Youth Reporting Institute

Youth reporter Andrew Rice talks to organizers working to preserve Geer Cemetery, one of Durham's oldest historically Black cemeteries, about their efforts to submit a listing on the National Register of Historic Places.

On June 10, Durham Public Schools were awarded $27.4 million for the 2024-25 school budget. This and other wins around North Carolina are all part of a statewide fight for public education. Youth reporter Parys Smith spoke with public school workers and advocates around North Carolina about actively creating a movement for better public school funding.

Longtime residents of Chapel Hill's Northside Neighborhood worry about the changing face of the community. Today, efforts have been made to help residents remain in Northside while educating and encouraging students to take a more active role within the community.

Every 15 days, someone is killed on Durham’s roads. Max Tendler talked to pedestrians at busy Durham intersections to see how they felt walking around the city without a car. Then, she spoke with the people designing plans to make Durham safer.

A food desert is defined as an area with limited access to healthy, affordable food. In North Carolina, more than 1.5 million people live in one. Before April 2023, Warren County had just two grocery stores. That’s part of what motivated one couple in the town of Norlina to bring fresh produce to the majority Black community.

WUNC's Youth Radio Institute spent the summer covering a variety of unique perspectives, collaborating with reporters in workshops, and then recapped the work at the listening party in August. We invite you to take a seat as we amplify and share stories from our 2024 Youth Reporting Cohort. On November 26 at 9 p.m., tune into A Voice at the Table, an hour-long special.

An interview series celebrating Men’s Mental Health Month, this is a collection of candid conversations with men from various walks of life who share their personal experiences with mental health. This series seeks to highlight the diversity of men’s mental health journeys, providing a platform for often unheard voices.

WUNC's YRI covered the Durham Book Club's end-of-year meeting as their first in-field assignment, learning about the group's impact and planning process.

WUNC's Youth Reporting Institute is a community and platform for young people to skill-build and share their passion for radio journalism and storytelling. The 2024 summer program welcomed 7 student journalists, to work with staff at the station on pitching, reporting, writing, and editing a story for radio broadcast. YRI aims to diversify Public Media storytelling staff by recruiting and training the next generation of storytellers to better position them to become the next leaders in the space.

Each summer, youth reporters are tasked with telling stories from their communities. Youth reporter Parys Smith spoke with Kaliq Alexander about his trans journey and intention behind creating safe spaces for LGBTQ+ Youth.