School-Year Programs

Every school year, The Bell offers paid journalism internship programs to New York City public high school students.

Our programs train students in the fundamentals of audio journalism, including interviewing, script writing, recording, audio editing, and marketing. Interns receive mentorship from industry professionals and explore potential career paths in journalism and media. Most importantly, they report and produce stories for our Miseducation and P.S. Weekly podcasts.

Since 2018, more than 100 public high school students have completed our internship programs and have collectively produced more than 120 stories on issues ranging from funding disparities to inequities in school sports. Many of our alumni have gone on to pursue journalism in college. Some have landed internships at PBS, The New York Times, and other news organizations. Regardless of what they choose to do next, our students report high levels of confidence in their writing and communication abilities, as well as a belief in their ability to make positive change in the world.

What past interns have said

“As someone who is deeply interested in journalism, media, and podcasts, it is hard to imagine anything better than an incredibly supportive environment where you not only speak about issues you care about but are taught to do so in a way that will be most engaging for the thousands of people who will hear you.”

“I am forever grateful for the one of a kind experience I've had during my…internship. The amazing support from the staff, the dedication from my peers, the professional yet fun environment has really given me a space to use the skills I've learned to produce something of such high quality.”

What past volunteers have said

“I left the program with a lot of hope for what our future leaders/podcasters/journalists will bring to the table.”

“I find the mentoring to be really inspiring and rejuvenating. I'm often shocked at ‘how together’ many of these young journalists are — it makes me want to match their idealism and enthusiasm.”