Fourteen budding journalists participated in the 24th annual Mosaic high school summer journalism workshop, held May 29 through June 9, 2017, on the San Jose State University campus.

After an introduction to journalism, students proposed story and photo ideas then set out reporting and photographing. Under the guidance of Mosaic instructors, the students produced an online news site and a 12-page print newspaper on subjects ranging from unlicensed teen drivers to a new neighborhood boxing gym to untreated teen anxiety.

In Mosaic, students learn by doing what interests them, and work closely with advisers. The instructor-student ratio is approximately 4 to 1. The staff to student ration of 2 to 1.

Mosaic is free of charge to students. It is funded by generous grants from the Dow Jones News Fund, the Brandenburg Family Foundation, Elaine Elkin, alumni and community donors. Mosaic is supported by San Jose State University, the Bay Area News Group, which includes the Mercury News, and the NewsGuild.

The workshop culminates with a field trip to the Mercury News newsroom and with delivery of the print edition of student news stories, opinion columns and photographs.

This year’s instructors were photographer Karl Mondon, columnist Sal Pizarro, reporter Robert Salonga, all from the Bay Area News Group; former Mercury News reporter and teacher Maya Suryaraman; and former Monterey Herald reporter, author and investigative journalist Julie Reynolds. Editorial assistants were Mosaic alumni Mahima Dutt, Magali Gauthier and Marcos Leon.

For information about Mosaic, contact Co-directors Joe Rodriguez, joerodriguez0326@gmail.com or 408-998-8079, or Sharon Noguchi, snoguchi@bayareanewsgroup.com or 408-271-3775.