Are you a teen who loves to write? Are you interested in telling the stories of your community?

The Norwood News is running a free journalism after-school program for high school students.

The next semester starts on Feb. 13. Classes will be held at Hostos Community College at 450 Grand Concourse on Wednesday afternoons from 4 to 6 p.m., and run for 12 weeks. Although students have accepted, there are still open slots. We’ll continue accepting applications until we have filled all of the seats or Feb. 12. (Download an application now by clicking on this link. Fill it out and send it to us with your essay at 3400 Reservoir Oval East, Bronx, NY 10467. You can also email your application and essay to bronxyouthheard@gmail.com or fax it to 718-324-2917.)

During the semester, students learn the fundamentals of writing, reporting, and photojournalism through classroom instruction and hands-on reporting in their own neighborhoods. We take them on field trips – including the newsroom of a daily newspaper. They learn about community activism and civic responsibility, how their neighborhoods work (or don’t), who has power, who doesn’t and why. Guest speakers include reporters from the city’s daily newspapers.

At the end of the semester, student work is published in a special youth supplement called Bronx Youth Heard, which appears in the Norwood News – giving youth a powerful voice in their own communities.

We are looking for students of all academic abilities, but they should be highly motivated, love to write, be naturally inquisitive, and care about what’s going on in their communities.

The program was founded in 2008. To read about an earlier semester, and students’ experiences, here’s an article that appeared in City Limits. And here’s a recent article that appeared in Bronx Ink.

For more information about the program, please call Alex Kratz at (718) 324-4998, or e-mail bronxyouthheard@gmail.com.