By Rob Clark, Strategic Communications Intern with The Apopka Voice
The urge for a modern child to spend Saturdays inside, cooped up, and in front of a screen is all too prevalent today. Though they explore a world that is held tightly between plastic and cyber chips, the real world beyond is waiting to be explored even more deeply.
That is where The Young Observer steps in.
A new children’s newspaper, produced by the team at Re-Imagine Communities, urges kids to step out the door and report back what they find. The young mind's point of view is often overlooked, and now is their chance to be heard.
Re-Imagine Communities is a non-profit centered in Apopka but with a reach that encompasses the 7th District of the Orange County Public School system. “Committed to transforming communities through enhanced literacy,” they have emphasized the importance of children's literacy and mentorship since 2020 through numerous events in the Central Florida area.
Their latest project, The Young Observer, is officially a newspaper but has the goals of a unique youth-centered community literacy project. Having released their colorful first issue, full of fun facts, arts and crafts, recipes, and even a misspelled word search where you can win prizes, their ultimate aim is for interactivity and youth engagement.
“It’s really about kids,” said Shaunte Jemison, founder and CEO of Re-Imagine Communities, “We want them to explore. We want to see the world through their eyes. We want them to be the explorers of their own news.”
Though literacy and STEM are the focal points, the newspaper’s interest reaches as far as the local child experience as a whole. “If there’s something really cool happening at their school, we just want to know about it,” said Jemison.
Rooted in the community, The Young Observer seeks to be an outlet for local youth interest and opinion.
“This is a way that parents and adults can also understand what’s important to our children and what’s happening with kids around the city,” explained Jemison, “I think it’s important for us to include them in our daily lives because they’ll be running our city soon.”
Focusing on Pre-K to 7th Grade, the newspaper seeks to motivate young kids to explore the world around them, dive into their interests, and learn to share those experiences. Childlike curiosity is the driving force, inspiring each child to know about the world they are entering.
“A kid at that age may want to be a fireman today and then a policeman tomorrow,” said Jemison. “but if they really have a knack for something and they genuinely have an interest, I want to catch that early.”
Though the newspaper has a fun and almost carefree image, the educational implications are much more profound, giving young children the opportunity to go beyond just having experiences but also sharing them.
“The kids will have to comprehend what’s happening and be able to articulate to their peers to be able to read and enjoy what was experienced,” said Jemison.
This is the ultimate step in literacy - the ability to have your own voice, and The Young Observer is the outlet for local kids to do so.
The first issue is a pretty straightforward children's magazine, but the team is looking for kids to document their experiences in other ways as well so they can expand upon the online interactivity of The Young Observer.
Future issues look to have videos and podcasts attached, adding to the newspaper's ability to engage local audiences. While The Young Observer wants kids to go out into the world, they see the opportunity in today's technological tools.
“We try to target kids that really just love to read and those that like video games and watching YouTube too,” explained Jemison. “So we kind of tried to capture both of those audiences.”
November’s upcoming issue is something to keep your eyes open for, featuring two magnificent students from the local school system.
One is the self-proclaimed “Unicorn Scientist,” who will showcase the explosive volcano project she did with her mom. The other is a Kelly Park Elementary School student who won a wildlife film contest hosted by the popular children’s show, the Kratt Brothers. She produced a high-quality video that zeroed in on all the plentiful wildlife in the Apopka area.
“We get to highlight kids that are doing phenomenal things in our community,” said Jemison, “and I think that’s great.”
It is a great thing to allow local youth to showcase what their curious minds have been getting into while reinforcing the importance of literacy. The Young Observer will be combining those two elements for an encompassing showcase of youth excellence.
Being published on the 3rd of each month, the next issue is quickly approaching, but the newspaper is still eagerly looking for any feedback, ideas, or future submissions to be incorporated into their upcoming issues. They can be reached at news@re-imaginecommunities.org
Also, if you're a local leader with a youth-business owner-centered focus, they would love to hear about what you do for a possible feature or collaboration. Being a part of the local child community, The Young Observer doesn’t seek to tell stories but to create meaningful partnerships that amplify literacy and exploration of young minds.
