It’s June, another school year is almost in the books, and summer is calling! In this issue of The Mix, we’re taking last-minute RSVPs for two events this week, bringing you the latest episodes of P.S. Weekly, and sharing updates from our teams in NYC and Jackson, Mississippi.

We’re amazed by the work our students and staff have accomplished during the school year. Among the highlights: Ave Carrillo, executive producer of P.S. Weekly, became a Pulitzer Prize finalist for her previous work as executive producer on a special investigation into decades of sexual assault at the Rikers Island women’s prison. The Pulitzer Prize Board cited her team’s “revelatory” work in its May announcement for journalism’s highest honor.

Congratulations to Ave and to all of our high school and college graduates! 🎓

Upcoming events

The Bell Listening Party & Fundraiser

Tomorrow, June 10, 6–8 p.m.

The New School University Center, 63 5th Ave., New York, NY

RSVP here.

Youth Journalism Coalition Community Picnic

Wednesday, June 11, 5:30 p.m.

State Street & Battery Place, New York, NY 

RSVP here.

Featured stories

Our most recent episodes of P.S. Weekly explore the lingering impacts of the pandemic on teen mental health, how New York City students are responding to climate change, and the debate over strict bathroom policies at NYC public schools. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

And at Baruch College, Irza Waraich wrote about The Bell’s years-long efforts to expand equitable access to youth journalism opportunities. “[Journalism] just broadened my horizons,” our student intern Autumn Wynn told Waraich. “I didn’t know that there was a profession for me to just talk and express my opinion and it mattered.”

Miseducation alumna joins NPR, PBS at EWA National Seminar

Miseducation alumna and Lafayette College sophomore Jadelyn Camey spoke on a panel last month at the Education Writers Association National Seminar in St. Louis. Jadelyn shared her experience reporting the Missing Voices series for The Bell, explaining how she has continued to pursue journalism as a contributing writer for her campus publication, The Lafayette.

Our team at The Bell helped organize this SXSW EDU-sponsored session alongside the NPR Student Podcast Challenge and PBS News Student Reporting Labs. Joining Jadelyn on the panel were student journalist and CalMatters fellow Delilah Brumer, McKinley Classical Leadership Academy high-schooler Sophia Spies, McKinley educators Miriam Townsend and Meghan Joshi, and moderator Janet Woojeong Lee of NPR.

Overall, the conference was a great success. We loved meeting education journalists from around the country, reconnecting with friends, and eating fantastic St. Louis barbecue. Until next year!

Jackson Youth Newsroom wraps up first cohort, announces ‘25 in 25’ campaign

On May 23, the Jackson Youth Newsroom celebrated its inaugural cohort with over 90 guests at TWENTY Rooftop in downtown Jackson. We unveiled JYN’s long-term vision of building a permanent, youth-powered newsroom and announced our “25 in 25” campaign — with the goal of raising $25,000 from individual donors in 2025. Thanks to the generous support of more than 60 initial donors, we’ve already raised $4,500.

Guests heard from Program Manager Azia Wiggins, Executive Director Taylor McGraw, and student reporters, who shared reflections and received certificates for their successful completion of the program. The event also included “golden hour” mingling on the rooftop, cake, hors d’oeuvres, and intergenerational connections. 

Thanks to the generous support of more than 60 initial donors, we’ve already raised $4,500 toward our “25 in 25” goal. Want to support the next generation of writers and changemakers in Jackson? Donate here.

The Final Bell, our year-end gathering, connects students from across our programs

Tiara Edwards, our phenomenal office intern from the Institute for Collaborative Education, hosted “The Final Bell,” a virtual gathering for students from our New York City and Jackson programs to connect, reflect, and express their creativity in a Shark Tank-like pitching game. As we ended the May 14 event, our students shared highlights of their experiences.

Jeremiah Dickerson said: “I’ll take away the communication skills I’ve gained, like opening up more, as well as the numerous improvements to my digital literacy, like writing better emails and summarizing my messages better.” 

Hannah King, who joined our first cohort in The Bell’s Jackson Youth Newsroom, said: “Working with JYN made me understand the value of youth voices, and that youth truly do care about their lives and education, and deserve to be heard.”

Autumn Wynn said: “Through Miseducation and the Student Journalism Action Group, I’ve learned how to navigate not only a workplace setting, but how to advocate as a young Black woman.”

