Young Journalists
Participants who become Young Journalists utilize media skills as their method of learning and taking action. In preparation for this phase of the program, the youth begin to exchange letters between individuals from each part of the triangle. This methodology developed in Windows, creates a safe space where youth can be open and honest in front of the ‘other’, while simultaneously learning how to respond to different opinions in a constructive way. The youth develop the courage to listen, understand and acknowledge differences, rather then hiding behind defensive walls. As part of the Windows’ unique transformative process, the youth engage in learning history through the perspective of their families. Using journalism techniques the youth explore their own and their peers’ family histories through interviews, mapping and writing the story of the ‘other’. Young Journalists are then responsible for writing, editing, and designing the Windows Hebrew-Arabic Youth Magazine and other media products. The youth study visual and print media tools, including photography, video, comics, drawings, written journalism, and more. They use these skills to enhance the discourse between each other and their communities. The magazine and other media outputs are distributed to tens of thousands of individuals, effectively serving as a window for the general public into the emotionally and intellectually deep processes that youth being raised in this complex culture experience.
