The future of journalism in the digital era is in California.

The first phase of the Vanguardia Kids in the Province, an initiative of Vanguardia with the Soto Norte project, a true benchmark in the region for their social work, concluded with a graduation.

During a ceremony full of applause, laughs, anecdotes, and dreams, 40 students of the Colegio Integrado San Antonio de California enthusiastically celebrated their graduation as new reporters of the digital era.
The emotional ceremony took place at the institution, and it marked the end of the first phase of the Vanguardia Kids in the Province project, an initiative of Vanguardia with Soto Norte Project, a true benchmark in the region for its social work. And which , additionally, it decided to bet that the children of the province of Santander will be closer and closer to fulfilling their dreams.
Parents and teachers gathered in the same classroom where the children were trained by Vanguardia's journalists in the Prensa Escuela 4.0 workshops. There, for three weeks they met to learn how to tell stories.
Thanks to this commitment of the Soto Norte Project, the boys, and girls in the fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth grades received this distinction. But that's not all. We also relived the best moments with a video in which the new reporters were the protagonists.
A mural with the works that were perfected each week, and the most outstanding photos of the day surrounded the classroom to turn this graduation into a moving event.

Federico Ortega, Communications Manager of Soto Norte Project.

“This type of initiatives is very significant for the Soto Norte project, because they point towards the educational development of the region, always thinking about the welfare of the communities, and, in this case, of the youngsters who could take part in these workshops, hand in hand with the best journalists of Vanguardia. We are happy to promote this project and show the children that they can fulfill their dreams.

To this date, we have invested two billion pesos in basic, middle, and higher education for children. As well as in educational infrastructure works, in accommodations and in different aspects, because they are reflected in what for us is the most important element to measure our management: the welfare of the community".

In addition to their diplomas, the students of Colegio Integrado San Antonio received an offprint of Vanguardia Kids with the best moments, a booklet with the contents worked on so that they can reinforce their knowledge, and a cap for them to identify themselves as reporters.

This is what the experience was like!

The 40 reporters successfully completed three workshops of Prensa Escuela 4.0:
My outstanding characters: They learned to structure an interview, and collect information to create a journalistic profile, with journalist Juan Carlos Gutiérrez.
Incredible Photos: Hand in hand with graphic reporter Jaime Moreno, they learned about shots and framing.
Myth Hunters: In the workshop with Juan Carlos Chio, they became expert detectors of fake news, thus managing to communicate truthfully.

The reporter’s voices.

Sara Nicolle Chaparro:

“I was very happy when I received my diploma because my parents were proud of me. In the Vanguardia Kids workshops, I learned to take incredible photos and know when news is fake or true, I leave happy about all that I learned.”

Maikol Yesid Gélvez:

“Being a part of Vanguardia Kids as a new reporter brings me great joy. When I received my diploma, I felt very proud and a bit nervous. Thanks to the workshops, I learned how to handle a camera, something I didn’t know before.”

This is just the first phase! Vanguardia Kids en la Provincia also reached Suratá and Matanza. We Will tell you more about it soon!

What is this initiative about?

Vanguardia Kids in the Province is a Project that intends to boost the communication skills of boys, girls, and youngsters in Santander. The Soto Norte project leaders, through their initiatives and social work, have proved that that is how we can turn Santander and the whole world into a place full of possibilities for all. This is the message that the new reporters took with them, to be able to raise their voices and be the protagonists of their stories, together with those who always trust and work with their communities.

So, from now on, through Vanguardia’s different channels and the journalism formats, they will be able to show the artistic, social, cultural, and gastronomical wealth of the Soto Norte province. Just like the Soto Norte Project, colegio Integrado San Antonio trusted this initiative and received it with open arms from the very first moment. And because of this, today we can say that the great stories of Santander will begin to be told from California.

The experience

“Vanguardia, with its track record of 104 years, takes on a significant social responsibility by investing in and focusing on issues that contribute to the development of the region. On this occasion, we created an alliance with the Soto Norte project to take these topics to the three municipalities of the province, California, Suratá, and Matanza. We are committed with forming new generations and leaders, capable of identifying fake news, conducting interviews, and adapting to journalism in the digital era.”

Luz Helena Rodríguez, Commercial Manager of Vanguardia.

“Colegio Integrado San Antonio is Antonio is happy and fortunate that the Soto Norte project has come to the institution through Vanguardia Kids. These workshops allowed the adolescents to discover aptitudes and talents and to develop new skills that they were not yet aware of. The children learned while they enjoyed the three workshops. Today at the graduation we were able to see the happiness of the young people and their parents as they became the new reporters of the municipality of California".

Caridad Patricia Maldonado, institution teacher.

“Seeing my son graduate as a reporter gave me great satisfaction, he is a boy who likes to participate in recreational activities. I feel very happy, and it is essential that these workshops continue to be replicated, to strengthen their motivation.”

Abel Antonio Gutiérrez Pedraza, parent.

"Thanks to the Soto Norte Project and Vanguardia Kids. My son was excited to be part of the reporter workshops. After each workshop, he would come home anxious to share all that he had learned. The last workshop, on fake news, had a significant impact on him. He didn't know that there were people capable of spreading false information that could harm other people."

Derly Katherine Rodríguez, parent.

News taken from Vanguardia.

The future of journalism in the digital era is in California.