The Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at CUNY is proud to announce the launch of the AI Community Engagement Lab, a new six-month training program designed to empower community journalists with artificial intelligence tools and techniques and enhance audience engagement.
This first-of-its-kind initiative is a partnership between J+, the school’s professional development arm, and the Center for Community Media. A grant from the Walton Family Foundation will provide tuition-free access to the program.
Applications open today and close on December 6.
“As AI revolutionizes the media landscape, it’s crucial that community journalists aren’t left behind,” Mikhael Simmonds, Executive Director of the Center for Community Media at the Newmark J-School, said. “The ACE Lab will ensure that local news outlets can leverage AI to better serve their communities and strengthen audience relationships.”
The AI Community Engagement Lab is a six-month program with biweekly virtual classes and hands-on workshops for participants to become comfortable with the tech, as well as discussion groups and work on a final project with the help of coaches.
It will run from March 17 to October 21, starting with a mandatory, in-person meeting in New York March 17-18, 2025, and breaking during the summer. Travel stipends will be available if needed for the New York meeting.
The Lab can accommodate 15-20 community journalists from the United States, Puerto Rico and other U.S. territories. It will be conducted entirely in English. This program is not open to journalists outside the United States.
This new program adds to an array of AI initiatives and events at the Newmark J-School, including the popular AI Journalism Labs, Marie Gilot, J+ Executive Director, said.
“This new program will have a specific focus on using AI tools to enhance community engagement and audience interaction. I encourage community journalists to apply to learn best practices for leveraging AI in community journalism contexts, consider the evolving ethics of using the tools, and share learnings from their applied projects,” Gilot said.
For more information and to apply, visit our program page.