Healthy NewsWorks has been awarded a three-year grant by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, a leading national philanthropy focused on health and health equity.
The grant will accelerate Healthy NewsWorks’ expansion in South Jersey, enabling more students to contribute to school health newspapers and digital media for their peers, families, and communities.
With the grant, Healthy NewsWorks now has three South Jersey schools participating in its flagship Core Reporter program this fall—up from one during the 2023–24 school year. The programs are in the Catholic Partnership Schools (CPS) network in Camden and Pennsauken. Within the next two years, HNW expects to provide Core programming in at least seven South Jersey schools.
The Core Program immerses students in grades 4 to 8 in basic journalism skills for a semester or full year so they can accurately report on health topics. Healthy NewsWorks also offers its Cub Reporter program to partner schools for students in kindergarten through third grade, and Special Lessons for classrooms that don’t participate in the Core or Cub programs.
In addition, Healthy NewsWorks will connect with South Jersey community members through family workshops that incorporate literacy skills with topics such as stress reduction, nutrition, and social media.
“We are enormously grateful for Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s support,” said Marian Uhlman, Healthy NewsWorks executive director. “We look forward to partnering with more schools and organizations in South Jersey and are excited to see what our new reporters will share through their work.”
Healthy NewsWorks will deliver its Core program to 20 schools during the 2024–25 school year. In addition to South Jersey, the program will be offered in Philadelphia, Norristown, and, for the first time, in the city of Chester.
About Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
RWJF is a leading national philanthropy dedicated to taking bold leaps to transform health in our lifetime. Through funding, convening, advocacy, and evidence-building, RWJF works side by side with communities, practitioners, and institutions to get to health equity faster and pave the way together to a future where health is no longer a privilege, but a right.
To learn more about the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, visit www.rwjf.org.
To learn more about Healthy NewsWorks, visit our What We Do page.
