ABOUT SCHOOL NEWS NATIONWIDE

For 14 years, SNN has demonstrated its capabilities to execute programs that afford students the opportunity to grow in their development. SNN has longstanding collaborations with community-based, borough and citywide not-for-profit organizations, governmental agencies and institutions providing social services vital to our target population. Areas of support include counseling, career development family living organizations and a variety of other educational groups.

Other excellent sources of support come from Brooklyn Domestic Violence Taskforce, a family living adviser; Explorers, a youth training program for future law enforcement; Brooklyn College, Long Island University, Pratt Institute Community Relations, as well as local police precincts, referral services to whom we recommend our students and their parents for issues regarding health services, legal assistance, child care, child protective agencies and employment related needs

SNN’s Journalism-in-Education Program focuses on local elementary and middle schools in the economically underdeveloped Bedford Stuyvesant community in Brooklyn. Because area school districts face budget restrictions, they are often unable to provide students with outlets that give them a chance to excel.

The program teaches students journalism basics, investigative reporting and interviewing, journalism writing, copy editing, and production. All classes are aimed at cultivating students’ critical thinking abilities. Students also write, edit and publish the SNN newspaper; produce a television program that is broadcast on BCAT, the Brooklyn public access cable station; and read and understand the New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Daily News, New York Newsday, Time Magazine, Sports Illustrated, Viva and Easy English news.In addition, to compliment both the Journalism and the Broadcast sections of our program and to deepen our students’ cultural, business, science and social perspectives, we take several educational trips during the year. Sites we visit each year are: the Museum of Television and Radio, the Hayden Planetarium, Madison Square Garden, the Sony Imax Theatre, the New York Stock Exchange, a newspaper plant, and a senior citizens’ home. All trips are discussed beforehand and analyzed afterward so that the students can consider (and report on) the meaning and value of the experience and how well it met expectations.The program design and evaluation is developed and executed in collaboration with school administrations, and we regularly seek feedback and input from our students’ parents and caregivers. Our staff’s interactions with students are always predicated on helping the students become productive, constructive members of society, capable of responsible thought and action.Though school classrooms serve as the hub for educational activities, it is really the interdisciplinary journalism program conducted at the SNN Multimedia Center that allows participants to learn a diverse set of skills through the hands-on experience of publishing a monthly 10,000 circulation newspaper, producing a monthly news show with interviews and features, and the production of mini documentaries on a variety of subjects and themes. The program allows participants to cultivate their intellectual, emotional, and social selves while honing critical thinking, self-awareness and self-confidence.We currently serve participants at our Day and After-School programs in Public School 11, Public School 56 and Public School 269 in Brooklyn, New York. The doors to our facilities are opened from 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. Monday – Friday and on Saturdays from 9:00 a.m to 2:00 p.m. During those hours, participants utilize SNN support services to improve their reading, writing, academic, vocational and technical skills.

The School News Nationwide Computer Learning Center accommodates several students per session. Students receive media/production training in Journalism, Computer repair and Computer Literacy.

The Television and Video Production component also takes a comprehensive approach to learning, inculcating a variety of academic disciplines as well as the arts, technology and social skills. This component gives participants a unique entrée to learning and practicing fundamental skills of education through the production of T.V. shows. The broadcast productions are drawn from the student’s original writing. Specific broadcast equipment our students have supervised access to include: digital cameras, video cameras, monitors, mixers and audio and video editing equipment. The program design and evaluation is performed in collaboration with the school’s administration and we regularly seek feedback and input from our student’s parents and caregivers. Our staff’s interactions with thestudents are always predicated on helping the students become productive, constructive members of society, capable of responsible, appropriatethought and action. The programs nurture active learning and excitingenvironment where promising new educational and child development practices are introduced.

INFO ABOUT THE COMMUNITY

Bedford Stuvesant, Brooklyn is a community with large numbers of low-income, high-risk youth. Nonetheless, many are curious, energetic, and determined. The income gap will continue to widen unless community residents are able to gain access to employment, training, and adequate resources. The technology gap is also rapidly increasing due to the lack of adequate infrastructure, vocational training, and accessibility to modern technology.

According to the numbers reported in citywide data tables and Community District 3, there are 137,332 families in the Bedford Stuyvesant district, one of the poorest and most socially downtrodden communities in the country. About 34 percent (46,547) of the residents are younger than 19 years old.

Bedford Stuyvesant’s youth face many complex problems and are seriously affected by drug dealing and the skyrocketing levels of violence and crime. The district ranks in the top 10 percent in the prevalence of violent crime and murder. Gang recruitment is a serious concern and the community’s youth are often at very high risk because of poor academic skills and precarious financial situations in their families.

There is a serious need in Bedford Stuyvesant for educational and community programs to empower our youth to remain in school and demonstrate leadership skills. About 53 percent of residents have incomes under 125 percent of the current poverty level and 84 percent (27,334+) of families with dependent children receive some kind of financial aid. Additionally, 45 percent of persons older than 25 years of age lack a high school diploma.

It is generally agreed that the real rates of unemployment, infant mortality, AIDS, and serious crime are even more dismal than those reported by the government because of the influx of illegal immigrants. According to “The Newest New Yorkers: An Analysis of Immigration to New York City in the Early 1990s” by the New York City Department of City Planning, from 1980 to 1996, Bedford Stuyvesant ranked among the top 10 neighborhoods receiving large numbers of immigrants, mostly from Caribbean and Spanish speaking countries.

Based on information from the New York City Office of Planning and Research, Bedford Stuyvesant is a district that encompasses families of diverse economic status, from middle- to low-income families. Many are second and third generation public assistance dependents. The chart below provides an overview of the problems facing children, youth and their families in the Bedford Stuyvesant section of Brooklyn.

Bedford Stuyvesant
African American & Caribbean 83%
Latino 15%
White 1%
Native American & Others 1%
Incomes under 125% of the poverty level 53%
Families w/income less than 125% of poverty level 47%
Families w/children w/ income less than 125% of the poverty level 59%
Female householders w/children w/income less than 125% of poverty level 87%
source: New York City Office of Planning and Research

Brooklyn has large numbers of low-income and high-risk youth. Nonetheless, many are curious, energetic and determined. Current research indicates that high levels of unemployment, infant mortality, teen pregnancy, child abuse, AIDS, serious crime and other problems are far worse in the Bedford Stuyvesant Community than elsewhere in New York and other states around the country. The local youth face a multitude of problem and is seriously affected by drug dealing and continuing high levels of violence. Crime ranks in the top 5% in the level of crime and murder respectively. The community’s youth are often at high risk due to poor academic skills. 45% of the residents over 25 years of age lack a high school diploma.