In 2023, the New Jersey Council for the Humanities announced the Fueling Community Journalism Through NJ Community Colleges initiative, which introduced non-credit certificate programs in community journalism at four NJ community colleges.

Some of the programs are now underway, and interest in them has been robust, including at Mercer County Community College. At Mercer, the program is being led by Holly-Katharine Johnson, Professor of English and Journalism. She reports that Mercer’s large, intergenerational cohort is excelling in the course’s assignments so far.

Assignments so far have included writing in reporters’ notebooks, talking to two people they have never met, and preparing for interviews.

“They could talk to anyone about anything,” Johnson said. “They did an amazing job talking to everyone from a town mayor to a mechanic to the guy pouring coffee at the QuickCheck.”

Some students in Johnson’s “J Lab” have also been attending regular meetings of The College VOICE student newspaper, taking advantage of the opportunity to meet with and get feedback from its editors and staff.

“We discussed news judgment, ethics, and different writing styles and types of articles. At the end, students received their press passes which they can wear (or not) when they are out working on their articles in the coming weeks,” she said.

Students will receive certificates at a ceremony after the conclusion of the program on March 7.

The initial launch of the Fueling Community Journalism initiative also includes programs at Atlantic Cape Community College, Middlesex College, and Sussex County Community College. The program is funded by a grant from the New Jersey Civic Information Consortium and administered in partnership with Journalism + Design at the New School. Plans are to expand the program to additional locations in the future.

If you are interested in becoming a participant or partner of the program, visit https://njhumanities.org/programs/community-journalism/.