More elementary and middle schools than ever are participating in Healthy NewsWorks health journalism programming this year.
In nearly two dozen schools in Philadelphia, Camden, Chester City, and Norristown, students will serve as reporters for each school’s unique health newspaper and have an opportunity to contribute to a Healthy NewsWorks magazine related to our 2025–26 reporting theme, “Making Healthy Connections.”
The theme will enable reporters to delve into topics such as why empathy helps others feel heard, how humor can spread happiness, how food brings people together, and how community gardens can grow relationships. The student articles, reflections, and illustrations will also serve as a foundation for a series of videos developed by Healthy NewsWorks reporters.
“As I enter my second year with Healthy NewsWorks, I am super excited to work with students to create more health content,” said Steve Riggs, a program associate who joined Healthy NewsWorks last school year and has played a key role in the expansion to South Jersey.
Students are quickly becoming reporters. On Day 1, they learn their articles must be fair and accurate and the importance of facts. They are also discovering that they have a big voice in shaping their school newspaper’s content.
Mia Blitstein, program manager, said she faced a “skeptical” group of middle schoolers at their first meeting. “But once they were asked to generate ideas for new stories themselves, they had tons to say.”
Program Associate Eve Smith said she is looking forward to her third year teaming up with teachers at Lowell Elementary School in Philadelphia. The incoming fourth-grade Core Reporters, who will be the backbone of their school newspaper, have had two years of newspaper experience as Cub Reporters. The Cub program is designed to expose students in Grades K to 3 to key journalistic concepts and to health information.
“It will be interesting to see how the two years of being in the Cub Reporter program have helped them as they start the Core Reporting program,” Eve said.
Among the 20 schools that participated last year, 18 (90%) have returned this year, including Cole Manor Elementary School in the Norristown Area School District, which will mark its 20th year of publishing the Healthy Comet. We also are welcoming four new schools: Yorkship Family School and Octavius V. Catto Family School in the Camden School District; Holy Cross Catholic School, an Independence Mission School; and Charles W. Henry School, in the School District of Philadelphia. We are thrilled about the return of Philadelphia Hebrew Charter School to our network.
“It’s exciting to see the schools’ enthusiasm about providing our media and health literacy programming,” said Marian Uhlman, executive director. “I can hardly wait to see what the reporters produce.”
Pictured: Healthy Highlights reporters at Chester Charter Scholars Academy interview Kevin Carter during the 2024-25 school year
