10 Story Ideas for February 2025
Dave Davis, director of the ASB Workshop, advised a high school newsmagazine for 34 years.
Super Bore: Everyone knows about the “big game” coming Sunday. Families gather, youth groups host viewing parties, friend groups get together to watch. BUT…what about the non-fans among us? Surely they get tired of the hype. What will they do while everyone else is watching the Chiefs and Eagles?
Behind the Counter: Librarian positions are being eliminated. Across the U.S. between 2015 and 2019, the number of librarians declined by 20%, and one in five school librarian positions was eliminated entirely. Technology is a factor, but many librarians are trained to handle all sorts of technology. This might be a great topic to investigate. Has your school, or a nearby school, eliminated a librarian? How do teachers and students feel about it? Another angle: Schools are also getting rid of entire libraries.
Golden Girls: Girl Scout cookies are being sold across the country right now, but did you know there is a Girl Scout award equivalent to the Eagle Scout honor for males? The Girl Scout Gold Award takes dedication, persistence and community involvement: https://www.girlscouts.org/en/members/for-girl-scouts/badges-journeys-awards/highest-awards/gold-award.html Find a teenage Girl Scout and see if they are going for the gold.
The Envelope, Please: The 2025 Academy Awards happen in less than a month. There are a couple of angles you could take. Find some avid movie buffs and have them predict the major categories. Or dig into some of the controversy about nominees and snubs—this happens every year. There are a lot of possible angles to take for this one. https://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/2025
Email Is So Annoying: That’s the opinion of a lot of (or most) teenagers these days. It is definitely not their chosen method of communication, which in itself might be a good topic for a feature. And there’s this: for young people dealing with colleges they just might want to attend in a year or two, email is a necessary evil. College admissions departments certainly use it. This article points that out. https://digitaledition.chicagotribune.com/tribune/article_popover.aspx?guid=833fbfda-3bc1-4fb5-8c4f-f1c16ef7e9d0
Homeless In the Winter: Homeless (or “unhoused”) people in your area might be suffering now more than any other time of the year if you reside in a cold-weather state where winter is in full force. What options are there for homeless people? Is there enough shelter? How do they access what your community offers? Sometimes, getting the word out on agencies or community groups who can help is worth the effort.
Gym Rats: Is there a teacher or two at your school putting in a lot of time and effort to stay in shape? Showing how hard they work on conditioning as adults might provide a great example for teens. Plus, you can get great b-roll of their routine, and talk about the health benefits.
The February 14 Problem: Okay, everyone knows there will be Valentine’s Day stories everywhere. What’s a fresh angle you could take? That’s the key. Spend time at a flower shop maybe—it’s one of their biggest days of the year. Or visit with couples at your school about the big day—if they even consider it a big day. What makes a great Valentine’s date? What’s the perfect movie for the occasion?
Unconditional: The love of grandparents for young children, even not-so-young children, is special. Grandparents can provide emotional and material support to children, especially in times of family disruption. There is probably a special grandparent and teen relationship you could highlight, and you could find an expert pretty easily to talk about the benefits.
Payday: Nearly 80% of parents in the U.S. give their kids an allowance. Most kids earn the allowance by doing chores of small jobs around the house or yard. What kind of allowance are kids at your school receiving? How do they earn them? You have faculty members who are parents. Ask them if the give allowances to their kids. Some background: https://greenlight.com/learning-center/earning/average-allowance-by-age-for-kids