Youth Journalism Program

The editors and reporters of the Norwood News and the Mount Hope Monitor, two community newspapers in the west Bronx, are running a youth journalism program for Bronx high school students who are sophomores, juniors or seniors.

This is the second time we've run the program. Read about the first semester here.

Classes for the fall semester will begin on Sept. 17 at Mount Hope Housing Company, a local non-profit located at 2001 Morris Ave. Classes will run every Wednesday for 12 weeks, from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.

Students will learn the fundamentals of writing, reporting, and photojournalism through classroom instruction but, more importantly, through hands-on reporting in their own neighborhoods. We will take them on field trips - including the newsroom of a daily newspaper. They will learn about community activism and civic responsibility, how their neighborhoods work (or don't), who has power, who doesn't and why.

Guest speakers will include reporters from the city's daily newspapers.

Best of all, student work will be published in a special youth supplement called Bronx Youth Heard, which will appear in the Norwood News, Mount Hope Monitor, and Highbridge Horizon, another community newspaper the west Bronx, giving Bronx youth a powerful voice in their own communities.

Student that completes the course will receive a recommendation letter. Depending on the school's policy, there's also the possibility of students earning class credit.

We are looking for students of all academic abilities, but students should be highly motivated, love to write, be naturally inquisitive, and care about what's going on their communities.

For an application form, please call (718) 324-4998, or e-mail mounthopenews[at]gmail.com.

The deadline for applications is Aug. 22.