Media Arts
Media is the plural of medium, meaning the devices and visuals that comes between those communicating. As face-to-face communication dwindles and our lives become increasingly saturated with messaging, the art of creating impactful communications is vital.
The Sage Ridge Media Arts program explores the skills and artistry required to tell impactful stories, increase understanding, and influence the behaviors and opinions of others.
"I was the editor of the yearbook for two years in a row, and that was a really great experience for me to not only be able to express my creativity and have ownership over a full project, but also to learn those leadership skills that are so critical in college and an actual career."
Samantha Peterson (SRS '09, Santa Clara University '13, Sr. Director of Marketing at LifeMoves)
Our Student publication:
The Ridge
Starting as a newspaper and now evolved into a glossy magazine, our student-produced magazine in published quarterly and features stories and creative works from the student body.
Latest Issue
Recent Issues of The Ridge
Media Arts I-IV are hybrid classes teaching communication design, journalism, and marketing through the hands-on, student-driven publication of the yearbook, our student magazine – The Ridge, social media, blogs, videos, and press releases. Students are challenged to see media as an opportunity to both inform and co-create with audiences. Through publishing, students learn to prioritize both accuracy and entertainment value. Readings, discussions, rounds of peer editing, and multiple revisions are all part of a process that encourages students to create honest but kind work. All students are held to high standards of ethics and the principles of journalism as they seek to give the insider perspective of Sage Ridge School to the Reno-Tahoe community.
Leadership and project management skills are crucial to the success of our publications. All students are assigned to working groups based on their preferences. These groups are responsible for making design and content decisions about the various publications, assigning work to their classmates, and keeping the publications on schedule. Students who continue past Media Arts I are taught increasingly complex skills that empower them to take on official roles, such as Assistant Editor or Editor-in-Chief.
Design is intelligence made visible.
Alina Wheeler, author
Along with the practical nature of publishing, students in Media Arts are also exposed to a range of guest speakers and field trips that connect them with local businesses in these industries and the Reynolds School of Journalism at the University of Nevada, Reno. The Reno area is full of opportunities to engage with the field of communication design and we are happy to partner with experts in the community.
This course is taught by our Director of Communications, Mrs. Jess Thibault, with an emphasis on creating publishable work that tells the insider story of Sage Ridge School. Much of what you experience here on our website or on our social media channels was created by students enrolled in Media Arts.