Jackson team promotes youth journalism, engagement at summit for local news leaders

On May 15 and 16, the Jackson Youth Newsroom participated in the Press Forward Mississippi Local News Summit at the University of Mississippi. Executive Director Taylor McGraw joined the “Growing the Next Generation” panel, urging collaboration with schools:

“In Mississippi, the vast majority [of students] are not getting access to journalism education, news literacy or civics instruction. As journalism leaders around the state, we’ve got to step up. I think all of us in this room have a responsibility to work with schools.”

JYN student reporter Laeyla Walters spoke on the “Meeting People Where They Are” panel, spotlighting youth engagement: 

“Young people have this idea that if it doesn't directly affect them, they don't have to listen to it or pay attention to it. I think that you should focus on laws that directly affect us—schools closing, for instance… Emphasize that these things affect us.”

NYC Youth Journalism Coalition’s student leaders host fellow advocates from Minnesota

A few weeks ago, YJC student leaders hosted the Youth Leadership Board of Minnesota-based ThreeSixty Journalism for an evening of conversation, connection, and Spanish-Caribbean cuisine. As they swapped stories and perspectives, students shared their successes, challenges, and goals in youth journalism advocacy. Despite coming from different communities, the students bonded over their commitment to student voice and civic engagement. We’re grateful to ThreeSixty for including us in their learning trip to NYC, so we could build community across states among the next generation of media changemakers! Read all about it here.

NYC student journalists discuss their reporting on sex ed at local nonprofit showcase

Our own Mira Gordon and P.S. Weekly interns Sanaa Stokes and Aponi Kafele presented at a showcase of NYC-based arts nonprofits last month. The two students spoke about their recent P.S. Weekly episode, “Are NYC Schools Teaching Sex Ed? It’s a Touchy Subject.” Sanaa shared what inspired this episode:

“I realized I’m about to graduate and I’ve never taken a sex ed class. And it's honestly something I look back on in my high school career and I’m kind of upset that I never got to learn about it.” 

Aponi spoke about her favorite thing about being a student journalist:  

“It’s probably giving people an outlet to talk about things that they couldn’t talk about before. Seeing people get to open up like that is really special.”  

Featured student opportunities

Youth Food Advocates Internship is a ten-month internship program for young people who want to learn about social justice, public policy and advocacy, and are ready to create systemic change in New York City food systems. Open to all NYC high school students. Apply here by June 15. 

The New York Times is accepting applications for the New York Times Corps, a program focused on cultivating careers in journalism. Eligible to all rising college freshman and sophomores who attend two- or four- year colleges. Learn more and apply here by June 20. 

The Student Press Law Center is accepting submissions for the Courage in Student Journalism award. A $1,000 award will be granted to a student journalist or student news organization that has demonstrated advocacy for student press freedom despite difficulty. Apply here by June 30. 

The Student Press Law Center is also accepting submissions for the Student Freedom of Information Award. A $1,000 award will be granted to a student journalist or team of journalists that have demonstrated outstanding use in reporting towards promoting important issues in their school community. Apply here by June 30.

Young Playwrights Summer Program is offering the chance for high school students to participate in a two-week intensive to learn the craft of playwriting and create their own works. Apply here by June 30.

Horizon Academic is accepting submissions for the Horizon Academic Essay Prize. Students may submit an essay about the horizons of knowledge, and the limits of human understanding and discovery. Open to all high school students who will be enrolled in high school as of September 1, 2025. Submit here by July 13.

The New York Times is hosting a Summer Reading Contest from June 6-August 15. Submit a short response or video about what you’re reading each week here.

From the archives

Alumni spotlight: Janina Guballa

“My experiences at The Bell sparked my interest in storytelling. The piece I worked on, which focused on student homelessness in New York City, solidified that passion. The countless hours spent editing, reworking, and polishing my final story exposed me to the many behind-the-scenes efforts needed to complete a piece. With this experience, I have since explored different modes of communication, one being data science, where I've learned to translate complex information into not only comprehensive but compelling visuals that tell a story. I am now a rising sophomore at Baruch College, where I have been exploring campus media opportunities, particularly with the student newspaper, The Ticker. As I continue with my academic and professional journey, I carry the lessons I learned at The Bell with me -- particularly the importance of ethical storytelling and community engagement.”

– Janina Guballa, Miseducation ‘22-23

Photo of the month

A couple weeks ago, our teammates Mira Gordon, Denisse Merino, CJ Sánchez, and Lyric Thomas found themselves unintentionally twinning at the office. :)

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