrooms nationwide. More than 200 students submitted applications for the reporting program that includes children from over 20 states, with international correspondents in Puerto Rico, the Philippines and Thailand.
