Jewel Robinson, a native of Guyana, has been a teacher at Queens Preparatory Academy (QPA) since September 2011, at a time when the school did not have a journalism program.
She got her Associates of Arts (A.A) degree in Advertising, Marketing and Communications at the Fashion Institute of Technology. Afterwards, she attended St. John’s University, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts in Communication Arts.
Robinson then went on to get one Master’s degree in Education, and a 2nd degree in education: TESOL (K-12)
She currently teaches Journalism and English at QPA. “For me, journalism solidifies my teaching. It’s exposing students to news gathering and reporting, teaching them to speak truth to power,” she said.
The journalism program at QPA started in the 2018-2019 school year. The school’s founding principal Tashon Haywood assigned the course to Robinson. The elective continued to be offered on and off at the school for three years until 2022-23. Haywood retired last summer (2023) and the elective was discontinued. However, the school’s current principal Avionne Gumbs allowed the program to continue as a journalism club.
“I came up with something that would work for us,” she added, deciding to look at it from a social justice perspective. “I felt it was something students of color needed.” She would have units in the curriculum focused on topics of history, sociology, and criminal justice.
In addition, because her students were of a different demographic, Robinson said it was essential for them to understand how their story blends into things going on in the country. The elective continued to be offered at the school, until the 2021-2022 school year, which was the first year of its current news publication.
Robinson credits the growth of the program to Press Pass NYC, founded by Lara Rice Bergen. The nonprofit provides public schools with resources needed to start and sustain student journalism programs. Robinson sees Press Pass NYC as a wonderful way to support the journalism industry.
A few former and current students of Robinson shared their experience with journalism there and how it has helped them academically. Most of her students got involved in journalism at QPA starting in 10th grade.
Former QPA student journalist Yvens Cantave, who is now a student at Baruch College, shared how enrolling in a journalism course in his junior year proved to be a valuable learning experience.
“This educational experience contributed to the improvement of my writing skills, something that would later prove to be beneficial in various aspects of my academic life. Throughout the duration of the course, I had the opportunity to write numerous articles on the theme of social justice. In the process of researching social justice issues, particularly topics like homelessness, expanded my understanding to the various challenges society faces. I gained insights into the impact of these challenges, specifically on people of color and individuals from low-income neighborhoods,” he stated.
Nicole Cunanan, who transferred to another school in June 2023, shared a similar experience with the publication.
“It taught me how to research and use the information to create articles that could either persuade or inspire others. The interviews helped me to be more social and open, especially when I transferred schools,” she said. “Journalism also made me more aware of social problems and events and made me feel more connected with the community.”
Winaldo Walker was a student, originally from Jamaica. While in the club, he was able to push himself beyond his comfort zone, which developed his capabilities as an author. He is majoring in computer engineering at Vaughn College.
“My time in the journalism club deepened my understanding of social justice and other issues faced by the American public. Exploring stories from a diverse perspective honed my empathy and critical thinking, while fostering personal growth,” he said.
Current student Chidindu Onyekatu moved to New York from Nigeria in the summer of 2022, when he was preparing to start 11th grade at QPA. He sees his experience so far with the journalism publication as very educational.
“Being scouted by my teacher Mrs. Robinson to join the journalism team has helped me cultivate my social skills, writing ability and my vocabulary to greater levels. This opportunity gave me the luxury of visiting exciting places like Columbia University. It also taught me the importance of media coverage and the role of a journalist in running a democracy,” he stated.
Ranaa Hassan, currently a junior at QPA, is in her second year on the journalism publication team. Being part of journalism has helped her develop her communication skills, which helps with interviewing people.
“It has also helped me develop my writing skills as English is my second language. Additionally, I used to not be confident in my English speaking and writing. But thanks to journalism, I got to experience talking with others and interpreting that in my articles,” she added.
Additionally, Robinson believes journalism also supports students who are not the greatest academically. “They can learn and grow, and it can also help them improve their writing,” she continued. This is something she would love to see more of in schools.
She added that through journalism, conducting interviews can help students improve their self-confidence, while also learning about the world. “It’s not just about writing, but also the follow-through,” she continued.
“As teachers of color, we need to empower and educate our students,” she stated. For Robinson, it is important to make them aware of things going on in the world, while also ensuring to not offend anyone, and journalism helps to do just that.
To support Robinson and her students, those interested can read the current students’ work here: https://qpalit.com/. Those interested can learn more about the work of Press Pass NYC here: https://www.presspassnyc.org/.
