Sophie Mode reports outcomes from Journalism for All summer internships
Sophie Mode of the NYC Youth Journalism Coalition describes placing 36 students in paid internships across 11 newsrooms. She says 77% of participants said the program influenced their career aspirations and 90% would recommend it, calling this the true Portrait of a Graduate.
Thank you.
Good afternoon.
My name is Sophie Mode and I work with the NYC Youth Journalism Coalition.
I'm also a New York City Public School graduate, class of 2021.
This summer, I had the privilege of overseeing Journalism for All's newsroom internship program, which placed 36 students in paid internships across 11 local newsrooms.
For six weeks, they were hard at work covering local stories through interviews with community members, written articles, photojournalism, video projects, and creating social media content.
The program established the first journalism pathway in the Department of Youth and Community Development's Summer Youth Employment Program, connecting classroom learning with the professional news industry and is set to expand for next year.
Every day this summer, I was endlessly inspired by these student journalists.
The questions they asked, the stories they pitched, and the nearly 50 stories they published across their outlets.
They're brilliant journalists and incredible contributors to our city.
Above all, I watched them grow.
One student shared that when she started, she was socially closed off and terrified.
By the end, she had made new friends and presented her work in front of a large crowd.
Her principal even noticed a difference in how she carries herself in the hallways.
During the first week, many students struggled with punctuality, communication, and professionalism.
By the final week, those issues had completely vanished.
From the quality of the emails they sent me to the questions they asked guest speakers, I watched the progression of these students every week.
The data reflects this impact.
77% of participants said the program influenced their career aspirations.
and 90% said they would recommend it to a classmate.
I witnessed firsthand not just the ways in which journalism prepares students to be strong graduates, but for what comes next.
And that is the true portrait of a graduate, that they're ready to start their futures after being New York City public school students, having explored their interests, built technical skills, and with the confidence and readiness to take on college.
In a professional workplace.
Isn't this ultimately what we want for every graduate, that they build critical skills and habits and a passion for learning, but above all, the value of being engaged, thoughtful citizens who feel a responsibility to inform their communities about the things that matter to them?
Thank you for your time.
Thank you.