Fueling Community Journalism Through NJ Community Colleges

NJCH and Journalism + Design at the New School are partnering with a set of community colleges around the state in 2023-24 to create and deliver free noncredit community journalism certificate offerings, to equip people with tools to better understand and articulate what's happening in their communities.

These certificates, unique to each school and created with input from local community partners and media organizations, will give participants transferable skills from a variety of disciplines – including journalism, design, the humanities, media literacy and systems thinking – that challenge them to explore creative ways to better inform their community and circulate high-quality news.

Press passes from the Mercer J-Lab, spread on a table

The Fueling Community Journalism initiative is currently supporting free, non-credit certificate programs at four NJ community colleges.

Julia Meriney

From the classroom to the newsroom: Student finds passion and purpose in community journalism program

When Julia Meriney went back to school after raising her three sons, one of her first classes was Professor Holly Johnson’s Honors English 102 at Mercer County Community College. At the time she was simply seeking a credit toward her degree, but what she found was a passion and sense of purpose.

In May of 2024, Meriney graduated from MCCC with highest honors and received numerous academic awards, many of which are connected to her time as editor-in-chief of the school newspaper, The College VOICE, for which Professor Johnson is the faculty adviser.

Her connection with the VOICE also led to her involvement with the school’s J-Lab, part of the Fueling Community Journalism at NJ Community Colleges initiative of the New Jersey Council for the Humanities.

Project TeamS

NJCH and Journalism + Design at The New School are pleased to announce the members of our 2023-24 “Fueling Community Journalism Through NJ Community Colleges” cohort!

Each college will receive a $40,000 award from NJCH and J+D to train faculty members and fund tuition-free, noncredit certificates in community journalism at their institutions. These certificate programs, which will be unique to each college, will be developed by the selected colleges through training and support from NJCH/J+D and other local news experts.

Beginning in July 2023, representatives from each college will take part in intensive workshops that will explore how to create, facilitate, and sustain certificate programs that incorporate local voices and community needs. Colleges also will have the opportunity to build sustainable connections with local media partners and nonprofit organizations in their regions through a Spring 2024 community journalism/community college convening, as well as through NJCH/J+D-supported seed grants for the colleges’ community partners. The colleges will launch their inaugural certificate programs in Spring 2024.

Press release

Four New Jersey community colleges have received $40,000 awards to train faculty members and fund tuition-free, noncredit certificates in community journalism at their institutions.

Read the press release

Media coverage

Atlantic Cape Community College

Atlantic Cape CC
Jennie Field, Assistant Professor of English and Communication
Jennie Field, Assistant Professor of English and Communication
Sherwood L. Taylor, Senior Director of Workforce Development
Sherwood L. Taylor, Senior Director of Workforce Development

Mercer County Community College

Mercer County Community College
Holly-Katharine Johnson, Professor of English and Journalism 
Holly-Katharine Johnson, Professor of English and Journalism 

Middlesex College

Middlesex College logo
Melissa Edwards, Professor of English
Melissa Edwards, Professor of English
Cristobal Espinoza-Wulach, Associate Professor of History and Social Science
Cristobal Espinoza-Wulach, Associate Professor of History and Social Science

Sussex County Community College

Sussex County Community College
Cheryl Conway, Instructor of Journalism
Cheryl Conway, Instructor of Journalism
Nancy Gallo
Nancy Gallo, Associate Vice President of Academic Affairs & Dean of Professional Studies, Social Sciences & STEM and Director of the Center for Lifelong Learning

People

Contact

For questions about the Fueling Grassroots Journalism at NJ Community Colleges program, contact Project Director Cole Goins, cole.goins@gmail.com.

Header photo by Adeolu Eletu and ConvertKit on Unsplash