Four students at Pacific Ridge School have launched a media group that already drew more than 25 applicants in its first round.

The group, called MediaLab, pairs student photographers, videographers and writers with the school's Marketing Communications office to produce content about campus life. The Carlsbad independent school, located in Bressi Ranch, serves grades 6–12.

Ryder, a senior in the class of 2027, co-founded MediaLab with three other student leaders after pitching the concept to the Marketing Communications team at the end of the 2025-26 school year. The school announced the program on Friday, Oct. 9, through a blog post written by Ryder.

"We experience Pacific Ridge every day, and we have our own ideas about what's worth sharing," Ryder wrote. "We wanted to give students a way to take that perspective and make something with it."

Members can contribute through photography, video editing, writing, interviewing or brainstorming story ideas. The group spans multiple grade levels. A photo in the school's blog post is credited to a member identified as Colin '29, placing at least one participant in the middle school or early high school grades.

Pacific Ridge already has several student publications, including the Ridge Report weekly newspaper, Global Vantage magazine and The Element digital arts journal. MediaLab differs by focusing on social media, video and marketing content for the school's official channels.

The group was producing content before the formal announcement. Senior members filmed a "Pass the Phone" video on the first day of school, Friday, Sept. 11, according to a Pacific Ridge LinkedIn post published that day. Members have also run an Instagram Takeover on the school's account, according to the blog post.

Ryder wrote that the group welcomes students without prior media experience. "An idea doesn't need to be completely figured out before someone shares it," Ryder wrote in the blog post. "Sometimes, talking it through with other people is how it becomes something worth making."

The school has not announced a next application window for MediaLab. The three other student co-founders were not named in the announcement. Members are now working on projects covering school events through photography and video.