THANK YOU FOR YOUR INTEREST IN OAKLAND VOICES. OUR 2024 APPLICATION IS NOW CLOSED.
OAKLAND VOICES WILL HOST OUR NEXT COMMUNITY JOURNALISM ACADEMY IN 2026
The Maynard Institute for Journalism Education is accepting applications for our 2024 Oakland Voices Community Journalism Academy, a six-month program designed to empower Oakland residents through newswriting, photography, and community storytelling.
Apply here: https://forms.gle/9DQLQdujTjgBtEhv9
The 2024 program is hybrid model, with both in-person meetings and virtual instruction via Zoom, plus a planned in-person graduation celebration.
Correspondents will receive training and report on a range of issues highlighting the triumphs and challenges of life in the Town.
Program requirements and benefits
- Oakland Voices correspondents will be expected to attend virtual meetings throughout the six-month program, on the 2nd and 4th Thursdays of each month.
- Attend an in-person orientation at the beginning of the academy.
- Attend at least three in-person Saturday trainings, May – October.
- Complete six assignments and other activities and exercises.
Correspondents will receive a $1,500 stipend for participation and completing assignments.
Interviews begin April 8. The last day to apply is Sunday, April 14, 2024, at 11:59 PM PST.
Eligibility
- Any Oakland resident who is a high school senior or older is eligible.
- Applicants are required to have access to a stable internet connection via computer or mobile device to participate in virtual meetings.
- Participants are expected to complete activities each week, attend bi-weekly sessions, and participate in at least three in-person intensive training sessions.
- Unhoused residents, low-income, and communities of color encouraged to apply.
How to apply
Complete the Application Form. Select applicants will be invited for an interview.
Questions? Email Oakland Voices Co-Director and Academy Coordinator Rasheed Shabazz or call 510-863-1695.
2024 Program Dates
Intensives
- Friday, May 10 – Opening Dinner
- Saturday, May 11 – Orientation and Training #1
- Saturday, June 8 – Training #2
- Saturday, July 13 – Training #3
- Saturday, August 10 – Training #4*
- Saturday, September 14 – Training #5
- Saturday, October 12 – Training #6*
Bi-Weekly Learning Sessions
- Thursday, May 23, 6-8 p.m.
- Thursday, June 13, 6-8 p.m.
- Thursday, June 27, 6-8 p.m.
- Thursday, July 11, 6-8 p.m.
- Thursday, July 25, 6-8 p.m.
- Thursday, August 8, 6-8 p.m.
- Thursday, August 22, 6-8 p.m.
- Thursday, September 12, 6-8 p.m.
- Thursday, September 26, 6-8 p.m.
- Thursday, October 10, 6-8 p.m.
- Thursday, October 24, 6-8 p.m.
* Indicates attendance is optional.
History of Oakland Voices community journalism program
Oakland Voices emerged from a partnership between the Oakland Tribune and The Maynard Institute for Journalism Education. Oakland Voices connects correspondents with more than a dozen media professionals to teach correspondents. Participants work individually and in teams, creating content for the Oakland Voices website. This content may also be published by program partners such as The Oaklandside or KALW Public Radio. The collaborative, applied learning approach means correspondents quickly become aware of their power and responsibility as storytellers, and as members of the media.
Storytelling with a love for the Town
Many of our correspondents join Oakland Voices because they want to reshape common misperceptions of their communities, portraying them instead as dynamic places where real people struggle, succeed, and thrive. Our team members also join the program because they have a passion for telling stories — with the camera, and with the pen. Oakland Voices allows correspondents to explore both their sense of mission and their love for storytelling, while also acquiring skills they can take into their personal and professional lives.