BELLAIRE — Bellaire High School students will soon be able to discuss topics of their choosing on podcasts and delve into broadcast journalism with a new grant awarded to the school.

The school received a $5,000 Innovation Grant approved by The Claude Worthington Foundation and EQT Foundation in December that will allow it to bring equipment for podcasting and broadcasting to a studio in the school.

Bellaire Principal Ben Doyle is hoping to bring podcasting and broadcasting to the school by the end of the school year.

BHS will start the initial ordering of equipment, supplies and engaging with media classes, graphics classes, activities and getting groups together. School officials wanted students to be more active within the school community, as far as athletics or any school events or school news that could be broadcasted or talked about on a podcast, Doyle said.

Doyle said the art department and media department already do a lot, and this new initiative will put their skills to use and show the world what the students are capable of and get their voices out there.

He said students will put real-world skills into this new initiative.

There will be audio work and research on topics students will be covering. They will gain interviewing skills and get in touch with people in the community that might help them in the future.

This initiative will help with students’ communication and conversation skills, Doyle added, because that’s what podcasts are, talking to people and having conversations.

Bellaire High School already has a newspaper, The Tribunal. The program will be available to students already in media but also to those who are interested in it. The school has an activity period every week where students will be able to engage in that way.

The media obtained from podcast episodes and broadcasting segments will go along with the newspaper site and posted on social media.

Doyle said podcasts are a big part of the media right now, so the school wants to get on board with it.

“Why can’t our students be the podcast that people listen to on their drive to work?” he asked.

Students have expressed interest in podcasting and broadcasting. Bellaire High has actually started broadcasting football games with students, but this grant will help the school to purchase more professional equipment that will allow it to move into other sports and school activities. Broadcasting is not just for athletics, Doyle said, but can also be for the art department and more.

The school will get a camera, microphone, audio equipment, tech that goes along with those and some education for students.

Robin Schoene runs the media classes while Forrest Merryman works with the graphics in the broadcast area.

Doyle wants the podcasting and broadcasting department to eventually be student-led, and he’s excited to hear the students’ podcast ideas. For podcasts, students might talk about topics, such as upcoming events at the school, news happening within the school and also interviews with community members who are in certain occupations or success stories.

“Our goal is to have the students being more involved in the building and being involved in the community and just doing more and showcasing their abilities,” Doyle said. “So the first step is for them to get involved, kind of screw up a little bit and learn from that, because that’s kind of how the world works.”