Ascension Fund grant helps launch East Ascension High School's EA TV

Through an Ascension Fund grant, East Ascension High School launched its own YouTube channel, EA TV, providing students with a more engaging way to learn about what is going on around campus.

EA TV has live streamed events such as ring night, the faculty-student basketball game and numerous games involving the school's athletic teams.

EA TV produces a daily news show for all students and interested parents and alumni. In the 2023-2024 school year, EA TV has produced more than 140 of these shows to inform, educate and entertain its audience.

In addition, EA TV has produced helpful instructional videos for programs such as EA’s SPEAR, conducted interviews with club sponsors and leaders, coaches, teachers and student-athletes to bring greater awareness to their groups, and live streamed sports and other events to serve those in Spartan Nation who could not be there in person.

EA TV had more than 200 live viewers for the live stream of the softball playoff victory on a Wednesday night four hours away in West Monroe. Without EA TV and the support provided by The Ascension Fund, those Spartan fans would not have been able to follow the action as they did.

With a subscriber count of nearly 2,000 and growing, EA TV looks to expand further in the 2024-2025 school year.

Financial support from the fund allowed the school to purchase the equipment necessary to be able to produce a quality product with excellent audio and video, whether it was recorded episodes of EA TV News or a live stream.

The support also allowed teachers to provide students with valuable experiences in producing media in the 21st century environment. They gained confidence in their ability to speak on camera, both with and without a teleprompter.

They also gained skills in media creation and direction that will serve them well in the future.

Funds for the grant were provided by an endowment through the Ascension Fund. The fund is a non-profit organization established in 1991 by the Gonzales Rotary Club as an instrument for private sector leaders to invest directly in the work of individual teachers and schools through grants for innovative ideas and programs in Ascension Parish public schools.

Teacher Grants of $500 or $1,000 and School Impact Grants of $2,500 are awarded on an annualcompetitive basis. To date, the Ascension Fund has awarded about 1,500 grants representing more than $1.8 million in the school system. For more information, visit www.ascensionfund.com.