Fostering Media Connections

Youth Voices Rising empowers youth impacted by the child welfare and youth justice systems by exposing them to the world of journalism and working with them to publish and feature their reflections, views and ideas. Fostering Media Connections launched the program in 2016 to help youth gain the skills and confidence they need to articulate the policy and practice changes needed to improve the system, because they are the experts on what solutions might work.

Youth Voices Rising is a media and journalism training program for those impacted by the child welfare system with juvenile justice and/or homelessness experience. YVR seeks to bridge the gap between impacted youth, providing young people safe spaces to amplify their voices and strengthen conversations for system change. FMC launched the program in 2016 to help youth gain the skills and confidence they need to articulate the policy and practice changes needed to improve the system, because they are the experts on what solutions might work.

Since 2016, Fostering Media Connections’ Youth Voice program has been working with foster, justice-involved and homeless youth and young adults to share their perspectives on the systems that impacted their lives. This project will be focused on elevating youth voices in media, while working with local partners to develop youth skills in journalism. We plan to publish at least 20 stories from youth with lived experience in LA County over the next year.

Youth, Front and Center will be a youth-led online platform for LA youth and young adults who have experienced homelessness, foster care or the criminal justice system. Since 2016, FMC has been training young people with such experiences in producing journalism, and paying them for their work. This platform will be a showcase for youth with similar experiences to connect and elevate their voices to a broader audience.