Clarify Youth Program
Empowering the next generation of New Yorkers
City Limit’s CLARIFY (City Limits Accountability Reporting Initiative for Youth) program provides meaningful experiences that equip high school students with the skills they need to succeed in higher education, future careers, and civic life. Through hands-on training, mentorship, and real work experience, students gain critical thinking, communication, and problem-solving skills.
Program highlights
- Prepares students for the workforce with hands-on experience
- Builds essential life skills like communication, critical thinking, and professionalism
- Fuels community and civic engagement by increasing awareness of local issues
- Improves media literacy
- Strengthens research, writing and communication skills
- Deepens knowledge of civics
- Offer a successful paid work experience
This internship will absolutely transform your life. It will teach how to ask questions and equip you with the skills to further explore those questions. You will become more comfortable communicating with people you’ve never met before.
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A legacy of impact
- 100% of interns last year reported that their journalism writing skills improved over the program
- 96% reported that their confidence in reaching out to public officials, government agencies or community organizations increased over the program
- 89% reported that they gained skills that will help in pursuing work or college
These numbers only tell part of the story. Behind every statistic is a student who has sharpened their skills, expanded their network, and gained the confidence to take on new challenges. Below, you’ll hear directly from CLARIFY alumni about how the program shaped their paths—whether in college, their careers, or their communities. Their experiences highlight the power of hands-on learning and the impact of investing in young voices.
Our CLARIFY alum have gone on to work for or get published by outlets including the New York Times, Rolling Stone, City & State, Wall Street Journal, NPR, NY1, Politico and Documented.
The Impact of CLARIFY: Real Stories from Alumni
Building Confidence & Connections
A First Step into Journalism
Rainier Harris, a CLARIFY alum from 2019 and 2020, credits the program for teaching him how to navigate public records and open data. Learning to file public records requests and analyze deeds wasn’t just an academic exercise—it became a real-world skill that shaped his journalism career. His first investigative story, published in a local newspaper, was later cited in a City Council hearing. Through CLARIFY, Rainier gained the tools to uncover hidden truths and make an impact on their community.Rainier is now an intern at Bloomberg News and continues to write impactful stories in New York.
Clarify Student Stories
Latest stories from our CLARIFY youth program