​​Thanks to our generous sponsors and donors, we celebrated thousands of students and the creative work they produced. We raised over $16,000 this year alone! And talk about impact - according to the 2025 California School Dashboard rankings, participating schools saw:

​

• Improved Attendance and Decreased Suspensions
  Across participating public schools, average chronic absenteeism AND suspensions declined by at least 0.2%, showing that festival schools are moving toward more engaging and supportive learning environments.​

​

• Strong Upward Movement in English Learner Progress
  Festival schools made notable gains in English Learner Progress. Average ELPI status increased from 49.99 to 51.09, underscoring how creative storytelling supports language development among EL students.​

​

• HS Graduation Rate: Rising Completion and College‑Readiness
  Among festival high schools, the average grad rate increased from 94.38% to 95.50%! These gains outpace statewide improvement and reinforce the value of student‑centered, project‑based learning.
  ​

These results suggest that schools participating in the California Student Media Festival have nurturing environments where students feel connected, supported, and motivated to succeed. Thank you again for your support - we hope we can count on you to support our 60th annual festival May 16 at the Mark Taper Auditorium at the Central Library in Downtown LA.