CITY OF FRESNO
Office of Councilmember Brandon Vang
__________________________________________ __________________________________________ JERRY P. DYER, Honorable Mayor BRANDON VANG, Councilmember, District 5
__________________________________________ __________________________________________ NELSON ESPARZA, Council President TYLER MAXWELL, Council Vice President
__________________________________________ __________________________________________ ANNALISA PEREA, Councilmember, District 1 MIKE KARBASSI, Councilmember, District 2 __________________________________________ __________________________________________ MIGUEL ARIAS, Councilmember, District 3 NICK RICHARDSON, Councilmember, District 6 WHEREAS, The kNOw Youth Media is committed to equipping young people with skills in journalism, media, and communications while developing the next generation of civicminded leaders. Over the past 20 years, more than 500 young people throughout Fresno County have participated in weekly sessions, producing more than 1,250 news articles, opinion editorials, event coverage pieces, personal narratives, and poems exploring local issues and their impact on youth; and
WHEREAS, the creative work produced by these young people has raised awareness of important issues affecting their generation, including immigration, transportation, multilingualism, and housing. Their work demonstrates a commitment to authentic journalism and to representing the experiences and perspectives of the Central Valley’s diverse communities; and
WHEREAS, The kNOw Youth Media traces its beginnings to 2006, when more than 25 young people gathered for weekly after-school writing workshops in West Fresno to learn media production and storytelling; initially part of YouthWire, a project of New America Media, the program became a project of Youth Leadership Institute in 2018; and WHEREAS, The kNOw Youth Media combines youth development with media innovation to produce an annual youth print publication and year-round digital content, strengthening young people’s writing and research skills while empowering them to share stories that matter to them and encouraging youth and adult allies to participate in civic life; and WHEREAS, The kNOw Youth Media’s 20th anniversary marks two decades of empowering young people, developing future leaders, and creating opportunities for youth voices to be heard.
The students and alumni exemplify the impact of investing in our youth and ensuring their perspectives remain part of the conversations shaping the City of Fresno and the Central Valley.
NOW, THEREFORE BE IT PROCLAIMED, that we, Mayor Jerry P. Dyer, and the Fresno City Council, do hereby proclaim the month of October 2026 as:
“The kNOw Youth Media Month”
In the City of Fresno
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, we have hereunto set our hands and affixed the Great Seal of the City of Fresno, California, this Eighth Day of October of the Year Two Thousand and Twenty-Six.
The kNOw Youth Media’s 20th Anniversary