Become a Rocket City Youth Reporter!

With its long lazy days, summers and school holidays can be a great time for kids to enjoy new experiences and explore interests. It’s also imperative that they engage in at least a *tiny* bit of scholarly work just to prevent brain drain.

We’ll be accepting submissions from the kids & teens of the Rocket City (and surrounding areas). What’s their playground pick? Standing restaurant request? Must do Saturday fun place? And most importantly, why? We’ll publish these reviews and views of local youth ages 6-18 as they are submitted. If you submit a particularly good piece with photos, we’ll send you a gift card to your favorite local treat shop!

RCM Kid Reporter: What to Write?

Topics can be places throughout North Alabama – area parks, birthday party hot spots, day trip ideas, or things that you think are “worth the drive” for kids living in our area. The only requirement is that it has to be somewhere other people can go, i.e. not “My grandma’s farm.”

Rocket City Youth Reporters should write at least 10 sentences and send a photo or two or three to go with their story. Take a look at our examples here, and note we will take care of all the formatting (no need for kids to do that).

RCM Kid Reporter - Visits HBG
Click to read our first article from a Rocket City Youth Reporter!

What to Include

Youth Reporters should cover these details:

  • What is the experience you are recommending? (What is it called and how would you describe it?) What makes it special?
  • Where is it?
  • Who would like it?
  • Why do you recommend this place or event? If people of different ages may like different aspects of the experience, explain. For example, “I like the hot chocolate because they serve it in a really cool mug. My mom always picks this cafe because it’s easy to park.” Or “The rope swing is fun for kids over six, but even toddlers have fun here because there is a ball pit.”
  • How can we be prepared? Do we need to buy tickets, wear a helmet, bring a towel? What else is important to know before we go? (Is it only open on Mondays? Do you have to be 48 inches tall? Is it expensive, so it’s for a special occasion? Are there age limits?)

Please check the location’s website, if there is one, so you can include the address, price, and hours.

Make sure to share both facts and opinions! We look forward to reading your writing.

How to submit your writing

Adults, please use your best judgement on how much assistance to provide your Kid Reporter.

Email the text to [email protected]. Please include your mailing address so we can mail them a thank you! Attach any photos your child wants to include as separate attachments. We will not publish your child’s full name because we suggest they begin creating their Internet footprint when they are older. Writers will be credited with first name, last initial and age. It is up to you to choose photos that include your child’s image or not.

If we are flooded with submissions, the RCM team will choose which ones to post on the site based on collecting a diversity of voices and area destinations.