MADISON, Wis.—  Twice a week Alan Cruz, who is just 17-years-old, heads to work at the Simpson Free Press. It's been a part his after school routine for seven years.

It's not your average newsroom. All the journalists are kids.

What You Need To Know

  • Newsroom in Dane County is taking journalism to another level 

  • The nonprofit was started in 1992 by a group of South Madison parents because they wanted an after school and summer program that offered academic support 

  • The Simpson Street press is a student-run newspaper

 

The Simpson Street Press is a nonprofit in Dane County that takes a unique approach to help students enhance their reading and writing skills.

The program helps build academic confidence among a diverse group of students and helps increase reading scores. 

"I enjoy writing and I see it has a lot of benefit in my education," said Cruz.

Cruz started writing for the paper when he was in 5th grade. Now, he is a senior at West High School. 

"You get used to the process of writing and going through a rough draft revising and overall having a well-polished piece," he said.  

Over the years as his skills as a writer have grown, so have his responsibilities. 

"I know what it is to be a student of color in my school district and where a lot of kids might not have someone to look up to," Cruz said. 

So weekly, along with publishing an article, Cruz mentors younger students like 9-year-old Chelsea Zheng.

"It's really fun and I can learn to type stories on my own," said Zheng. ​