The Youth Journalism Initiative
Preparing the next generation of storytellers starts local – in schools and communities.
That’s why CalMatters is helping teachers and community leaders ready more high school and middle school students for a career in journalism.
Launched in July 2022, CalMatters’ Youth Journalism Initiative is helping more youth become careful consumers and quality producers of news. We recognize that media skills are key to democratic governance and that California needs a stronger and sustainable pipeline for diverse youth entering newsrooms.
The Youth Journalism Initiative
Our initiative includes five support areas:
- Student training
- Adviser fellowships
- Career Technical Education certification
- Media convergence
- Regional youth media programs
Contact us:
Events & programs
Supporting new and legacy programs
- South Bay Youth Journalism
- Contra Costa Youth Journalism
- Mosaic
- California Scholastic Press Association
Forty California teachers engage 2024 fellowship cohort
Since summer 2023, the Journalism Educator Fellowship has helped teachers launch or scale journalism programs in diverse middle and high schools across urban and rural California.
Combined, our current 40 teacher fellows reach more than 960 students statewide.
Fellows are paired with mentors to help scale their student-led programs, attend monthly trainings with industry speakers, access ready-to-use curriculum and receive ongoing live assistance with all things student journalism.
Through the fellowship, teachers have been able to:
- Launch student news websites or newspapers for their school’s first time ever
- Launch social media and multimedia storytelling
- Navigate legal questions
- Generate thousands in funds through Career and Technical Education (CTE) certification support
- Have students cover local policy or pursue journalism as a career
While 2024 applications have closed, we may be available to offer you free curriculum, meeting access and resources where possible. Please contact us above.
For more fellowship information, go here: www.cal.news/jefapply
2024 fellow cities
| Arcadia Atascadero Bell Gardens Chico Chino Covina Cudahy Fresno Granite Bay | Long Beach Los Angeles Manteca Menifee Millbrae Northridge Oxnard Petaluma Redding Riverside | San Anselmo San Bernardino San Geronimo San Jose Santa Ana Santa Barbara South Gate Thousand Oaks Woodside |
Webinars bringing industry reporters to your classroom
If you are a teacher or student, this is your chance to ask questions and connect your class directly with the news industry. Some sessions also focus on skill-building.
| Date | Featured Guest | Recording |
|---|---|---|
| Sept. 21, 2023 | CalMatters reporter Nicole Foy on covering farmworkers, extreme weather and Gov. Newsom’s ‘rapid response’ | Video Link |
| Sept. 28, 2023 | Long Beach Post editor Jeremiah Dobruck on investigating alleged misuse of public funds | Video Link |
| Oct. 5, 2023 | CalMatters reporter Byrhonda Lyons on investigating California’s rehabilitation programs | N/A |
| Oct. 12, 2023 | L.A. TACO reporter Janette Villafana on covering street vendors‘ struggles and victories | Video Link |
| Oct. 19, 2023 | Black Voice News reporter Breanna Reeves on health equity reporting and the need for Black media | Video Link |
| Nov. 2, 2023 | Live from Boston NHSJC: Student reporters on why they do journalism | Video Link |
| Nov. 9, 2023 | A how-to: submitting your first public records request with Ginny LaRoe and Delilah Brumer | Video Link |
| Nov. 16, 2023 | Los Angeles Times reporter Faith Pinho on creating her narrative podcast series, ‘Foretold‘ | Video Link |
| Nov. 30, 2023 | CBS13 & Good Day Sacramento anchor/reporter Jordan Segundo on broadcast news | Video Link |
| Dec. 7, 2023 | Exploring more news jobs with CalMatters staff: Associate events producer Evelyn Chavez and audience engagement manager Anna Almendrala | Video Link |
| Feb. 27, 2024 | The Four Fundamentals of Journalistic Writing with the Redwood Bark, Monte Vista Stampede, CalMatters | Video Link |
| Feb. 28, 2024 | Opinion writing & 2024 Earth Day contest pitch tips, webinar 1 with CalMatters Voices Editor, Yousef Baig | Video Link |
| March 7, 2024 | Opinion writing & 2024 Earth Day contest pitch tips, webinar 2 with CalMatters Voices Editor, Yousef Baig | Video Link |
JCal 2024 student reporter summer program
Program Dates: June 17 to June 21, 2024.
The 2024 program has concluded. More program details can be found here.
JCal is an all-inclusive journalism program that immerses California high school students into the state’s news ecosystem with mentorship, reporting projects and more. This innovative program is produced through a unique partnership between the Asian American Journalists Association and CalMatters.
Go here to review 2024’s student reporting projects and media syndication.
About CalMatters
CalMatters is a nonpartisan and nonprofit news organization bringing Californians stories that probe, explain and explore solutions to quality of life issues while holding our leaders accountable. We are the only journalism outlet dedicated to covering America’s biggest state, 39 million Californians and the world’s fifth largest economy.