By: Ainsley Hall
MARTINSBURG — Berkeley County Schools announced its plans to release a monthly podcast called BCS Unplugged, where the district will discuss important topics within the schools.
Through this podcast, Berkeley County Schools will share conversations with school leaders and educators about important topics to keep people informed on the current happenings within the schools.
The project is being led by Department of Communications Assistant Director Tyler Hawn. When Hawn first joined the team at Berkeley County Schools, one of his long-term goals was to start a podcast. With several years of experience in broadcasting, Hawn had a passion for video editing and media in general and thought that a podcast would be a great way to connect with parents.
“There are some things we do, where the visuals might not be there, but they can still make an impact,” Hawn said. “So, we started thinking about other ways we can share these stories without worrying about getting pictures or video content. Creating a podcast seemed like a great way to do just that.”
Hawn was born and raised in Berkeley County and has always had a passion for media. He shared that he has always loved making pictures move. Through those pictures, he can share people’s stories.
By working on the podcast, Hawn can use a different set of skills by using audio to tell an impactful story. As someone who went through the Berkeley County school system and graduated from Hedgesville High School, Hawn believes it’s important to share how teachers are making a difference.
“I want to amplify those voices and show the community how invested our teachers are in helping our students,” Hawn said.
As a part of his job, Hawn often studies Berkeley County Schools’ social media analytics to find out who is interacting with their page the most. The main audience includes parents from ages 25 to 55. Hawn shared that this age group also makes up the majority of people who listen to podcasts.
On social media, the schools are limited in the amount of information they can share to keep people engaged. Through the new podcast, Hawn hopes to reach these parents and give them the chance to learn about some of their projects in more detail.
“Media consumption has evolved,” Hawn said. “We’ve gone from old-school newspapers to social media to podcasts. There is no one size fits all, so to reach as many people as possible, we have to use a lot of diverse forms of media. As people in communications, it’s our job to keep up.”
The first episode of the podcast will be released on Monday. In it, Hawn will sit down with Tuscarora Elementary School Principal Dr. Tyler Long and Pupil Services Coordinator Melissa Hollen to talk about Berkeley County Schools’ Collaborative Action Response for Education Success (CARES) Academy.
Some of the other topics Hawn hopes to talk about in the future include updates on bond projects, school safety and more. The goal is to keep the community informed on what the schools are doing throughout Berkeley County.
The podcast will be released monthly. Hawn shared that he hopes to release episodes more frequently in the future if the podcast gets a good response from the community. To check out the podcast after the first release, visit the App Store or Google Play.