It’s Black History Month — and today, February 3, is the anniversary of the 1964 New York City school boycott, when almost half a million students stayed home to protest school segregation.

Though many history books don’t mention the boycott, it was the largest single demonstration of the Civil Rights Movement, almost double the size of the March on Washington.

The boycott’s lead organizer, Rev. Milton Galamison, delivered a speech a month later about the dire need for school integration. You can listen to his words in our episode “The Persistence of NYC School Segregation.”

More than 50 years later, NYC schools remain among the most segregated in the nation. The Bell works to shed light on deep inequities that still exist, and the continued fight for integrated education.

In this fourth issue of The Mix, we’re honoring the 1964 boycott’s legacy and celebrating The Bell’s new staff, interns, and programs.

Meet our new team members!

In January, we welcomed Ave Carrillo, Azia Wiggins, and Carolina Hidalgo onto our team.

Ave Carrillo

Executive Producer, P.S. Weekly

Azia Wiggins

Mississippi Program Manager

Carolina Hidalgo

Engagement Editor

NYC spring internship launches

Our latest internship program launched last week with a lively session about the meaning and purpose of journalism. As we gear up to start production for our Miseducation and P.S. Weekly podcasts, our student reporters have begun brainstorming and pitching stories that they’ll develop over the next four months. We can’t wait to hear what they’ll create!

Jackson Youth Newsroom gets cooking

Our eight student reporters in Mississippi have been working hard to establish our brand-new Jackson Youth Newsroom. Their first order of business was to develop a mission statement: We’re here to tell stories rooted in pride for our city, share new perspectives on old problems, bridge generations, and drive action to create a stronger future for Jackson. Now, they’re learning how to write profiles of leaders in their communities. You can sign up here for news and updates.

Journalism for All training begins

On January 27, the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at CUNY hosted a welcome event and professional-development session for the 30 schools participating in Journalism for All’s inaugural cohort. The day featured a screening of the documentary “Unheard: The Missing Voices of Student Journalism” and an inspiring panel of student journalists sharing their advice with incoming journalism advisers.

The Bell meets with College Board

A couple weeks ago, Miseducation interns Bernie, Katelyn, and Kelsi, along with producers Sabrina and Mira, met with the College Board’s strategy team to share what they learned as they reported “Chronically Present: How One High School Transformed Attendance.” They discussed how schools can better support students by addressing mental-health needs and providing a range of extracurricular opportunities.

Featured student opportunities

Youthcast Media Group is hosting a six-week reporting workshop about unequal access to physical activity and sports for teens, and its impact on their health. This paid opportunity is open to high-school students interested in multimedia journalism. Apply by February 7.

PBS News Student Reporting Labs need a theme song for the fifth season of “On Our Minds,” a podcast about teen mental health. Any musician younger than 25 can submit a song, and the winner will receive $200. Submit by February 14.

The Journalism Education Association is accepting submissions for New York Journalist of the Year. Nominations are open to any high-school senior whose adviser is a JEA member. Learn more and apply by February 14.

JEA has also opened its High School Essay Contest, funded by the Society of Professional Journalists Foundation. Student essays should address the biggest challenge journalists face today, and how they might overcome it. The entry fee is $5 per submission, and the top three will earn scholarships from $300 to $1,000. Learn more and submit by February 19.

JEA is also taking nominations for the Student Journalist Impact Award. Teachers may nominate students, and students may nominate themselves. JEA permits more than one entry per school. Submit here by March 15.

The Nation Fund for Independent Journalism is seeking applicants for its next cohort of writing fellows. This is a paid opportunity open to current 10th-graders in good academic standing. Learn more and apply by March 17.

Freedom Forum is accepting applications from high-school juniors to join the Al Neuharth Free Spirit and Journalism Conference on June 22–27. Organizers will select one student from each U.S. state and the District of Columbia. Apply by March 23.

Want to be in a new advice podcast for teens? Fill out this form to be potentially featured in a pilot episode produced by Arcana Audio and Lismore Road.

From the archives

Photo of the month

In January, we enjoyed a special visit from Marvin, an alumnus of our Summer Youth Podcast Academy. He broadcasts campus news and DJs a weekly talk show as production manager for SUNY Oneonta’s radio station, WONY. We’re so proud of you, Marvin!

Help us grow our programs to reach more students in 2025.