Brooks Secondary: qathet Media House
At Brooks Secondary, one of the many creative spaces is the qathet Media House, also known as the Media Studies program. Students here engage in photography, graphic design, video production, music production, and podcast creation. qathet Media House provides a nurturing space for budding artists and storytellers to develop their talents, encouraging students to push boundaries and explore their passions. The program not only teaches technical skills but also promotes critical thinking and free creative expression.
One of the noteworthy achievements of the group is the annual creation of the magazine "Inquire." This magazine serves as a platform for students to design, create, and produce content centred around a central inquiry question that is important to them. It reflects the values, interests, and passions of students in Chris Brathseth and Darren Bennett’s photography classes. The magazine project also aligns with the curriculum of the photography courses in several ways:
- Students investigate ways to address social and environmental issues through photography, media arts, and creative writing.
- They document, share, and appreciate photographic images in various contexts.
- The project explores First Peoples' perspectives, knowledge, and protocols, as well as other ways of knowing and local cultural knowledge.
The most recent edition of Inquire can be found here: https://www.brooksrocks.com/team-1
Another really unique aspect of the qathet Media House is that it has a designated space set up for podcasts. Here, students have the chance to host a weekly podcast featuring local guests from the community. This not only imparts valuable skills in conducting successful interviews but, more significantly, empowers students to cultivate the essential life skill of engaging in meaningful conversations and attentively holding space for people.
Check out some of the student-run podcast episodes here: https://www.brooksrocks.com/nature-podcast
We encourage you to take a look at qathet Media House’s website: https://www.brooksrocks.com/ and explore all the amazing creative projects led by Chris Bratseth and Darren Bennett.
"Our students show leadership, curiosity and critical thinking in the media projects they create. We are always amazed by the quality and authenticity of their work. Having a space and curriculum to support their creativity and well-being is very empowering. I am inspired daily by working with all of our students." - Chris Bratseth
The sky is the limit for our creative high school students within the Media Studies Group! Introduction to Media Arts will be available to Grade 9/10 students next year, while the Media Arts Course is open to Grade 11/12 students.