About · AFY Journalism Club

The Advisor

About Elena Ely

Elena Ely

Curriculum Designer · Journalism Advisor

Elena Ely is an educator and curriculum designer whose work spans literature, debate, journalism, and visual storytelling. She is especially interested in projects that bring together analytical rigor, student voice, bilingual expression, and carefully made form.

Curriculum · Journalism · Photography
elenaely.com

Visit elenaely.com →

The AFY Journalism curriculum is an 8-module, 30-session program adapted from two of the most decorated scholastic journalism programs in the United States — Palo Alto High School's Media Arts Center and Lowell High School's The Lowell — and calibrated for grades 6–8 with a distinctive bilingual English/Chinese dimension.

The curriculum moves students from foundations of journalism and news writing through features, opinion, photojournalism, multimedia, design, ethics, and editing — across eight modules and six publication issues over the academic year.

Approach

Close reading and close observation before writing
Inquiry before formula — students ask first, then report
Skills always applied in a real publication context, never in isolation
Revision as a form of thinking, not a final step
Bilingual at every level — English and Chinese as equal languages of journalism

The Program

A full publication cycle, bilingual at every level

A full publication cycle

8 modules. 30 sessions. Six issues published October through May. Every module culminates in a direct contribution to that month's publication — so skills are always applied in a real context.

Bilingual at every level

Each module includes a dedicated bilingual English/Chinese adaptation — a specific, actionable way the skill or concept extends into Chinese-language journalism. This is the curriculum feature no other K–8 program in SFUSD currently offers.

A three-year leadership pathway

Students progress from reporter to section lead to editor-in-chief across three years, following a progression modeled on Lowell's reporter-to-editor ladder and Paly's Beginning Journalism → AJAMS → Media Leadership sequence.

Explore the 8 Modules View the Issues

Join the Newsroom

Open to all AFY students, grades 6–8

How to join

The AFY Journalism Club is open to all students in grades 6–8. No prior experience is required. Year 1 reporters are paired with Year 2 or Year 3 editorial mentors from day one.

The club meets weekly. The first module begins in October 2026.

To learn more or sign up, speak with your teacher or visit the front office. Questions can be directed to the advisor through the school.

Source Programs