About

Our Mission

The Youth Community Journalism Institute provides community journalism opportunities to students of any age. Launched in March 2024 at the Strong Mind Strong Body Foundation, a national youth and community development organization based in Minneapolis, the Youth Community Journalism Institute offers training, tools, resources, services, and support for any community to use journalism as a vehicle for positive change and social good. We believe community journalism can do more than create solutions and strengthen communities. Community journalism can change the world.

Our Vision

We envision a world where every community has access to trusted information that empowers people and creates positive change. Where youth voices are heard, valued, and amplified. Where journalism serves as a bridge between generations, cultures, and communities.

Our Approach: Community Solutions Journalism

Unlike traditional newsrooms that often focus only on reporting problems, our community solutions newsrooms are dedicated to creating community solutions by providing information, services, and opportunities that strengthen communities.

Our community solutions journalism program has three steps:

1. Provide community journalism education. We provide the tools, training, and resources to develop a deep understanding of journalism principles, ethics, media literacy, and the role of journalism in society. We work with schools, community organizations, and civic hubs (e.g., libraries) to create confident learners, responsible media consumers, impactful media producers, and positive community contributors at any age. We want everyone in a community to have the ability to navigate our complex media ecosystem as informed citizens and understand the power of community journalism to strengthen their communities.
2. Provide community journalism training. We train teachers, community organization leaders, and civic hub managers to practice community journalism and empower their communities. Once trained, the teachers, community leaders, and civic managers teach the community (youth to elders). We work with schools, organizations, and civic hubs to support their community journalism programs and community journalists (youth, parents, teachers, residents, adults, elders, and local stakeholders).
3. Provide community journalism opportunities. These opportunities include school and community newspapers (online first, print optional), community journalism video programs, audio programs, community events, internships, apprenticeship programs, entrepreneurial training, paid work opportunities, and special projects to create community solutions. Our mission is to strengthen underserved communities through community journalism. We want to show how communities can use community journalism to solve local problems and create educational and economic opportunities for their communities.

Our Programs

Youth Community Journalism Show

A monthly community news program led by youth ages 9-16 from underserved communities, produced alternately at SPNN (Saint Paul Neighborhood Network) and SPEAK MPLS, two community media centers in the Twin Cities.

Community Solutions With Youth

A weekly community news program produced by youth ages 10-18 from schools across Minneapolis and St. Paul, covering issues that matter to underserved communities in the Twin Cities.

School Newspaper Program

We help schools create and maintain online newspapers, like Ella Baker News (ellabakernews.com), giving students a platform to practice journalism and engage with their communities.

Intergenerational Journalism Initiatives

Programs that bring youth and seniors together for storytelling, community building, and mutual learning experiences.

Paid Apprenticeships and Internships

For youth ages 14-18, we offer paid opportunities to develop professional journalism and media production skills in a real-world environment.

Media Literacy Education

We provide tools and training to help people of all ages critically evaluate information, recognize credible sources, and become responsible media consumers and producers.

Our Impact

Since our founding in 2024, we have:

• Created community newsrooms in schools across Minneapolis and St. Paul
• Trained dozens of youth journalists from underserved communities
• Produced monthly community journalism shows highlighting local issues and solutions
• Collaborated with organizations like Conversaciones de Salud to amplify youth voices
• Engaged community members through workshops and events
• Provided paid journalism opportunities for youth from historically marginalized communities

Our Team

*Eric Ortiz — Founder, expert in community-driven journalism, media innovation, and audience development with 25+ years of excellence in digital media and journalism.

*Cory Foss — Experienced IT engineer and technologist with 30+ years of using technology as tools for education and community development 

*Strong Mind Strong Body Foundation – Leads Youth Community Journalism Institute, training young community journalists ages 10-16 with youth apprenticeship model of tech media peer-to-peer learning. Board members are serial entrepreneurs, technology executives, and education directors with combined 60+ years of expanding educational opportunities for youth and educators in underserved communities.

*Carmen Robles and Conversaciones de Salud team – Conversaciones de Salud is the first and only youth-produced bilingual news magazine focused on increasing health in Latino communities in Minnesota. Robles is a specialist in bilingual journalism with 40+ years of community engagement and community storytelling in underserved communities.

Our Partners

We collaborate with a growing network of partners including:

• Strong Mind Strong Body Foundation
• Conversaciones de Salud
• SPEAK MPLS
• Saint Paul Neighborhood Network (SPNN)
• Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board
• Masonic Institute for the Developing Brain
• Nuestra Lucha MN
• Carmen Robles and Associates LLC
• World Savvy
• Lowry Hill East Neighborhood Association
• East Phillips Improvement Coalition
• Hawthorne Neighborhood Council

Join Us

There are many ways to get involved with the Youth Community Journalism Institute:

For Youth: Join our journalism programs and have your voice heard while developing valuable skills.

For Schools and Organizations: Partner with us to create your own community newsroom and empower your community.

For Community Members: Share your stories, expertise, and time as mentors and community connectors.

For Supporters: Help us expand our reach and impact through donations, sponsorships, and partnerships.

Together, we can strengthen communities through community journalism, one story at a time.