18 Community Journos Get Education Fellowship

More and more foundation folks seem to understand the importance of quality education journalism, it seems. 

Last week, a New York City nonprofit announced that it had named 18 journalists to its Education Reporting Fellowship.  The fellowship includes $6,000 for each participant, and a 10-month training program. 

Gates, Rockefeller Brothers, and DBA Foundation are the funders.  Click below for the presser.

NYCMA Launches an     Education Reporting Fellowship to benefit 17 Ethnic and Community     Newspapers in N.Y.C.

   

New York     Community Media Alliance (NYCMA), a New     York-based nonprofit organization serving over 320 ethnic and community     newspapers, launched the pioneer program – “Ethnic and     Community Press Fellowship - Developing an Education Beat” – on     September 12, 2008. Eighteen staff reporters from 17 ethnic and community     newspapers were each awarded a fellowship grant of $6,000 to participate in     the 10-month long program. Fellows will meet key players in the     City’s public education system and develop an education beat for     their news organizations, which cumulatively reach more than half a million     readers. This project is made possible with the support of the Bill and     Melinda Gates Foundation, Rockefeller Brothers Fund and Deutsche Bank     Americas Foundation.

   

                                             

   

“NYCMA is looking to     develop an issue-oriented reporting model that can be replicated in other     cities in New York      State and ultimately     across the country,” says Executive Director Juana Ponce de León at     the orientation last Friday. “Deliberate use of this vital     information network to inform parents in immigrant and communities of color     can help empower them to become advocates for their children’s     education.”

   

This unprecedented Fellowship,     designed to cover the entire academic year of 2008/09, aims to open doors     for reporters to gain insight on the public education system and its     reforms, and to promote critical thinking around the issues, by providing     an exchange platform with public officials, experts and advocates, as well     as site visits to some of the City’s schools. Their reporting will     enable parents to make informed decisions about their children’s     academic futures.

   

The Ethnic and Community Press     fellows are: James Fergusson (Norwood News), Rong Xiaqong, Lotus Chau (Sing     Tao Daily), Shuang Liu (World Journal), Darlie Gervais (Haitian Times),     Yana Wasielewski (Novoye Russkaye Slovo), Aleksandra Slabiz (Nowy Dziennik     / Polish Daily News), Mohsin Zaheer (Sada-e-Pakistan), Rachel Millard     (Aramica), Ari Kagan (Vecherniy NY), Mary Alice Miller (Our Time Press),     Virginia Alvarado (Diario de Mexico), Peter McDermott (Irish Echo), Robert     Waddell (Tiempo NY), Sujeet Rajan (Indian Express), Abu Taher (Bangla     Patrika), Helen Zelon (City Limits), and Ansar Lovlu (Weekly Thikana).