Crane Middle School Students Revolutionize Morning Announcements with “Cougar Media”

Crane Middle School Students Take Charge with 'Cougar Media'

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) – Crane Middle School is revolutionizing morning announcements with Cougar Media, a student-led production airing each morning. This initiative, led by Digital Media Teacher Casey Yu, replaces traditional loudspeaker announcements with an engaging and creative experience for both students and staff.

Principal Ryan Tyree explained that capturing students' attention during traditional announcements had long been a challenge. That's when the idea for Cougar Media was born. Students now take on roles as writers, producers, on-camera hosts, and more, gaining hands-on experience in media production while making school updates more captivating.

Seventh graders Nathan Jungman and Anthony Medina shared, "Getting to make the announcements that people watch every day is something I wish we could do forever. It’s like being a news reporter, and if I could do that as a job, it would be fun."

The program's impact is felt deeply among the students involved. Lael Swenson, a seventh grader, reflected on his time with Cougar Media: "Every week, we switch jobs, and it’s really fun. My job recently was doing ‘Question on the Street,’ where I got to interview students in classrooms. I didn’t know much about media before, but now I feel like I can really express myself and learn something new every day."

Elyjah Crockwell, another student, described the excitement of seeing their work come to life on the screen: "This class is really fun because we get to try different jobs every week. I’ve done trivia and interviews, and it’s amazing to see our work on the announcements every morning. I’ve learned so much about media and all the roles involved—I love this class."

Teacher Casey Yu says the goal of Cougar Media is to engage students in creative ways while teaching them practical skills. "I’ve been at other middle schools where the announcements were just somebody over the loudspeaker for five minutes," Yu explained. "This way, we can engage our students in a lot of different ways."

The success of Cougar Media speaks to the power of innovative teaching methods. As it continues to grow, it’s inspiring other schools to think outside the box when connecting with students.

Crane Middle School has shown that by empowering students to take the lead, schools can create a dynamic learning environment that prepares them for future opportunities in media and beyond.