Service Projects
Each Report for America corps member volunteers their time on a student journalism or youth media project. The goal is to support the media literacy of young people by helping them produce stories about the world around them. The projects amplify the voices of young people and help them develop transferable skills. They also help corps members connect to the community in a different way.
Report for America corps members worked with over 900 students in the 2020-21 program year. Service projects range from helping students run their high school newspaper to teaching journalism workshops at an after-school program.
The projects most often serve high school-age students, but the ages range from elementary school to community college. Beyond schools, corps members can partner with community centers, nonprofits, libraries and other youth-serving organizations.
Service with Impact
Combining Journalism and Coding To Tell Stories
Breanna Reeves | Black Voice News
Breanna Reeves partnered with a local organization, Society of Extraordinary Women, to teach a 10-week course on journalism and GIS (geographic information system mapping). She works alongside other instructors to blend journalism and GIS. Breanna has taught the basics of journalism: brainstorming and pitching a story, the anatomy of an article, sourcing and the importance of interviewing. The goal is to have the girls publish articles paired with story maps on a topic they are interested in. The girls have pitched stories about the dangers of vaping and the impact of climate change on local communities.
Relaunching a High School
Newspaper
K. Sophie Will | The Spectrum
K. Sophie Will works with 28 students at Dixie High School in St. George, UT where they relaunched the school’s 62-year-old student newspaper, the Flyer Flash. Their print product became obsolete a number of years ago, and COVID derailed their work online. Will co-teaches classes and helps edit students’ stories. After learning the basics of journalism and media literacy, the students started pitching their own stories. Will says, “It has been so fulfilling to watch these students discover journalism, gain confidence in their ideas and work, grow as students and as people, understand the world around them and have fun!”
Bridging Political Divides with a Student Podcast
Conor Morris | NOSJ Collaborative
Conor Morris worked with students at the Cleveland Metropolitan School District to launch Unsilenced Voices of CMSD, a student-led online blog. Morris continues his work with the blog and has also helped launch “Both Sides with Stephen Conner” a podcast hosted by Stephen, a CMSD student who loves talking politics and describes himself as a “moderate Republican.”
He is often joined by his progressive co-hosts Kayla and Jeremiah, who are both fans of Bernie Sanders. Stephen says his podcast is about trying to bridge the divide between Republicans and Democrats.
