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Student Voices

This series provides a platform for the voices of students — their views on issues, their dreams and aspirations, and their own media reports from school publications, broadcast studios and video productions.

Middle school to host regional writing competition in March

Caledonia Alexis Stark

Caledonia’s middle- and high-school creative writing teams will host JustWrite Michigan’s first regional tournament and junior high invitational at Duncan Lake Middle School in March.

Students share why being heard matters

Forest Hills Joanne Bailey-Boorsma

Winners from the Forest Hills MLK Day Challenge share their thoughts on the impact of being heard.

Student documentary honors retired counseling dog

Rockford Riley Kelley

The Beyond the Rock team produced a mini documentary celebrating the district's first-ever counseling dog, Chillie, who recently retired.

Annual State of the Student event highlights student voice

Student Voices Joanne Bailey-Boorsma

Students employed multiple forms of media at this year’s Listen. Learn. Lead. event to spotlight their lived experiences in school.

Quarterback: biggest growth has come from mix of peers, cultures

Kentwood Erin Albanese

Kayd Coffman, an East Kentwood senior and quarterback on the football team, shares his story about always chasing improvement, learning from others.

2025 grad reflects on inclusive high-school experience

Kentwood Erin Albanese

A film from Kentwood Public Schools features 2025 East Kentwood graduate Robel, who shares his story about his time in high school.

Art & writing competition winners share work

Godwin Heights Joanne Bailey-Boorsma

The high-school winners of the “I Belong, I Matter” writing and art competition share their perspectives on what it means to belong and matter.

Sparking success: welding in virtual reality

Northview School News Network

Ever heard of simulated welding? Thanks to some new equipment, it’s now a reality at Northview Next Career Center, and one student tested it out to write about the experience.

‘Student involvement, teacher involvement – directly related’

All Districts Erin Albanese

How can teaching be a more attractive profession so students can learn better? High schoolers consider the question.

Multiracial Black Student Alliance celebrates ‘spreading culture and diversity’

Podcasts Charles Honey

City High Middle School’s Black Student Alliance celebrates Black culture all year long and encourages fellow students from other racial and ethnic backgrounds to do the same.

Is AI helping you learn, or just making you lazier?

All Districts Charles Honey

Artificial intelligence, better known as AI, is now everywhere all the time. We ask our student roundtable: Is this entirely a good thing?

Student reporter looks into impact of school lockdowns

Student Voices School News Network

Falcon News Network reporter Juliette Islas takes a look at what goes into calling a lockdown and how they impact students.

Are you feeling the effects of political polarization at your school?

All Districts Beth Heinen Bell

Do high-schoolers feel today’s political tensions in their everyday lives? Is an underlying climate of divisiveness affecting their school experiences at all?

What’s in a name? Podcast explores nuances of America

Grandville Beth Heinen Bell

America (the girl) sits down to talk about what makes America (the country) both beautiful and complicated.

High-schoolers: Do you feel safe at school?

All Districts Beth Heinen Bell

Do today’s high-schoolers feel safe in school? Is that possible in this era of regular headline-making acts of violence in school settings?

How hard is it to balance police work with social media’s influence?

Kentwood School News Network

East Kentwood student reporter Jasmine Smithers explores local police officer training

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School News Network reports on the 20 public school districts in Kent ISD, which enroll more than 102,000 students. Founded in 2013 as an initiative of Kent ISD, we are supported by local districts and community sponsors, and powered by an experienced team of reporters, editors and multimedia journalists. We specialize in covering classroom teaching and learning, analyzing the many issues facing students and highlighting the education magic that happens each day in our public schools.

Career coming into focus for this aspiring baker

He plans to ‘walk the line’ in new AP role

‘People supported me, and now I can support others’

She finds joy in guiding the youngest learners

Bonanza of books sparks generosity, collaboration

Students build, learn, launch – sending Cupid’s arrow flying

Hydraulics, robotics, job-ready skills: inside the world of mechatronics

How one teacher helps students beat national reading averages