StudentNation

StudentNation is a program of the Nation Fund for Independent Journalism and is made possible through generous funding from the Puffin Foundation. StudentNation focuses on first-person accounts from student activists, organizers, and journalists and has helped launch the careers of contributors to The New York TimesVoxBusiness InsiderTeen Vogue, the Guardian, and more. If you’re a student and you have an article idea, please send pitches and questions to [email protected]

Pro-Palestinian protesters at the encampment on University of Michigan’s campus.

Surveilled on Your Own Campus Surveilled on Your Own Campus

Universities across the country have used extraordinary measures to target student activists following more than two years of pro-Palestinian protests.

Feb 4, 2026 / StudentNation / Hannah Epstein

Should We Treat Political Violence as a Public Health Crisis?

Should We Treat Political Violence as a Public Health Crisis? Should We Treat Political Violence as a Public Health Crisis?

Thinking of political violence solely as a safety issue is not enough to address the harm that follows. “The patient is the community.”

Jan 29, 2026 / StudentNation / Fareed Salmon

A flooded floor is blocked off in the 42nd Street Times Square subway station during a rain storm in New York.

Can New York Adapt the Subway for the Climate Crisis? Can New York Adapt the Subway for the Climate Crisis?

As climate change leads to record rainfalls, the city’s 120-year-old subway system is more vulnerable to flooding than ever.

Jan 28, 2026 / StudentNation / Ilana Cohen

Abdul El-Sayed at a town hall during his campaign for Michigan's Senate primary.

Abdul El-Sayed Wants to “Throw Some Righteous Punches” Abdul El-Sayed Wants to “Throw Some Righteous Punches”

As the Democratic Party debates its identity, this progressive primary candidate and doctor is primed for a breakout moment in the race for Michigan’s Senate seat.

Jan 23, 2026 / StudentNation / Heather Chen

Left: Graham Granger after his arraignment outside the court building. Right: The art exhibit, made with the help of AI, by Nick Dwyer.

Meet the Alaska Student Arrested for Eating an AI Art Exhibit Meet the Alaska Student Arrested for Eating an AI Art Exhibit

A conversation with Graham Granger, whose combination of protest and performance art spread beyond campus. “AI chews up and spits out art made by other people.”

Jan 22, 2026 / StudentNation / Colin Warren

The North Chennai Power Station.

The US Needs India to Buy Coal. Who Pays the Cost? The US Needs India to Buy Coal. Who Pays the Cost?

As the country doubles down on coal exports, local communities—like those in Baltimore and Ennore—will bear the environmental burden.

Jan 15, 2026 / StudentNation / Alex Norbrook

Banners hanging from Memorial Church on the Harvard University campus in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Trump’s New Endowment Tax Is Already Reshaping Higher Education Trump’s New Endowment Tax Is Already Reshaping Higher Education

The “Big, Beautiful Bill” added additional taxes on a small set of universities. Now budget cuts have hit campuses across the Ivy League and elsewhere.

Jan 13, 2026 / StudentNation / Zachary Clifton

Kentucky Kernel editor in chief holds a reporter’s notebook during a staff meeting at the University of Kentucky.

Student Journalism’s Momentous Year Student Journalism’s Momentous Year

In 2025, StudentNation published more than 100 original articles. Here are 20 highlights.

Dec 22, 2025 / StudentNation / StudentNation

Salmon swimming against the current to spawn in the streams in Alaska in August 2025.

The Fight for the Last Wild Salmon The Fight for the Last Wild Salmon

In Alaska, the last stronghold for wild salmon, Native tribes and conservationists are working to save the fish from both climate change and decades of corporate greed.

Dec 18, 2025 / StudentNation / Colin Warren

The Golden State Valkyries playing the Minnesota Lynx in Game 2 of the WNBA first round playoffs in September 2025.

The WNBA Makes More Money Than Ever. What About the Players? The WNBA Makes More Money Than Ever. What About the Players?

WNBA players receive around 10 percent of league revenue, while the NBA gives 51 percent. With their bargaining agreement expiring in January, players want to share in the growth....

Dec 17, 2025 / StudentNation / Amara McEvoy

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