Usually when students write for school publications, the target audience is fellow students. Not so at Prague Wandering, a student-written Webzine which covers cultural, political and social issues in Prague. “Our readership is the world,” says PW founder and mentor Professor Dinah Spritzer.
With this philosophy in mind, Prague Wandering has launched a new outreach program which targets local high schools. NYU Prague students visited Jan Neruda High School, where the high school students had read the PW articles in advance of the visit.
“I wasn’t sure what to expect, but the prospect of speaking with students about articles we’ve published was an exciting one,“ said Alison Wallach, NYU Prague student and PW reporter. “The students opened up to us with ease, and spoke with genuine interest about the articles and Czech culture and asked eager questions about life in America. I even found myself in the middle of a heated discussion about the position of Roma in the Czech Republic, with opinions coming from all sides. “
Why did Professor Spritzer start the program? “The rule for our student reporters is to write about Czech subject matter, reflect on what’s going on around you, and practice being a real journalist. I also believe that Prague Wandering should be a teaching tool – both Americans and Czechs are hungry for interaction with each other. NYU students gained a new understanding of our readership – not only does the project get us more readers, but it also gives the NYU students new story ideas. “
Professor Spritzer plans to expand the program next semester, visiting more high schools and giving NYU students a better understanding of the culture in which they live.