It’s that time of year again, when parents and children are filling stores, emptying aisles, and checking off supply lists in preparation for the new school year.
Despite changing trends, social media and new standards, for years, the back to school season has looked about the same and always had the same goal: ensuring students have all the tools they need to thrive in and outside of the classroom.
However it’s not only about purchasing items. Even before the first official schoolbell rings to note class is back in session, this time of year also comes with orientations to equip families with all the necessary information for parents and students alike to know what lies ahead.
This year, The Washington Informer interns pitched and created content they felt is important for students and families to know ahead of the 2026-2027 year. From their collaborative ideas and reporting, the editorial team created the theme “Reorientation: The New School Daze.”
“When I graduated high school in 2022 some of the challenges kids face today were still prevalent but on a smaller scale. [Social media has a major influence] on young kids,” said Evan Aldridge, one of five Washington Informer (WI) summer 2026 editorial interns and a recent graduate of Howard University. “With ‘Reorientation: The New School Daze,’ I hope readers become aware of the tactics of how social media targets young, impressionable minds.”
The five young reporters explored topics such as the issues students face today, costs of back to school supplies, registered apprenticeships, funding challenges due to the Big Beautiful Bill, and boosting literacy through reading.
“I want the readers of ‘Reorientation: The New School Daze’ to understand the difficulties some communities have to face when searching for affordable school supplies,” William Deffaa, a WI summer intern and 2026 University of Maryland graduate, told The Informer. “I also hope for my [coverage] to be informative to the general public about where cheap or even free school supplies can be found as we head into the next school year!”
For intern Razak Diallo, a rising senior at University of Maryland College Park, it was important to dive into post-secondary educational and career opportunities for students beyond college, such as studying trades and getting paid all at once through registered apprenticeships.
“It’s really easy to get caught in rigid ideas of what ‘the good life’ is supposed to look like after high school– whether it be the prevailing thought of college being superior or the growing idea that college is useless and an apprenticeship or trade school is where it’s at,” Diallo said. “Ultimately, both have positives and negatives. However, they share one thing in common: being institutions dedicated to growing your knowledge base. To me, learning and, more importantly, the willingness to learn even after you think you know it all, that’s key to succeeding.”
With her own concerns as a guiding factor, Howard University student Tatiana Allen wanted to cover the challenges collegiates and their families are facing due to the Big Beautiful Bill to eventually find solutions for herself and others.
“As a now rising senior in college, I’m extremely grateful for the opportunity to have made it this far in my education. Yet, I witnessed those around me who couldn’t afford to stay in college or experienced the hefty cost of higher education without the assistance of their guardians. This time last year, I was fearful, myself, that reaching senior year would be impossible,” explained Allen, whose reporting is featured in the weekly edition of The Informer in conjunction with the Back to School edition. “From my interviews and research, the people the bill claims to assist actually harms in the end.”
With such coverage, Allen’s goal is to lead toward positive change for students across the country.
“I hope with ‘Reorientation: The New School Daze,’ local and national leaders will understand how this bill doesn’t only impact students but the very future generation they rely on to do the jobs that keep this economy going,” said Allen, who was recently named Essence Magazine’s NextGen 10, highlighting young changemakers walking in the legacy of the Civil Rights Movement.
By introducing new books for readers elementary through high school, Jordan Armstead hoped to not only encourage reading and promote Black authors, but boost literacy rates.
“Reading is essential for the youth, not just in the classroom but outside where they can explore their own worlds, own thinking and ever-growing identities,” Armstead, who is majoring journalism and religious studies at Elon University, told The Washington Informer. “My research into new books from Black authors has only secured this idea as this list highlights the assortment of author origins and book genres available to our youth. I hope with ‘Reorientation: The New School Daze,’ readers of all ages can feel at ease that although technology is rapidly evolving, nothing can beat the feeling of a classic: a good ole book.”
