The journalism department at Fort Osage High School in Independence, Missouri, got a pleasant surprise recently when they were selected to receive one of 10 mobile gear bags given away by MobileVideoDIY.

To celebrate the launch of its website and help teachers and student journalists get started, MobileVideoDIY gave away the gear to secondary-school classrooms. Each bag contained a microphone, pre-amp, cord, tripod and mount. With these items, students can use their mobile phone to take professional-style video. Students will also gain experience in backpack journalism, which allows a journalist to use mobile gear to produce content in the field.

The MobileVideoDIY giveaway was sponsored in partnership with the Donald W. Reynolds Journalism Institute and ASNE.

Teachers and students can view tutorials available at MobileVideoDIY, a mobile-first website, to learn how to make and share video stories using mobile devices and apps.

Read more about out how Fort Osage High School’s journalism department plans to use its new equipment.