New York City’s Only Student News Publication Accelerator
A school newspaper makes a good school great! Press Pass NYC trains teachers and inspires students to restore a vital tradition in middle and high schools across New York City. We’re building the media literacy, school community and civic habits we all need today.
We believe every student deserves the opportunity to work on a student news publication in school, creating a model for accurate, reliable news and a culture of critical thinking, media literacy and community.
“College Board is utterly convinced by the research demonstrating that extracurricular activities such as journalism play an essential role in student success - not only in academic growth, but in cultivating leadership, integrity, and civic engagement. Press Pass NYC exemplifies how hands-on learning empowers students to think critically, communicate with purpose, and engage meaningfully with their communities. We are proud to support initiatives that elevate student voice and foster a deeper understanding of the world around them.”
— David Coleman, CEO of the College Board
We help start and sustain student news publications through a variety of services.
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Schools
We offer a free full-year fellowship for teachers with 30 hours of professional development by nationally renowned journalism educators on how to advise a student news team through either a club or a class. No prior journalism experience required.
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Teachers
Our Journalism Adviser Fellows receive stipends and mentors, and guaranteed three years of support to ensure their student-led news teams are sustainable. That’s why more than 90% of the newspapers we helped start or strengthen in the 2024-25 school year continued publishing through the 2025-26 school year
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Students
Editor bootcamps, student fellowships, and weekend workshops and virtual seminars. Hone your journalism and communication skills with other students from across the city led by professional journalists.
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Resources
Every school should have a student-let news outlet. We offer links to our own resources and nationally recognized scholastic journalism organizations and experts.
Impact & Awards
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40+
new student news publications
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600+
active student journalists
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40+
scholastic journalism awards
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30,000+
NYC public school students with a student news source they can trust.
Hear What Our Students Have to Say…
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THE PROBLEM
A 2025 survey by the News Literacy Project found that 84% of US teenagers view mainstream journalism negatively, describing it as “fake” and full of “lies.” The report says we can change this by giving students the skills to recognize credible sources. One way to do that is through student news publications. But these are declining nationally and here in NYC, the nation’s media capital. A 2022 Baruch College survey found 73% of the city’s public high schools do not have student newspapers. The vast majority of these schools without newspapers serve low-income communities.
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OUR APPROACH
Press Pass NYC meets under-resourced schools where they are, whether by starting a journalism class or a club. We provide them with the free faculty training, student programs, and fundamental, holistic support necessary to start a sustainable student news team. We envision student-led news publications in every public school in New York City, so students can ask questions, seek answers and sharpen their critical thinking, teamwork and leadership skills.
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OUR REACH
Since 2021, Press Pass NYC has helped launch or strengthen student-led news teams at more than 40 NYC public middle and high schools across The Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens and Manhattan. We help the schools that need us most. More than 90% of our partner schools are Title 1 schools. Thanks to these news publications serving tens of thousands of students, thousands of stories have been published for students, by students that would otherwise never have been reported or told.
Check out Highlights from Our Partner School Publications…
Press Pass NYC Showcase
This showcase is just a sample of the great journalism that students at our partner schools are doing on their own news sites, and we hope you will use the links at the end of each story to visit the school news site where each story was originally published.
Help All NYC Students Have These Opportunities.
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Become a School Partner and bring student journalism to your school!
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Help start a school newspaper by making a one-time or monthly donation!
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Are you a journalist or a journalism student? Volunteer as a classroom mentor or a guest speaker!
