Gem State Roundup

Donations and applications now accepted for new Idaho journalism internship for Latino students

By: Christina Lords - April 8, 2022 1:20 pm

Voces Internship of Idaho is a new equity-driven internship program to encourage Latino Idahoans to pursue a career in journalism. Applications are now open for the summer 2022 internship. (Courtesy of Voces Internship of Idaho)

The application window is now open for a new internship that aims to ensure Latino students have a place in Idaho newsrooms, according to a press release.

The effort, which was started by two former Idaho journalists, Nicole Foy and Ximena Bustillo, works in partnership with the Idaho Press Club, Boise nonprofit Surel’s Place and local Latino leaders. The Voces Internship of Idaho will rely on funding from community donations and support from the Scripps Howard Foundation, which will cover half the salary of the first intern for summer 2022.

All incoming college juniors, seniors and recent graduates of Hispanic/Latino descent are urged to apply.

“This internship will train the next generation of Idaho Latino journalists and connect them to local newsrooms who desperately need their help,” said Foy, co-founder of Voces Internship of Idaho. “Paid internships are a necessary part of making journalism more accessible to Latinos, who are statistically less likely to afford unpaid opportunities.”

Voces Internship of Idaho has set a goal of raising $20,000 to fund as many internships as possible, paying students a minimum of $15 an hour. Interns will be selected by Voces Internship of Idaho’s advisory board members, a group of volunteer community members, and paired with an Idaho newsroom that fits the students’ goals, according to the release.

Organizers of the internship are also seeking mentors to connect with students.

The Voces Internship of Idaho is fiscally sponsored by Surel’s Place, a Boise nonprofit, and all donations are tax-deductible. To donate, go to www.vocesinternship.com/be-a-supporter.

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Christina Lords

Christina Lords is the editor-in-chief of the Idaho Capital Sun and has been a professional journalist covering local and state government since graduating from the University of Idaho in 2009. A Pocatello native, Lords is a fifth-generation Idahoan who served as a reporter at the Moscow-Pullman Daily News and the Post Register in Idaho Falls and served as assistant editor for the Idaho Press in Nampa. She also led the Idaho Statesman in Boise for two years before turning to nonprofit journalism.