L.A. Youth
"L.A. Youth" is a Los Angeles, California newspaper by and about teens. It was started in 1988 after a United States Supreme Court decision empowered school administrators to control the content of school newspapers. Many high school journalism programmes and newspapers were devastated by this decision. L.A. Youth sought to compensate for this shift by restoring a free press and creating for young people a journalism programme that fosters critical thinking, writing skills, literacy and civic education. It now publishes six times a year with a distribution of 120,000 and an estimated readership of 400,000. It is mainly distributed to schools as well as libraries, non-profit organisations, and other student organisations throughout the Los Angeles area. Copies of the paper are also sent worldwide to youth newspapers in China, Uganda and Mongolia. The staff is comprised of roughly 70 students and three adult editors.
The mission of the paper is to provide teens with high levels of journalism education, civic literacy and job skills. Outreach work is aimed at strengthening and building relationships with teachers to bring relevant issues into the classroom and improve the quality of education. Links with the community are intended to better educate policy makers about teen issues, create a more positive image of teens in the mainstream media and raise the credibility and awareness of L.A. Youth.
The mission of the paper is to provide teens with high levels of journalism education, civic literacy and job skills. Outreach work is aimed at strengthening and building relationships with teachers to bring relevant issues into the classroom and improve the quality of education. Links with the community are intended to better educate policy makers about teen issues, create a more positive image of teens in the mainstream media and raise the credibility and awareness of L.A. Youth.
Communication Strategies
The paper takes a youth perspective by publishing the first-hand accounts of teens' experiences with college stress, racial identity, homophobia, censorship, broken families and many more topics. L.A Youth has investigated serious problems in the community such as teen pregnancy, teen prostitution, drug addiction and dilapidated schools. Students meet each week to brainstorm ideas and work on articles and students do illustration and photography for each issue.
Through its newspaper, website, and journalism training programme, L.A. Youth fosters job and educational skills, provides a forum for communication and gives young people a voice in civic life.
In addition, L.A. Youth has begun a special project giving youth in the foster care and probation systems an opportunity to tell their personal stories. Through the Foster Care Writing and Education Project, which began in fall 2003, L.A. Youth is publishing stories written by foster and probation youth from Los Angeles County.
The paper's website also contains a searchable directory of teen services that provides information on a range of topics from local arts and entertainment to health and community assistance services.
For teachers there are also a series of lesson plans that have been developed from L.A Youth articles. These plans allow teachers to present and teach on critical issues from youth perspectives.
Through its newspaper, website, and journalism training programme, L.A. Youth fosters job and educational skills, provides a forum for communication and gives young people a voice in civic life.
In addition, L.A. Youth has begun a special project giving youth in the foster care and probation systems an opportunity to tell their personal stories. Through the Foster Care Writing and Education Project, which began in fall 2003, L.A. Youth is publishing stories written by foster and probation youth from Los Angeles County.
The paper's website also contains a searchable directory of teen services that provides information on a range of topics from local arts and entertainment to health and community assistance services.
For teachers there are also a series of lesson plans that have been developed from L.A Youth articles. These plans allow teachers to present and teach on critical issues from youth perspectives.
Development Issues
Youth, HIV/AIDS, Race Relations, Sexual Health.
Partners
Since 1988, L.A Youth has drawn support from more than 5,000 contributors. Some of the largest supporters have included Allstate Insurance, Apple Computers, the Bronfman Family Fund, The California Endowment, CBS Corporation, Coca-Cola Company, The Ford Foundation, the Ford Motor Company, the Freedom Forum, the Los Angeles Dodgers, the Los Angeles Times, Open Society Institute, and the Walt Disney Company.
Sources
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