J-Day 2025

On Sept. 16, more than 200 students and teachers joined our second annual day of action for the urgent expansion of journalism education in NYC schools. City leaders pledged to expand access.

Check out a recap of the day below.

Press Conference

We celebrated the launch of 30 new journalism courses across the city through the Journalism for All initiative, announced the release of historic data compelled by Local Law 27/2025, and pushed for more support to institutionalize journalism programs citywide.

Check out our press release for more info.

Alan Cheng, NYCPS Superintendent of Consortium, International, and Outward Bound Schools, calls for every young person in New York to have the opportunity to pursue journalism. Photo by Dulce Marquez

City Council members Kevin Riley and RIta Joseph speak about championing journalism equity across the city. Photo by Dulce Marquez

Jere Hester, Director of Editorial Projects and Partnerships at CUNY’s Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism, celebrates the launch of the Journalism for All curriculum. Photo by Dulce Marquez

Voices from Across
the Movement

Photo by Dulce Marquez

“I want to thank the incredible student leaders of the Youth Journalism Coalition who organized, who testified, who advocated tirelessly for this law. Your voices made this possible. You show us that young people don’t just deserve a seat at the table; you deserve a notebook, a byline, and the platform to tell your own stories”

- Rita Joseph, NYC Council Member (District 40) and Chair of the Committee on Education

Photo by Dulce Marquez

“I want to express our very deep commitment to ensuring as many students as possible at New York City Public Schools have access to meaningful experiences in journalism. … This cohort lays the foundation for what we hope will become a citywide movement to elevate student voices and expand access to journalism careers.”

- Jane Martínez Dowling, Chief of the NYCPS Office of Student Pathways

Photo by Dulce Marquez

“I wish I had the opportunity to learn how to tell if a news article was credible, to be in a class that was relevant, and to learn how to ask the right questions. But by the same luck that some students end up at a school that has a journalism course, I ended up at a school without one. We’re not done until every public school student has access to journalism education.”

- Julius Marinov, NYCPS student and YJC leader

Photo by Dulce Marquez

“I want to publicly thank the Council Members who are budgeting funds to start up the Journalism for All programs. You’re doing your job right by listening to us, the interests of your young constituents. By investing in us, you’re strengthening our democracy and protecting its future.”

- Autumn Wynn, NYCPS student and YJC leader

Photo by Dulce Marquez

“My school is one of the few that has a journalism program. In fact, my school’s newspaper has been around for nearly a century. Every day, I get to take advantage of everything my parents never had; not only to live in a country with freedom of speech and press, but equipped with the skills to use it.”

- Natalie Viderman, NYCPS student and YJC leader