McClymonds High School Opens New Student Podcast Studio
The new facility provides a dedicated space for Oakland students to develop creative projects and share their stories.
Updated on Oct. 22, 2026 in Secondary Education
McClymonds High School in Oakland has opened the ATU Academy x Lo'Eshe Lacy Podcast Studio to provide students with a space for creative expression. The new facility honors the memory of Lo'Eshe Lacy, who passed away in 1997.
Why it matters
This dedicated studio serves as a platform for local students to share their stories and perspectives, honoring the life of Lacy while fostering youth voice. It represents a significant addition to the creative infrastructure at the high school.
The studio marks the completion of a commemorative project 29 years after the 1997 shooting incident involving Lo'Eshe Lacy. The facility is named after the teenager who was 16 at the time of her death.
The players
McClymonds High School
An Oakland secondary school that serves the local community and now hosts a new student podcasting initiative.
Donald Lacy
A veteran radio professional with 48 years of industry experience who led the dedication of the studio named for his daughter.
Lo'Eshe Lacy
A 16-year-old student who was killed in 1997 and is the namesake of the new school media studio.
Maya McGhee-Nelson
A survivor of the 1997 shooting incident that also claimed the life of Lo'Eshe Lacy.
The details
The ATU Academy x Lo'Eshe Lacy Podcast Studio provides students with dedicated recording technology to develop and share their creative ideas. The space was unveiled during a ceremony led by Donald Lacy, whose 48-year career in radio informed the development of this communication hub.
Timeline
1997: Lo'Eshe Lacy was killed in a shooting outside McClymonds High School.
October 22, 2026: The new podcast studio was officially dedicated.
The Home Front
The opening of this studio follows a national trend of schools integrating professional-grade recording spaces into campus facilities to support student communication. This investment underscores the evolving role of secondary schools as hubs for multimedia production and student-led storytelling.
Families interested in school media programs should check with their local district regarding extracurricular technology access and new creative facility openings. Keeping an eye on campus news can help parents identify opportunities for students to participate in production-based learning.
The takeaway
The studio stands as a lasting tribute to Lacy and a resource for building student communication skills in Oakland. Parents and students are encouraged to inquire with school administrators about how to access and utilize the new facility for school-related media projects.
Further reading
Find more updates on local learning environments in our Secondary Education section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by CBS News.
