Student Voice Project 2012 Scholastic Journalism Institute

Journalism professor Willa Seidenberg, right, teaches interviewing skills to Los Angeles Unified School District teachers.

The Student Voice Project (SVP) envisions a world in which educational inequity no longer exists. It is no news that the American public education system is in crisis, particularly in our inner cities. Yet while many well-publicized initiatives seek to improve achievement in reading and math, skills that are crucial to every academic and career path are all but forgotten: critical thinking and writing. The ability to gather, interpret, and present information is in danger of becoming a lost art, leaving a generation of youth at a huge disadvantage. SVP intends to fill this need by equipping the next generation of youth with these skills through engaging them in meaningful journalism study.

The Scholastic Journalism Institute, which will start July 23 and run through August 3, will show a select group of K-12 teachers how to integrate journalistic principles into their teaching, as well as equipping would-be journalism advisers with the tools they need to start journalism programs at their respective high schools. It aims to enhance student literacy, critical thinking and personal empowerment.

This year, the Student Voice Project will be partnering with the IML to host the Scholastic Journalism Institute. Participants will be asked to consider the integration of digital media and digital journalism in education.

To learn more about SJI, visit the Student Voice Project website.