Cedar Shoals High School junior Freddrell Green, a student participant of the radio show “Education Matters”, records on Feb. 8. According to founder and Executive Director Rick Dunn, the show appeals to a variety of ages. “(Our) broad audience is WXAG, so their listeners are primarily the African American community, although they have some diverse listenership, it’s primarily targeted at the African American community,” Dunn said. “It’s primarily the adult population (listening), but the intent of the show is to be for everybody regardless of age.” Photo by Lucas Donnelly
The radio show “Education Matters” is hosted and produced by teenagers and strives to show the Athens-Clarke County community the importance of education.
“Education Matters” is a teen-run radio show with one main goal: to show its listeners and the community how much education changes lives.
The program, founded by Executive Director Rick Dunn more than a decade ago, gives fifth-12th grade students a chance to be featured on their local radio station, which consists mostly of interviews with prominent figures in the community.
“We started back in 2009 as a way to one, give teenagers a voice, but two, try to drive home the importance of being educated in this community,” Dunn said. “We had a tremendously low high school graduation rate. So the goal was to use teenagers to stress to the community just how (much) education does matter.”
“Mr. Dunn is like a second dad to me, like an uncle, like a grandpa. He helps me, he gives great constructive criticism, (and) he always lets us know that he’s here for us.”
— Cemya Stone,
CCHS sophomore
In 2009, the Clarke County School District’s graduation rate was one of the lowest in the state at 63%. It has since risen to 79.8% as of 2021, according to the Georgia Department of Education.
“We like to think that (when) people (are) hearing (our) message on a regular basis from the mouth of the students who are getting educated that it helped make a difference,” Dunn said. “So, we created a program that was going to get the community to think like we needed them to think about education.”
“Everybody’s close. It’s very close-knit. It’s like a team and everybody feels like family,” Stone said.
Dunn earned a degree in journalism from the University of Georgia, where he served as the first Black photo editor for The Red&Black, an independent newspaper serving the UGA community. He has worked in Athens, Atlanta and Alabama in radio, film and television, and his background in journalism helped spark the idea for “Education Matters”.
“When we first started (‘Education Matters’) in 2009, I sent flyers to both of the CCSD high schools,” Dunn said. “I got one student from (Clarke Central High School) and one student from (Cedar Shoals High School) and I said, ‘OK, we’ll start with you.’”
Despite its humble beginning, the radio show has grown over the last 13 years and currently has 12 members. CCHS 2017 alumna Kennae Hunter, who was part of the program until she graduated, was given many unique experiences in radio.
“I got to interview (CCSD Superintendent Dr. Phillip Lanoue) while I was there, and Jackie Lumpkin when he was the (Chief of Police) and different (Athens Clarke-County) commissioners,” Hunter said. “Just different people that you have the opportunity to speak to (that) you would not have had the chance (to otherwise).”
“Education Matters” founder and Executive Director Rick Dunn sits in the recording studio of the radio show on Sunset Drive on Feb. 8. While the program is run entirely by students, Dunn has supported the members of “Education Matters” inside and outside of the program. “The goal for us is to make sure that all our kids who are in high school graduate on time, and we have a 97% graduation rate for all our seniors. They’re in ninth grade, and they’re out in four years,” Dunn said. “After high school, 83% of members go on to college, and 70% of those members major in journalism or marketing. That’s not the intent. But 100% of them go to college, join the military, or get a job, and those are the primary outcomes that we’re looking for.” Photo by Lucas Donnelly
Along with hosting, students set up the interviews, attend production meetings and make cuts and edits in order to produce the show.
“We try to have educational topics that appeal to the Athens community and the youth, such as sports news, Black history facts, educational news and then the majority of the show will be interviews,” Hunter said. “And with whatever topic they’re having for that week, they’re interviewing an expert in the field.”
For “Education Matters” member Cemya Stone, a CCHS sophomore, the best part of working for the radio show is the community and support the program provides.
Stone joined “Education Matters” in 2020 as an eighth-grader at Burney Harris Lyons Middle School and has not only built relationships with the other teens in the program, but also with Dunn.
“Mr. Dunn is like a second dad to me, like an uncle, like a grandpa,” Stone said. “He helps me, he gives great constructive criticism, (and) he always lets us know that he’s here for us.”
“We like to think that (when) people (are) hearing (our) message on a regular basis from the mouth of the students who are getting educated that it helped make a difference. So, we created a program that was going to get the community to think like we needed them to think about education.”
— Rick Dunn,
Executive Director of “Education Matters”
As the founder and Executive Director, Dunn allows students to take the lead on the production process. His main job is to provide support for students while they’re part of the program and later on in life.
“I’ve had kids in the past whose families have lost jobs and been put out of their houses or been homeless and I’ve provided resources for them to get stable,” Dunn said. “We have helped the kids enroll in schools, we’ve helped them get the scholarship to be able to go. We’ve taken them to recruiters for the military.”
Along with teaching students about radio and the different aspects of journalism, “Education Matters” also provides valuable life skills.
“When I began working with Mr. Dunn, I was a child. I was only 14 years old and I didn’t know anything about the professionalism side of being in journalism, about being on the public radio,” Hunter said. “I learned how to communicate better (and) speak clearly. I learned how to book interviews, how to formulate stories for radio and how to run a radio show.”
