Durham College journalism project earns national honour; partners include Clarington East Food Bank

Durham College’s Journalism–Mass Media students received an Honourable Mention in the Community-Driven Project of the Year category at the 2025 Canadian Student Journalism Awards for their Voices in Durham project, hosted by J‑Schools Canada. It was the only Ontario college among this year’s winners.

The college announced the recognition on Nov. 12. Voices in Durham connects students with community organizations across Durham Region, including the Clarington East Food Bank, to report local stories.

Launched in 2021, the project was developed to address what Durham College describes as “news deserts.” The college says these are communities that often lack consistent local coverage.

Topics have included homelessness, mental health, criminal involvement and racism.

“This initiative shows how collaboration between students and community partners not only strengthens local journalism but also ensures that important stories are told with care and accuracy,” said Teresa Goff, program coordinator of the journalism programs at Durham College.

The project spans multiple courses in the Journalism and Broadcasting programs. It has received funding from Co‑operative Education and Work‑Integrated Learning (CEWIL) Canada and has partnered with organizations including Safety Network Durham, Revitaled Reintegration, Their Opportunity, Autism Homebase and the Clarington East Food Bank.

With support from the Canadian Association of Journalists, students have helped organize CAJ Unplugged: Voices in Durham 2025, a two‑day event set for Nov. 15 and 16.

Working with the college’s Collaboragency team, students will handle social media promotion, videography and event coordination.

“As a journalism student, it’s important to know the community you report on,” said Lauren Cole, one of two producers for the event. “This project helped me learn about the non-profits that make a real difference in Durham Region.”

Fellow producer Juan Suarez and Indigenous peer mentor Eva Ritchie are taking on leadership roles. Ritchie is collaborating with traditional knowledge keeper Jim Adams on Indigenous perspectives for the event.