It’s been another big month for The Bell, with new partnerships, growing national recognition, and more headlines about our students.

Chalkbeat New York republished a powerful video essay by Miseducation student reporter Autumn Wynn, who makes a case for how to improve restorative justice in city schools. 

Student reporters from the Murrow Network and the WESS Gazette covered our “J-Day” rally at City Hall in their school publications, while The Indypendent highlighted how our Journalism for All initiative is expanding access to journalism education across NYC schools.

And Press Forward Mississippi announced a new partnership with The Bell to expand journalism in the state’s high schools. Our goal is to equip 15 schools with the tools and resources to launch new student journalism programs starting next fall.

The Bell selected to present at SXSW EDU

Four of The Bell’s student reporters — Salma Baksh, Fredlove Deshommes, Jeremiah Dickerson, and Aponi Kafele — will join us at SXSW EDU 2026 next March! They’ll record a live episode of the Miseducation podcast titled “How Teen Journalists Drive Change in their Communities.” If you plan to attend the conference, be sure to add our session to your schedule — you won’t want to miss hearing firsthand how young journalists are reshaping the media and making an impact in their schools and beyond!

Building a stronger future for journalism and democracy

At last week’s Philanthropy New York convening of news leaders and philanthropists, our executive director, Taylor McGraw, joined a panel on innovations in journalism and democracy alongside Elizabeth Green (CEO, Civic News Company), Graciela Mochkofsky (dean, Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism), and Will Kaback (senior editor, Tangle).

Taylor underscored the need for collaboration to expand journalism education and build new pathways for delivering relevant, trustworthy news to youth audiences. We also premiered a short film spotlighting the evolution of the Youth Journalism Coalition’s Journalism for All initiative, which is already making significant headway toward the vision Taylor described.

Huge thanks to Laurel Dumont, Philanthropy New York, and the DJ McManus Foundation for organizing the event and championing journalism as essential to a healthy democracy.

Listen Now: Summer Youth Podcast Academy series on public servants  

All 12 episodes of our Summer Youth Podcast Academy are now live! This summer, students profiled public servants whose everyday work keeps our city running, from firefighters to urban designers.

Special thanks to Hannah Chinn, Janet Lee and the NPR New York bureau for hosting our recording sessions (and for the surprise celebrity encounter with actor Dylan O’Brien, pictured above).

Here are the seven episodes we published in October. You can listen to the full series wherever you get podcasts:

• The Devoted Home Health Aide – by Halimatou Kanteh

• The Taxi Lawyer Who Drives Change – by Jasper Mallorca

• The Indispensable Paraprofessional – by Rayleen Laloi

• The Urban Designer Who Shapes the City – by Christian Chand

• The Firefighter Who Never Gave Up – by Maram Althour

• The Teacher Behind The Desk – by Jazin Lopez Burgoa

• The Passionate Professor – by Giana Nevarez Tevere

Meet the Youth Journalism Coalition student leaders  

We’re excited to introduce this year’s Youth Journalism Coalition student leadership team — the driving force behind YJC events, communications, and community-building. This fall, they delivered powerful speeches at our J-Day rally at City Hall and are already planning a new speaker series and member gatherings for the year ahead.

Pictured (from left to right): Natalie Viderman, Julius Marinov, Jeremiah Dickerson, Autumn Wynn, and alumna Katelynn Seeteram. Photo by Dulce Marquez

Featured student opportunities

The Dow Jones News Fund is accepting applications for its summer 2026 internship program, which places student journalists in paid internships with media organizations around the country. College sophomores, juniors, seniors and graduate students are eligible to apply. Learn more and apply here by November 5. 

Roadtrip Nation is celebrating the premiere of a new documentary series titled “Tech for Us,” about the possibilities of public interest technology, followed by a panel of voices from across New York City’s public interest tech community, on November 5 from 5 to 6:30 p.m. at City Tech in Downtown Brooklyn. Register here.

The Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism is hosting a panel titled “How to Run an Indie Podcast,” featuring acclaimed podcasters Brian Reed, Yowei Shaw, and Evan Ratliff, and moderated by Newmark J-School Director of Audio Journalism, Kalli Anderson. This event will be on November 12 from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at the Newmark School’s Midtown campus. Get free tickets here.

PBS News Student Reporting Labs is hosting a free online audio storytelling workshop on November 12. Attendees will learn how to pitch the perfect audio story for season six of the On Our Minds podcast, an audio road trip featuring student-produced stories about what makes teen life unique across the country. Register here.

The Pulitzer Center is accepting submissions for its Local Letters for Global Change contest. All K–12 students are invited to submit a letter in English or Spanish to a local elected representative that explains a global issue they wish to be prioritized, shows how it connects to their local community, and proposes a solution. Winners will receive up to $300 to support global community engagement in their classroom, and be published on the Pulitzer Center website. Learn more and submit here by November 14. 

Brooklyn Children’s Theater is accepting applications for its paid high school and college internship program. Interns receive training in arts education, theatrical production, and arts administration. Apply here by 10am on Monday, November 17. 

Press Pass NYC will hold a free online workshop titled “How to Interview Politicians” on November 17 at 5 p.m., as part of its Jim Dwyer Student Reporting Series. Attendees will learn from former political strategist Basil Smikle and Gothamist Senior Politics Reporter Brigid Bergin. Register here.

The NYC Office of Neighborhood Safety (ONS) is recruiting students for its Youth Leadership Council, a paid opportunity to amplify youth voices and help achieve citywide social justice and policy change. Youth ages 16–22 and living in an ONS NYCHA development are eligible. Apply here by November 30.

AllSides is accepting articles that explore bias, misinformation, or under-the-radar issues for its student journalism contest. All students grades K–12 are welcome to enter, and three winning pieces will be awarded $500. Learn more and submit here by December 1. 

The New York Times is accepting submissions for its Tiny Memoir Contest. All middle and high school students ages 13–19 are welcome to submit a 100-word personal narrative for this contest. Winning pieces will be published in The New York Times’ Learning Network and be eligible for publication in a print edition of the Times. Learn more and submit here by December 3. 

DCTV is accepting applications for its free media arts training program for NYC youth ages 14–18. Participants learn the basics of documentary filmmaking, including camera operation, editing skills, interviewing and media literacy. DCTV will accept applications on a rolling basis. Learn more and apply here.

McClatchy Media is accepting applications for its McClatchy Summer News Internship Program. Participants will be placed in 10-week summer internships at newsrooms around the country, gaining hands-on experience in roles including reporter, visual storyteller, and audience/digital media specialist. Current college students and recent graduates are eligible. McClatchy also offers separate summer internships specifically for students who attend Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). Application deadlines vary across markets, but fall between November and December. Learn more and apply here.

From the archives

Alumni spotlight: Christian Rojas Linares

“Since my time with The Bell, I enrolled at Baruch College, where I’m now a sophomore majoring in real estate with a minor in journalism. My experiences at The Bell — where I reported a story about the 2023 Union Square riot for the Summer Youth Podcast Academy and an episode about youth career apprenticeships for P.S. Weekly — inspired me to join The New York Times Corps and become the head of podcasting at my school’s radio station, WBMB. At the Times Corps, I’ve received mentorship and guidance to develop my skills in audio journalism, and at WBMB, I oversee all podcasts and manage them to ensure success for each show we put out.”

— Christian Rojas Linares, SYPA '23; P.S. Weekly '24

Photo of the month

Our staff enjoyed catching up last week over delicious Georgian food and a friendly bowling competition. Congratulations to the winning team: CJ, Mira, Cait, and Adrian (left). Taylor, Sophie, and Sabrina (right) also showed off some impressive skills and gave the champions a run for their money!

Election Day is Tuesday, November 4

Tomorrow is Election Day. If you haven’t voted yet, make a plan and help your friends and family do so as well. In New York City, the polls will be open from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. 

If you’re still deciding how to vote on the six ballot proposals, take a look at these helpful guides from NYC Votes and Gothamist.

We need your support! Help us expand our programs this school year.