ThreeSixty Journalism

Chicago! You showed up and out for our student journalists!
Our Youth Leadership Board and staff recently returned from our second annual national journalism learning trip where we spent several days immersed in Chicago’s civic spirit and vast local news ecosystem.

Our first stop was the city’s front porch, Navy Pier, where we visited WBEZ and the Chicago Sun-Times. The best part? Students were invited to watch the morning news show In the Loop live behind the scenes with executive producer Dan Tucker. Thank you Meg Flynn and Tracy Brown for making it happen!

From there, we headed to Injustice Watch, where editor Jonah Newman and reporter Carlos Ballesteros (thank you!) gave students an inside look at investigative reporting and the human stories often hidden inside big data sets. Everyone walked out the door knowing how to make a FOIA request.

Next, we traveled to Northwestern University Medill School, where our students received a tailored-to-them admissions presentation (thank you Dan MacKenzie and Michael Spikes) and connected with ThreeSixty alumni Dallas Downey, Gloria Ngwa, and McCall Vickers who are all studying journalism there.

And of course, no journalism trip is complete without exploring and reporting on the ground. We took an architectural boat tour, ate dinner in Chinatown, caught a showing of Les Miserables, and interviewed an indie film programmer before watching a screening at the historic Davis Theater.

Travel expands a young person’s worldview and so does journalism. Getting to do them together in one of the most vibrant and innovative cities in the world was an immense privilege. Thanks to the many, many people who helped us plan this one-of-a-kind experience.

And…stay tuned. Every student had a reporting assignment, and stories from Chicago are on the way.

We took the weekend, and we’re still struggling to find words for what happened last Thursday night.

Homecoming 2026, our 25th anniversary celebration, was beyond our wildest dreams. This community showed up in every way.

Aaliyah Demrywas a flawless host—the epitome of our reason for being.

Our awardees, Georgia Fortand Hannah Allam, exemplified the high stakes and essential work of journalism as a public service during this chapter in American life.

Alumna Emma Carew Grovumand current students Alexis Aryeequaye and Daphney Kleinschmit reminded us how far an investment in a talented young journalist goes.

And wow. We feel like the luckiest program in the world to have Dr. Yohuru Williams in our corner, rallying folks to raise funds for our work.

Together we raised $104,000 for our 2026 programming. An additional $50,000 endowment gift announced by the Saint Paul Jaycees Charitable Foundation means our students will have access to a paid summer internship in local journalism forever.

Special thanks to the UUniversity of St. Thomas College of Arts and Sciences(our home and our rock!), our youth board, our industry leadership council, and our staff. Thank you to our attendees, sponsors, and supporters who weren’t in the room. We are forever grateful for your enduring commitment to our mission.