Hi Subscriber First Name,

Wow — we’re still catching our breath from the Knicks championship run, the World Cup, various extreme weather events, and an action-packed school year!

Now, we’re gearing up for the seventh annual Summer Youth Podcast Academy, where 12 high school students from across New York City will immerse themselves in podcast production as they craft episodes on this year’s theme: Flavors of New York City. Stay tuned for their deliciously rich stories!

Just a note: The Mix is on vacation next month. We look forward to sharing summer highlights when school resumes in September!

We’re hiring — spread the word!

Operations and Finance Manager

• New York City or Jackson, Mississippi

• Full-time | $75,000 – $85,000 (NY); $58,000 – $68,000 (MS)

• Priority deadline: July 31

Learn more and apply: bellvoices.org/jobs

Youth Journalism Coalition Community Outreach & Engagement Civic Corps Member

• New York City

• September 2026-June 2027 | $24,500 stipend

• Deadline: July 26

Apply through NYC service: corps.nycservice.org

NYC high schoolers intern at professional newsrooms in new summer initiative

Photo by Alec Meeker

The Youth Journalism Coalition partnered with the Department of Youth and Community Development to launch a paid summer newsroom internship track for high school students (this is a big deal!). The new program has placed 36 student journalists from Journalism for All schools in 11 professional newsrooms for paid work experience as part of the city’s Summer Youth Employment Program. Throughout July and August, these young journalists are helping conduct original reporting for local and national outlets, including the Bushwick Daily (pictured above), Documented, Capital B, New York Amsterdam News, and more.

Read all about it in this press release.

That’s a wrap on P.S. Weekly Season 3!

We celebrated the end of a fantastic third season of P.S. Weekly with a live recording at the Brooklyn Public Library Central Branch on Thursday, June 11. Our student reporters reflected on the lessons they learned while covering curriculum debates, school mergers, teacher diversity and more in an engaging conversation hosted by assistant producers Katelyn Melville and Zana Halili.

Special thanks to our senior producer, Maria Robins-Somerville, our technical director, Jake Lummus, and the team at Chalkbeat New York for their hard work behind the scenes to make this season a success.

Listen to all P.S. Weekly episodes on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

Youth Journalism Coalition student leaders testify at City Hall

The Youth Journalism Coalition capped off an action-packed school year by bringing a group of students to City Hall in June to testify in support of Journalism for All. You can watch their powerful testimony on YouTube. In addition to live testimony, 45 students, teachers and professionals across the coalition submitted written statements calling for equitable access to journalism education. 

The YJC also celebrated the hard work of its high school student leaders at an end-of-year picnic, organized a happy hour for adult coalition members and led a professional development day for the Journalism for All teachers at the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism. 

Thank you to everyone who showed up to an event, contributed to a working group or voiced support for the coalition’s advocacy for journalism education this school year! We look forward to reconnecting in September.

Mississippi teachers prepare to launch new journalism courses this fall

Photo by Veronica Flores

The inaugural cohort of The Bell’s Mississippi High School Journalism Project gathered on the University of Mississippi campus in June for a four-day professional development workshop led by Journalism for All curriculum designer Katina Paron, in partnership with the Mississippi Scholastic Press Association. The educators learned about nut grafs, the five Ws, inverted pyramid structure and multimedia storytelling in preparation for launching credit-bearing journalism programs in 18 schools across the state starting this fall. They’ll receive ongoing support and training from The Bell throughout the school year as they build and grow journalism programs for Mississippi students.

Featured student opportunities

The New York Public Library is accepting applications for its paid Teen Center Ambassadors program. Participants are assigned to local branch libraries where they create dynamic library events and resources for teens throughout the 2026-27 school year. Rising 10th-12th grade NYC public high school students are eligible. Learn more and apply here by Thursday, July 30.

Newsreel is accepting applications for Newsreel Academy, a virtual summer internship program. Participants receive dedicated mentorship from major newsroom alumni, build an official writing portfolio and finish the program with a published article byline. Students entering grades 9-12 are eligible. Learn more and apply here by Monday, August 3.

The Fulcrum is accepting applications for its Fall 2026 Fulcrum Fellowship. Undergraduate and graduate journalism students can apply to receive mentorship from The Fulcrum’s publishing team, with a specific emphasis on solutions-focused journalism, and opportunities to publish original reporting. Learn more and apply here by Monday, August 3.

Girls Write Now is hosting a free virtual career chat featuring media professionals from publications like Bustle, The Drift and Travel + Leisure on Tuesday, August 4 from 4:45-6 p.m. Speakers will share insights on what it takes to produce a magazine or zine and how to navigate the modern media landscape. Register here.

Girls Write Now is also accepting applications for its Fall Journey program, a creative mentorship experience designed for writers, poets, and aspiring authors. Youth ages 14-24 from anywhere in the country are invited to apply to participate in workshop courses ranging from nonfiction, poetry, stand up comedy, civil discourse, and more. Learn more and apply here by Friday, August 31.

The National Coalition Against Censorship is accepting submissions for its Youth Free Expression Film Contest. 14-19 year-olds living in the United States are eligible to submit a short documentary film relating to the theme “Documenting our Democracy,” for the chance to win a cash prize and a scholarship to the New York Film Academy. The winning film will also be screened at NCAC’s annual benefit in New York City. Submit here by Sunday, September 9.

New York Jewish Week is accepting applications for its Teen Journalism Fellowship. Throughout this semester-length program, participants will receive the training and support to produce an article exploring their community through a Jewish teen lens. 15-18 year-old Jewish students from New York City are eligible. Learn more and apply here by Sunday, September 20.

The Bell is accepting pitches on a rolling basis for Firsthand, a national student reporting initiative on the most pressing issues in American schools. Rising 10th-12th graders in public and charter high schools can submit pitches for the opportunity to receive official byline credit, coaching and mentorship from professional reporters and a monetary stipend. Learn more and submit here.

From the archives

Alumni spotlight: Renika Jack

“I graduated from York College, City University of New York, this spring with a bachelor of arts in psychology. Currently, I work as a registered behavior technician and I’m pursuing a career as a paraprofessional while continuing to build my experience in journalism and media. During my time with The Bell, I was a student reporter for the Keeping Score series, a podcast collaboration with WNYC which covered a sports merger that took place on my divided school campus. The experience gave me the opportunity to use storytelling to highlight an important community issue while connecting with listeners through authentic conversation. One of the biggest lessons I took away from The Bell was the importance of listening with intention and telling stories that authentically represent people’s experiences. I apply that lesson every day by communicating with empathy, asking thoughtful questions, and ensuring every voice is heard and respected.” 

— Renika Jack, Miseducation ’21-’22

Photo of the month

In June, Mira and Sabrina led a podcasting workshop for the educators in the Journalism for All pilot cohort. They demonstrated sample activities from the Student Podcast Playbook, The Bell’s free, four-week curriculum.

Support the next generation of journalists and civic leaders.