National Volunteer Week is a time to recognize the time and effort that volunteers put into their service to better their communities. Report for America corps members volunteer their time on a service project, generally a student journalism or youth media project, to help teach media literacy and storytelling skills to the next generation.
We spoke with corps members across the country about their projects and what community service means to them.
Donte Kirby | Technical.ly
I facilitate a youth journalism publication through a local literary magazine.
Some successful things: the youth have actually produced articles and I feel I learned more about journalism as a career through exposure to journalists. There have been some challenges, including teaching and providing skill-building activities to youth with little journalism experience. Sometimes getting youth to stick to deadlines is difficult, and of course, generally overcoming the disconnectedness of a virtual environment.
What does community service mean to you?
Community service means providing time and resources to better the community without monetization or expecting something in return — just providing a service that benefits the greater good of the community.
How has working with young journalists changed the way you think about journalism?
My service project has made me realize how much I actually know about the field. It’s also made me think about the audiences journalism does and doesn’t cater to.
Want to learn more about our corps members’ service projects? Read more profiles here and here.
About Report for America
Report for America is a national service program that places talented emerging journalists in local newsrooms to report on under-covered topics and communities. Launched in 2017, Report for America is creating a new, sustainable system that provides people with the information they need to improve their communities, hold powerful institutions accountable, and rebuild trust in the media. Report for America is an initiative of The GroundTruth Project.