A newly opened school in Beckenham, London provides an incredible opportunity for its students. Serlina Boyd, the founder of the Cocoa School of Journalism and Creative Arts has created an environment of diversity and pure inspiration all in one for children of all ages. Her school offers an abundant variety of aspects of journalism such as news reporting, podcasting, video editing, illustration, graphic design, magazine creations, and more for students ages 5 to 17.
Boyd aims to inspire and encourage young writers to pursue their goals in journalism while creating a memorable experience for them. “Doing this journalism school, it’s going to inspire 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, and we do it in a fun way,” Boyd said with unbridled enthusiasm.
Boyd’s enjoyed continuous success with the school after opening it in early April, with more than 300 parents wanting to enroll their children, which Boyd said felt gratifying but not surprising to her.
Boyd, inspired by her daughter, initially launched a magazine called Cocoa Girl that recognized black culture. After realizing how few black writers and journalists actually worked in the field, she decided to act and create her own inclusive educational space.
“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.” Amazing statistics!
Recently Boyd added a workshop for groups of 25 to 30 students who can explore their creative skills through fashion design and journalism.
