Kentucky Student Voice Team Receives Press Forward Blue Grass Grant to Strengthen Local Journalism

Kentucky Student Voice Team is pleased to announce it has been awarded a grant for The New Edu to establish a Rural Journalism Satellite Bureau to train and support the next generation of student journalists.

Press Forward Blue Grass awarded $100,000 total in Sustainable Newsroom Innovation Grants to ten local news organizations across Kentucky, investing in projects designed to strengthen the long-term sustainability of local journalism while expanding access to reliable, community-centered news and information. KSVT’s The New Edu was just one of the recipients.

“Young people have unique insight into the stories and issues that impact them and their schools, and that insight is shaped by communities they’re part of and identities they hold,” said Rainesford Stauffer, Journalism Director at Kentucky Student Voice Team. “A necessary part of centering those stories and lived experiences is ensuring young people have the resources and support to write and report, and see their experiences reflected back to them in journalism and media. We’re so excited to collaborate with students to help them tell stories that are too often missing from narratives about the lives of young people.”

"Our goal isn't simply to help newsrooms survive," said Melissa Newman, Executive Director of Press Forward Blue Grass. "Our goal is to help them build sustainable futures. Every one of these projects represents an investment in stronger communities because informed communities make better decisions. Local journalism remains one of our most important civic institutions, and these grants help ensure it continues serving Kentuckians for generations to come."

Fellow Grant Recipients

The 2026 Sustainable Newsroom Innovation Grant recipients are:

• CivicLex – Expanding civic journalism through innovative print products and new earned revenue strategies. 
• The Edge – Launching the Kentucky Land Use News Desk, a statewide reporting collaborative focused on land use and community development. 
• Kentucky Student Voice Team – Establishing a Rural Journalism Satellite Bureau to train and support the next generation of student journalists. 
• MEDIALEX – Creating a multilingual Community Reporter Program to expand trusted reporting across Lexington's diverse communities. 
• Queer Kentucky – Building a network of Central Kentucky community reporters to increase representation and strengthen local journalism. 
• Kentucky Lantern – Developing the UK–Kentucky Lantern Policy Pipeline to prepare future statehouse reporters through hands-on public policy reporting. 
• UnderMain Arts – Expanding arts journalism through strategic audience development, sponsorship growth, and long-term sustainability planning. 
• WinCity Voices – Investing in professional reporting equipment to strengthen newsroom infrastructure and community storytelling. 
• The Winchester Sun – Launching a Community Newsroom Project that trains neighborhood correspondents to report on the communities they know best. 
• The Woodford Sun – Supporting the newspaper's transition to nonprofit ownership by funding a modern digital publishing platform that will strengthen audience growth, sponsorship opportunities, and long-term sustainability. 

KSVT is excited to participate in Press Forward’s technical assistance, peer learning opportunities, and project evaluation throughout the year, helping identify successful models that can be replicated in newsrooms across Kentucky and beyond.

‍

About Press Forward Blue Grass

Press Forward Blue Grass is a regional chapter of the national Press Forward movement and an initiative of Blue Grass Community Foundation, working to strengthen local news and information through strategic investments, education, collaboration, and policy leadership. Its mission is to ensure every community has access to trusted local journalism that informs residents, strengthens civic engagement, and supports thriving communities.

About Kentucky Student Voice Team

‍The Kentucky Student Voice Team (KSVT) is an independent, statewide, 501(c)(3) organization co-founded in 2012 by a group of Kentucky high school students. As a collective of young people, KSVT is on a mission to co-create more just, democratic Kentucky schools and communities as research, policy-advocacy & storytelling partners.