PLEASANT HILL, Calif. — Thirteen students from 10 high schools across Contra Costa County have been selected as reporters for the Contra Costa Youth Journalism (CCYJ) program. Sponsored by the Contra Costa County Office of Education (CCCOE) in collaboration with various California news organizations and the Dean & Margaret Lesher Foundation, this six-month program offers high school students an opportunity to report on their schools and local communities.
Under the mentorship of Bay Area professional journalists, the students will develop and publish their stories online at CCSpin.net, LocalNewsMatters.org, and other news outlets starting in October. This is the second CCYJ program cohort, which originally launched in January 2024.
“Journalism is a crucial aspect of this democracy and encouraging students to bring their critical thinking, research and communication skills to bear on the issues affecting their communities is something all educators should support,” said Contra Costa County Superintendent of Schools Lynn Mackey. “It is my hope that we are able to sustain the Contra Costa Youth Journalism project and encourage the expansion of student journalism programs throughout the county.”
The selected students participated in a four-day journalism training camp from July 15-18 at Diablo Valley College in Pleasant Hill, led by DVC instructor Charleen Early. They received additional training during an Aug. 10 workshop at CCCOE, conducted by CCYJ writing coaches Mitchell Fitzhugh-Craig, Brian Barr and Katy St. Clair.
The instruction covers essential journalism skills, including researching reliable information, conducting interviews, and structuring stories. Students also explore the importance of a free press, the First Amendment, ethical journalism practices, and the integration of diversity, equity and inclusion into news coverage.
This initiative is made possible through the generous support of CCCOE, the Lesher Foundation, and CalMatters’ Youth Journalism Initiative project. Additional support is provided by the Bay City News Foundation, which publishes on the free site LocalNewsMatters.org, Contra Costa Television, and the DVC Journalism Department.
“It’s so important to include youth voices in our coverage of community issues and training students to report and write those stories themselves is particularly rewarding,” said Bay City News publisher Katherine Ann Rowlands.“We’re proud to support the next generation of journalists in this way.”
A recent study by the University of Southern California’s Annenberg Center on Communication Leadership and Policy highlights the impact of student journalists. According to the research, “Student journalists produced timely, thorough reporting that not only matched professional standards but also met community needs. Student journalists are capable of delivering valuable journalism, with at least 14 million Americans receiving news from student papers.”
Furthermore, research shows that high school students who engage in journalism or contribute to their school newspaper or yearbook tend to achieve strong academic results that extend into college. Participation in journalism also fosters critical thinking, writing, communication and design skills.
Student reporters for Contra Costa Youth Journalism:
- Cindy Alvarenga (Antioch High School)
- Milan Barney (Pittsburg High School)
- Emma Mayta Canales (Deer Valley High School)*
- Nakayla Conner (Pittsburg High School)
- Caroline Donahoe (Northgate High School)
- Keerthi Eraniyan (California High School)*
- Hannah Grossetete (Liberty High School)
- Loujain Habibi (Liberty High School)*
- Madeleine Hanavan (Dozier-Libbey Medical High School)
- Anushka Kabra (Dougherty Valley High School)
- Ishita Khanna (Heritage High School)
- Sylvana Vuong (Northgate High School)
- Oscar Villalobos (Making Waves Academy)
*Returning student
About Contra Costa County Office of Education
One of 58 counties in California, Contra Costa County has the 11th largest public-school student population in the state (approximately 169,225 students). Officially established in 1932, CCCOE has a long history of providing direct services to some of our county’s most vulnerable students, including young people who are incarcerated, homeless, or in foster care, as well as students who have severe physical or emotional challenges.
CCCOE also provides support services to schools and school districts in Contra Costa County; services that can be handled most effectively and economically on a regional basis rather than by each of the county’s 260 schools or 18 school districts. These services range from budget approval and fiscal support to technology infrastructure, communication support, and high-level professional development opportunities for educators. CCCOE maintains a website at www.cocoschools.org.
About Contra Costa Youth Journalism
The Contra Costa Youth Journalism program is a collaborative effort between educational institutions and professional news organizations aimed at giving high school students in Contra Costa County a platform to share stories about their schools and communities. The initiative provides comprehensive training by journalism educators and professionals, and students are compensated for their stories, which are published on a designated website and made available to professional news outlets. Participating organizations include Bay City News Foundation/Local News Matters, California Scholastic Journalism Initiative, CalMatters, CCCOE, Contra Costa Television, and the Diablo Valley College Journalism Department. For more information, please contact CCYJ program coordinator Bruce Koon at ccyouthjournalism@gmail.com.