After Scoop Media’s inaugural Journalism Seminar (Journo-Obama) co-sponsored with Martin Luther King, Jr.’s School of Law, Advocacy & Community, an inner-city public high school in Manhattan, its student newspaper, The Advocate, received a gold medal for best all-around newspaper. The newest fall issue includes articles by Kameel Williams, Chantel Watts and Patrick Pierre, three of the program’s alumni.

Under continued development, our programs target underserved urban youth, most recently introducing students to President Obama and Justice Sotomayor, with a curriculum (linked via PDF above) designed to galvanize the next generation of talented writers from every quarter as well as to teach students broadly about writing, current events, and American history.

The overarching goal of our seminar is to help impart communication skills to motivated youth whose academic options are limited by their family income or their school’s lack of resources.

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“The combination of classroom instruction, visits to the field and workshops with media professionals who gave individual feedback about the students’ work made this summer one that was exciting and valuable – the students are still talking about it! The curriculum is thoughtfully designed to appeal to high school students, with multiple resources. The writing pieces that the students produced by the end of the course showed development in their writing voice and awareness of journalistic conventions, such as citing sources and presenting different perspectives.”

– Miriam Nightengale, Principal, MLK School of Law, Advocacy & Community, New York City

“It was my privilege to speak to students involved in Scoop Media’s journalism seminar. I went in to teach the students about journalism, but I walked away learning a lot from them as well. It was inspiring to see a group of young people who were so engaged. The instruction’s enthusiasm and passion were clearly transferred to its students. I wish I could have been involved with a program such as this at their age. What an advantage they now have having not only listened to professionals from all aspects of the journalism profession, but they have also gained knowledge from their hands-on experiences such as visiting the ABC News newsroom.”

– Alicia Quarles, Reporter, Associated Press

“Scoop’s August Journalism Seminar for New York City public high school students is a tornado of a program that aims to make journalists of promising students almost overnight.  The classes and assignments, and visiting professionals and field trips, are highly ambitious: they are challenging and intense–and they’re sure to change lives. Scoop Media represents the next generation, enterprising and eager to assume the mantle.  With excellent timing and miraculous energy, it has insinuated itself into the national political landscape and made itself a force.” 

– Ada Fan, Instructor in English, Deerfield Academy

“This extraordinary program has the potential to inspire journalistic talent in a place where most would not think to look — youth whose academic options are limited by circumstance. Journalism is the cornerstone of democracy, and Scoop Media is doing something truly wonderful by recruiting the voices which would have gone unheard otherwise.”

– Carol Duh, ScoopDaily Contributor, Class of 2009, Yale University

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