My City Summer: Citizen Journalism

My City Summer is a group of young, diverse college students who have graduated from high schools that are associated with GEARUP Chicago. During this summer, we focused and wrote on our own topics that are not commonly featured on the news media. These topics include Climate Change, Covid-19, Effects of Drug Use, Environmental Crisis, Mental Health, Woman's Issues, etc. This is Citizen Journalism.

Citizen journalists work as individuals or groups to interview and discuss problems around the world or in the local community. We bear witness to many issues that do not get enough attention. We inform people and bring light to these issues.

The best thing about a program like this is being able to inform people about what we know beforehand and what we have researched about serious situations happening around the world or in our own neighborhoods. This allows us to experience what it means to be a citizen reporter and reveal topics that are not featured on the mainstream news media.

Thank you to our funders, Lay Family Foundation and GEAR UP, and to our community partners, Pulitzer Center, City Bureau, and the Studs Terkel Radio Archive. This program is produced by the Center for College Access and Success at Northeastern Illinois University.

We would also like to give special thanks to the awesome students of My City Summer for all their efforts to contribute to the Citizen Journalism Program. We have had many discussions, laughs, knowledge shared among the group and cherish this unforgettable memory . We all wish you everlasting joy and success in your years to come, thank you so much.