The kNOw Weighs In: Mandatory Vaccines for Students

Editor’s Note: On October 1, 2021, Governor Gavin Newsom announced that California will require youth to get the COVID-19 vaccine in order to go to school, pending full FDA approval. “Our schools already require vaccines for measles, mumps and more. Why? Because vaccines work,” Newsom says. Social media had mixed feelings about his announcement, so we ask The kNOw youth for their thoughts.

The kNOw Youth Media
The kNOw works to support and equip young people with the journalism and advocacy skills they need to tell their stories and the stories of their communities.

In 2006, over 25 youth began participating in weekly after-school writing workshops where they congregated in the hallway of a two-story building in West Fresno and learned the essentials of creating media and telling their stories. The group evolved over the next five years and is now proudly recognized as The kNOw Youth Media.

Through our program, we create opportunities for our youth participants, who in turn create long-term positive change in their communities. Our approach weaves youth development and youth media innovation to produce our biannual youth publication, multimedia projects, and community forums.

The kNOw began as a project of New America Media, which was the country’s first and largest national collaboration and advocate of 2000 ethnic news organizations. In 2018 The kNOw became a project of Youth Leadership Institute.

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