CNN announced this afternoon that Amrican Morning will kick off a new series on young Hurrican Katrian survivors starting tomorrow…

Through the eyes of young Hurricane Katrina survivors, CNN’s American Morning reveals the trials and triumphs of growing up in the aftermath of a catastrophe. The special series “Children of the Storm” debuts on Friday, Feb. 9, and will air regularly leading up to the hurricane’s second anniversary in August.

For the series, CNN’s Soledad O’Brien and director Spike Lee traveled to New Orleans to distribute mini-camcorders to 11 New Orleans-area students, giving them the tools, encouragement and a venue to share their voices and visions with the world. “Children of the Storm” will show how the storm affected their lives and their dreams, their thoughts about the city’s recovery and their own future in their devastated hometowns.

“These children deserve a platform to show the world what it’s like to grow up in the aftermath of Katrina,” O’Brien said. “No one can tell these stories the way our young filmmakers can, and clearly Spike’s dedication to telling the stories of these communities fuels this project.”

American Morning broadcasts weekdays from 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. (ET) on CNN/U.S. Edward Litvak is the show’s executive producer.