SCCC offers free certificate for aspiring community journalists

Sussex County Community College will offer a free certificate program this fall to teach local residents the fundamentals of community journalism.

The Becoming a Community Journalist certificate will run from Oct. 27 through Dec. 15 as part of a grant awarded to SCCC by the New Jersey Council for the Humanities. The college is offering the program for the fourth time.

The program was developed with input from the Journalism + Design department at The New School and will focus on identifying local issues, reporting community stories and connecting with publishers seeking local news.

Prof. Cheryl Conway will serve as the in-person instructor. Conway teaches Journalism I and II at SCCC and has worked as a reporter and editor for community newspapers and magazines. She also publishes an online community publication.

“I want participants to start thinking like journalists — to ask questions, understand what is happening in their communities and effectively engage with their neighbors and local government,” Conway said.

Nancy Gallo, director of SCCC’s Center for Lifelong Learning, wrote the grant application and will administer the program. SCCC was one of four community colleges statewide selected to participate.

“We want to train local citizens on how to write news articles and be part of the democratic system of providing information that leads to informed citizens and decisions,” Gallo said.

The program will be held in person on the SCCC campus for eight consecutive Tuesdays from 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. Participants must be comfortable using computers and have access to the internet and email. Assignments will be submitted through the college’s Canvas portal.

The certificate is open to residents in the greater Sussex County area at no cost. Space is limited.