Welcome to the application for the eighth cohort of the Youth Arts Journalism Initiative. If you are a high schooler attending a New Haven, Hamden or West Haven public school and have an interest in journalism, read on. Applications are open April 1-May 5, 2025.
The mission of the Youth Arts Journalism Initiative (YAJI) is to introduce high schoolers to grassroots journalism through The Arts Paper, the daily publication of the Arts Council of Greater New Haven. Students independently research, report, draft, and publish articles covering the arts, culture, and community in New Haven and the greater New Haven region. Many YAJI alumni stay on as freelance reporters after the program ends.
The next semester starts June 23-27 (following the end of the academic year) with a multi-day "intensive” followed by eight weeks of pitch meetings, group writing/reporting time at the New Haven Free Public Library and 1:1 professional mentorship. We ask students to produce between one and four publishable articles over the course of the program. Student pay starts at $100 per article. In addition, all students receive a $400 stipend for participating in the program.
The 2025 summer intensive will be held in person Monday through Friday June 23-27 at the Arts Council, 70 Audubon Street in New Haven.
Your commitment to the program includes:
- Weekly sessions with program mentors
- Developing story ideas
- Conducting interviews
- Writing publishable articles
- Ten hours a week to working on articles independently
NOTE: Participation in YAJI is a tremendous time commitment. If you cannot commit at least 10 hours a week to conducting interviews, writing independently and working with mentors to edit and revise your articles, this program may not be for you. In the past, students have underestimated this time commitment and struggled to complete the program.
Important dates to remember:
April 1, 2025: Applications open
May 5, 2025: Applications due
May 12, 2025: Applicants notified
May 19, 2025: Applicants accept or decline entry to the program. Waitlist regrets by May 23.
Program begins: June 23, 2025
Program ends: August 22, 2025
Participants who successfully complete the summer program may be invited to continue writing stories for The Arts Paper as a freelance writer.
For questions, email lucy@newhavenarts.org. Fill out the application below to apply.
YAJI Funders
Our sincere thanks to the following foundations, institutions, and local businesses who have and continue to help make YAJI possible!
Interested in supporting YAJI? Contact our Annual Fundraising Manager Mina Khokhar for more information.
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