Serlina Boyd (founder of Cocoa Girl magazine – the first major Black children’s magazine in the UK) has hit another first. On Monday, April 08, 2024, Ms. Boyd opened the Cocoa School of Journalism & Creative Arts, which is the UK’s first Black-owned journalism school for children, with the aim of inspiring and nurturing children of all ages, who are interested in news journalism, podcasting and story writing. The curriculum will teach the young ones all about the elements of journalism, including news reporting, video editing, and illustration.
Said the media entrepreneur: “Our journalism school opened today and in total. 25 students showed up – no phones, no iPads just beautiful handwritten stories. 13 students were sponsored by you my LinkedIn family, with tears in my eyes, thank you everyone. We have a school in South London dedicated to reading, writing, and the creative arts”.
Boyd adds that the journalism school will not just teach journalism, creative writing and music, but will serve as a hub that, in a fun way, inspires the next generation to see that there is a whole new avenue that they can go down instead of the normal stereotypical routes that they may pick. “We want to teach children about writing and journalism and the power of words”, she adds.
Based in Beckenham, South London, the school will also have an adult storytelling centre for parents and guardians, as well as offer a fashion styling course, taken as adult evening classes for people who want to learn a new skill.
BACKGROUND
Feeling disillusioned with the lack of representation in journalism and the creative industries, Serlina Boyd was moved to infuse diversity and inclusion.
She says: “It’s the statistics that got me. They are quite shocking and I feel that there need to be more journalists telling our stories. According to the Sutton Trust, 80% of editors went to private school; only 11% of journalists are from working-class backgrounds, and a measly 0.2% of journalists are Black.”