The beats above were created to help our fellows learn the fundamentals of journalism. The Poynter Summer Fellows work in teams of two reporters, a photographer and a designer. Each team has a neighborhood beat, a couple of square miles of real estate in south St. Petersburg. There are no assignments. Instead, these young journalists must get out into the neighborhood, ask questions and find stories.

To take a look at what they've found, click on the names of the respective beats in the map above. From there, you'll be taken to each beat's homepage, where you can meet the team and see their work. If you'd rather see what the group has done as a whole, scroll down this page and take a look at the projects week by week.

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WEEK FIVE:

WEST OF 34th STREET

Personal Narrative by Monique Garcia
Personal Narrative by Barton Glasser
Personal Narrative by Libby Roerig
Personal Narrative by Liam Dillon

EAST OF 34th STREET

Personal Narrative by JD Malone
Personal Narrative by Alex Fong
Personal Narrative by Leann Frola
Personal Narrative by Elie Gardner

NORTHEAST

Personal Narrative by Annie Shuppy
Personal Narrative by Lisa Boone
Personal Narrative by Cara Herman
Personal Narrative by Mike Greener

SOUTHEAST

Personal Narrative by Dugan Arnett
Personal Narrative by Julie Kubal
Personal Narrative by Jon Kleinow

MAGGIORE

Personal Narrative by Creighton Welch
Personal Narrative by Rich Cornish

THE POINT

Personal Narrative by Donna Rhodes
Personal Narrative by Pat Walters
Personal Narrative by Lingbing Hang

THE BEACH

Personal Narrative by Ivy Guiler
Personal Narrative by Ben Koski

GULFPORT

Personal Narrative by Carolyn Quinn
Personal Narrative by Michelle Gonzalez

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WEEK FOUR:

WEST OF 34th STREET

'A place to call their own'
How youth leaders feed the need for a hangout, minus the violence and the hangover.

Story by Monique Garcia

Pictures by Barton Glasser

Web project by Libby Roerig

Friday night at Club Gait
They're 16 with nowhere to go. Club Gait offers safe, lively option - but who's showing up?

Story by Liam Dillon

Web project by Libby Roerig

Pictures by Barton Glasser

EAST OF 34th STREET

Lord of the pies
Florida chooses one lime to bind them, one lime to rule them all.

Story by JD Malone

Design project by Alex Fong

Life for three, a shift at a time
Tekila and Andre, barely adults, are determined to right by their son and themselves - even if it means online classes and night shifts.

Story by Leann Frola

Pictures by Elie Gardner

NORTHEAST

What's your house worth?
In a superheated real estate market - with property taxes to match - the county appraiser is hardly Mister Popular. But he's just the messenger.

Story by Annie Shuppy

Betting on a better life
Tom Talley nearly gambled himself away. Now he invests in fighting others' addiction to "the big score."

Story by Lisa Boone

Through Liberty's Eyes
Photo story and audio by Mike Greener

Surreality of a living statue

Design project by Cara Herman

SOUTHEAST

From hard times to HardTymz
Crime, drugs and poverty almost destroyed three St. Petersburg rappers, before a twist of fate pulled them from the ruin. Now, they want you to feel their pain.

Story by Dugan Arnett

Pictures by Julie Kubal

Design by Jon Kleinow

She's their second chance
From a two bedroom apartment in southeast St. Petersburg, Lateesha Jenkins is hoping to bring a group of small time rappers into the big league.

Story by Karen Johnson

Pictures by Julie Kubal

Design by Jon Kleinow

MAGGIORE

Mother's love, mother's anguish
Three mothers from St. Petersburg, Fla., watched their boys die, one by one. And now they beg for the violence to end.

Story by Sara Satullo

Design by Erika Alexander

Grief that goes with them
These loved ones print their pain where they can see it: on T-shirts, car windows, cyberspace and skin.

Story by Creighton Welsh

Design by Erika Alexander

A healthy work in progress

Story by Rich Cornish

THE POINT

Drive-by inspiration
Churches turn to one-sentence lures, hoping passers-by will see a sign from God.

Story by Andrew Tran

Manatee morgue
At a marine mammal lab in St. Petersburg, Fla., slicing through to the secrets of manatees' deaths is how scientists hope to keep them alive.

Story by Pat Walters

Karate kids

Pictures by Lingbing Hang

THE BEACH

Bird's-eye view of storm survival
You won't see a pelican studying hurricane evacuation maps. So how does it avoid swirling death? Good design. Bu pity the egrets and flamingos.

