Telling stories has always played an important role throughout my life. Writing, as a whole, is entirely unique, regardless of the format: as long as it has existed, the ability to share ideas has been a powerful driving force, both bringing people together and motivating change throughout communities. This statement is especially true when it comes to journalism. My passion for journalism is rooted in two parts: my love of writing and fascination with both what is going on around me and being a creator of change. My first experience with journalism began at a very young age, and very close to home; if we are to be technical, within it. Weekly, I handwrote articles on everything, from my father's travel schedule to ratings of the dinner we ate. I wrote in columns and made photocopies onto my 'copyright' orange paper, to which my parents endlessly humored my absolute misuse of the term. Over time, my writing evolved, and I began tackling more complex issues. I studied and wrote at length about how politicized topics such as immigration actually affected the lives of those within our community, how racial and socioeconomic divides play into our lives in subversive ways, as well as simple guides on how to engage in social justice at a highschool level. And yet for the first time, unlike my dinner reviews, I faced dissent. I began to realize the deeper I delved into difficult topics, the more inherently controversial what I wrote became. While I could easily write about the internal struggle I faced or the deterrent this backlash was, neither would be true. This controversy was exactly what I wanted; people talking about important issues, that I had helped bring attention to. The project I propose is no different in that regard. The topic I wish to write about is one that has become an inherent part of our everyday lives in the past month, and yet I wish to study and expose it's effects not on the world as a whole, as it is being more commonly discussed, but on my immediate community. COVID-19, or the Corona Virus, is undoubtedly the largest pandemic my generation, and many before me, have ever witnessed. Every day, I read about the death tolls, China's authoritarian crackdown, evolution of both the vaccination and the virus itself, at seemingly the same pace. I've learned at length about the state in New York, federal action, and the economy as a whole. And yet, despite being one of the epicenters of the pandemic, very little has been written on the topic of my state, Massachusetts, and even less on the areas outside of Boston. Furthermore, the little provided is often reduced to numbers and neglects to report on the tangible effects on our region's lifestyle. The project I wish to pursue is an in-depth look into how the pandemic and effects thereof are affecting our education system and the ways in which my community is addressing the issue. The question of continued schooling is unique in that there is not one, global, or even national answer. Due to the lack of precedence, our response to the disease has been uncoordinated, and each school has taken to different methods of virtual education. The topic is uniquely regional, and cannot be answered in any other fashion, as well as unaddressed by my local media at the least. For my project, I look to compare different towns methods, interview students to get the true effect in their lives, and look into how this schooling can and will play out in the long run. Within this, I wish to address the relationship between internet access, the achievement divide, and online education, as well as the mental health effects of cutting off children and teens from communities and activities, and what students themselves view as the best option moving forward. This story is vital to the community in a variety of ways: my town, Medfield, and region, Norfolk, has a high number of families with children attending high school and below. Despite communication between the individual schools and community members, there is a lack of both analysis into how these changes will impact their everyday lives, and what other close towns are doing in reaction to the problem. In order to share this story, I plan on pitching my article firstly to my town paper, the Medfield Press. However, there are two other news companies I would definitely be interested in working with, including Hometown Weekly, a paper that runs articles to towns including mine in the region, and Wicked Local, a publisher for the Norfolk region. With the funding provided, I intend to cover transportation and communication costs, as well as compensation for any professional interviews with specialists, such as youth psychologists, medical scientists, and educational professionals including board members and principals. The remaining I intend to invest into the sect or school that, after the project, is found to be in the most need. I believe that in every story, there is an element of those involved offering up parts of their lives in order to create exposure, for the greater good, and as someone investigating the system it is vital the article itself demonstrates investment into the system and thus the community. In conclusion, this project is vital, specifically at this historical moment in time. Education has always played an integral role in our society and yet in this time of crisis, it's decentralized nature has created a deficit in reporting within the arena: one which I intend to resolve. History is in the making and as a community is it vital to stay informed, united, and educated through the power of journalism.