A core pillar of our work is our year-round youth journalism and visual storytelling program that integrates arts learning with community-based reporting. Through cohort-based programming, young people receive structured training in print, photography, video production, and multimedia storytelling, building skills in composition, lighting, interviewing, editing, and narrative development. Participants work with professional journalists, photographers and photojournalists who provide mentorship throughout the creative process. Youth produce original photography and video projects that document their communities, explore cultural identity, and highlight local issues, centering their voices and lived experiences.

The program is implemented in partnership with trusted community organizations, including KYCC’s Koreatown Storytelling Program and Brotherhood Crusade, and builds on long-standing relationships with schools and community institutions established through Boyle Heights Beat. Youth work is shared through The LA Local’s editorial platforms, social channels, print publications, and community events, ensuring that participants have opportunities to present their work to public audiences. Through this model, young people develop creative confidence, critical thinking, communication and collaboration skills, and a stronger sense of belonging and connection to their communities.

Our core programs include community-centered reporting, which delivers accessible coverage on issues such as housing, education, public safety, and local government, alongside dedicated arts and culture reporting that documents and celebrates local creative stories. We also host community listening sessions and events that uplift local stories and inform editorial priorities, and operate LA Documenters, which trains and compensates residents to attend and document public meetings, strengthening civic participation and transparency.