Parkland students take over Guardian US

No one is better placed to tell the story of the burgeoning movement to change gun laws in America than the young survivors of the mass shooting in Parkland, Florida.

That’s why the Guardian’s US colleagues are stepping aside today.

They’ve invited student journalists from the Eagle Eye, the award-winning newspaper at Marjory Stoneman Douglas high school, to serve as our guest editors for the next 48 hours and oversee the Guardian’s coverage of March for Our Lives, the massive student-led protest unfolding in Washington and across America. We’re sending 11 students to the nation’s capital as Guardian correspondents, contributing to our live coverage all day on Saturday.

In addition, the students have assigned and commissioned more than 10 stories to be published on the Guardian over the next three days, including a manifesto to end gun violence, an exclusive interview with Bernie Sanders , and a harrowing feature about the impossible choices their teachers faced when an active shooter entered the school. They also wanted to make sure the project included the voices of students in urban communities struggling with high rates of gun violence.

And then there’s the lovely letter George Clooney wrote to them, declining, with trademark class, an interview request. (They wanted you to see it.)

When the students – including the newspaper’s three female co-editors-in-chief –visited the Guardian’s New York newsroom last week, we were in awe of their resilience, intelligence and ability to turn their raw emotions into meaningful journalism to drive change and find common ground for reform.

Just over a month ago, many of these students were locked in the closet of their newspaper classroom texting their parents; this week they are documenting a turning point in America.

This project was made possible by support from Guardian readers who helped us raise more than $200,000 for Break the Cycle, the Guardian’s year-long series to challenge the orthodoxy in America that action on gun violence is hopeless.

The Eagle Eye is the newspaper of Marjory Stoneman Douglas high school. Editorial staff: Madyson Kravitz, Dara Rosen, Taylor Yon, Leni Steinhardt, Emma Dowd, Brianna Fisher, Zoe Gordon, Kyra Parrow, Carly Novell, Rebecca Schneid, Kevin Trejos, Suzanna Barna, Nikhita Nookala, Richard Doan, and Christy Ma