YMG doubled annual Student Showcase revenue, but steps up fundraising to maintain student journalism training

November 20, 2025

By Jayne O'Donnell

Youthcast Media Group®

It doesn’t seem possible that it’s already Giving Season; it’s only been a month since Youthcast Media Group’s third annual Student Showcase fundraiser! Truth be told, I’m not sure I’ve recovered from the event prep or the excitement of doubling our June 2024 showcase revenue. 

YMG's 2025 Student Showcase panelists, (from left) Rossy Soto, a senior at Annandale High School, Yasmeen Abutaleb of The Washington Post, Gary Fields of The Associated Press, and Derrick Deal Jr.,  a senior at Bard High School Early College DC. (Photo Credit: Hannah Gaber)

We filled the Kaiser Family Foundation’s Barbara Jordan Conference Center on October 14 and captivated the crowd with a moving panel of professional and (high school!) student journalists. The four panelists talked about the need for and their expansive definition of media diversity, which includes geographic, socioeconomic and cultural, along with race and ethnicity. They also discussed how journalism training boosts critical thinking, media literacy and storytelling, preparing young people for most any career. 

Six DC-area YMG high school participants, including the two panelists, displayed and discussed their published journalism and social media work. Sponsors, including Safe Kids Worldwide and Waymo, plus Nicole and David Nason joined a cross-section of attendees from the worlds of road safety, health care and communications. That provided great networking opportunities for student journalists and professionals of all ages. In fact, the food, program and venue all got such high marks, we plan to change very little for next year. 

Wakefield High School students Rosana Wahdat, left, a junior, and Luciana Diaz, a senior. (Photo credit: Hannah Gaber)

Lest I sound too chipper in an unquestionably challenging year for both nonprofits and journalism, I will acknowledge that things have been pretty grim for us in the grant world. 

As federal funding and job cuts ensnared many of our friends and their families, the ripple effects hit YMG. Decreased federal funding of health and science research has boosted competition for foundation grants, while higher tariffs have put a chill on corporate donations. 

We’re doing some serious budget cutting, reimagining ways to offer our programs less expensively and looking at innovative ways to monetize what we do so well. I, for one, am volunteering my time indefinitely and we’re adding volunteers to do some of the work contractors were doing. 

That leads me to, yes, a pitch for you to dig deeper in your pockets and purses this year as we work to boost personal and corporate donations. Consider whether your company or organization might be willing to sponsor one of our programs; check out our offerings and the prices. Half of our trainings result in articles co-produced with professional journalists, published in media outlets and available for sponsors to post on their own sites. The others lead to engaging, fact-based social media posts that we share on our channels and that sponsors can post with credit to YMG. 

Please help by supporting our programs, among the few free journalism trainings available to students from low-income families and one of rare ones that PAY them to participate and create content. Their work with us - getting bylines in local or national publications in high school - sets them apart as they compete for college admission, financial aid, internships and jobs. And while they are learning how to stay safe, healthy and financially secure, they’re educating their friends, families and communities, whether the latter are defined by geography, race, ethnicity, cultural interests, sexual orientation or gender identity.  

Thanks for considering and happy Thanksgiving to you and your families!