Finding their Voices, Serving their Peers

Chunlin is working to give youth a voice by serving as a reliable and relevant information resource for his peers. “We want platforms where we can express ourselves, to share our thoughts with others, to learn about trends, what our peers are doing and thinking on campus.”

A high school senior in the remote northwestern Gansu province of China, Chunlin is editor-in-chief of the newly formed school newspaper, Campus Perspectives. Traditional publications in Chinese high schools more closely resemble academic or literary journals. This newspaper is one of the first of its kind to cover issues affecting students’ lives. The paper serves as a valuable resource for youth in the school community, “giving voice to the voiceless,” as one student describes being a journalist.

Chunlin’s efforts are part of the Student Journalism for China program implemented by IREX , which helps establish viable student-run newspapers in high schools across Gansu province. The program offers a hands-on practical curriculum, trains teachers on high school journalism instruction and advising, and empowers students to take ownership of their newspapers. The students are responsible for the production of an accurate, fair, and relevant newspaper that serves the school-wide community of students, teachers, administrators, and parents. Students make decisions on what news stories to publish, conduct interviews, write editorials, take photographs, design layout, and disseminate the paper school-wide.

Holding their first edition of the newspaper, Chunlin and his fellow staff are understandably proud. They are providing an important service to their community through ingenuity, hard work, and creativity.

The above story is originally featured in our 2010 Annual Report. With your support, we can continue to assist youth like Chunlin find their voice. Please consider making a gift online through our donation page.