Story by Ivy Guiler

First nature, then FEMA
The Dressels thought it was bad enough a tornado stripped the roof from their beachfront home. Then they learned what would have to happen next.

Story by Daniel Wallace

Design project by Ben Koski

GULFPORT

Failure

Pictures by Matt Frye

Pyrotechnic pals
This Atlanta crew puts the sizzle in Gulfport's July Fourth, no matter what sparks nature throws.

Story by Carolyn Quinn

For Florida grouper, try Chicago
More and more, the grouper you eat in a Florida beachfront restaurant was caught somewhere else. And the state's catch? It's headed for swanky northern tables.

Story by Toru Fujioka

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WEEK THREE:

WEST OF 34th STREET

Community cone
Dairy Hut sells a taste of summer and offers a sense of belonging.

Story by Monique Garcia

Pictures by Barton Glasser

Design project by Libby Roerig

Ak47: Without a safety
He once fought in the schoolyards of Nigeria. Now, he hopes the fame that comes with his fists will take him back to fight poverty.

Story by Liam Dillon

Design project by Libby Roerig

Pictures by Barton Glasser

EAST OF 34th STREET

Pride with little protest
If you read the local newspaper the day after the St. Pete Pride Festival, you might have missed the celebration.

Story by JD Malone

Pictures by Elie Gardner

Design project by Alex Fong

Tied by a neon rainbow
At two annual parades, George Kessinger puts pride in people's hands.

Story by Leann Frola

Pictures by Elie Gardner

Design project by Alex Fong

NORTHEAST

The K9 connection
Like proud parents, Todd Duncan and Joelle Budd shar their passion for "Frisbee-dogging."

Story by Annie Shuppy

Pictures by Mike Greener

Design project by Cara Herman

Her rare find: a life she loves
Andrea LeGrant's affair with antiques started with a cabinet, and became a career.

Story by Lisa Boone

SOUTHEAST

The kings of Bartlett Park
Their court is crowned by two orange rings, their scepter a leather ball. And they call the shots. Meet pickup basketball royalty.

Story by Dugan Arnett

Seeking their swami
After more than two decades, a group of dedicated Vedantists hails the arrival of its first official spiritual leader.

Story by Karen Johnson

Pictures byJulie Kubal

Design byJon Kleinow

MAGGIORE

Restoring heart to historic Roser Park
Nearly two decades since the neighborhood was named St. Petersburg's first historic district, streets that were scary are once again a sanctuary.

Story by Creighton Welch

THE POINT

Her business is family
Ai Mei Lo ran from her family in Taiwan in 1973, and found a living in Asian restaurants. Her own restaurant reunited them all.

Story by Andrew Tran

Pictures by Lingbing Hang

Displacement by Dockominium
A new twist on Florida's waterfront condo blitz is driving many of the state's middle-class marina boaters out to sea.

Story by Pat Walters

THE BEACH

The young man and the sea
A boat captain at 18, Garett Hubbard charts his own course admid a sea family's legacy.

Story by Ivy Guiler

Design project by Ben Koski

Photos by Michelle Le

Wheelchairs to bridge a gulf
Where accessibility to Florida beaches fails, local business owners fill in with sand-friendly wheelchairs. It's a gift some visitors never anticipated; a magical moment with the sea.

Story by Daniel Wallace

GULFPORT

Saying goodbye to the house of whispers
The Bucks are selling their home at 2920 53rd Street South - a house that called to them. But only because it's ready to let them go.

Story by Carolyn Quinn

Seaborne havens under scrutiny
More and more, say boat owners in Gulfport, Fla., their boats are targets for law enforcement. It's necessary, officials say, to keep the bay safe - especially in storms.

Story by Toru Fujioka

Songs in the Key of Friendship
A story about the Gulfport Senior Citizens' Harmonica Club

Photos and audio by Matt Frye

Design by Michelle Gonzalez

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WEEK TWO:


WEST OF 34th STREET

Putting the "neighbor" back in neighborhood
A St. Petersburg, Fla., neighborhood association decides it's time to rebuild itself - and the community.

Story by Monique Garcia

Tickling their interest
Why is a cartoon king towering over 49th street south? A rent-to-own company hopes you'll watch to find out.

Story by Liam Dillon

Pictures by Barton Glasser

Design by Libby Roerig

EAST OF 34th STREET

Life along the Deuces
Lorenzo Brown grew up with the bustling black community along 22nd Street South. Now he'll be part of St. Petersburg's effort to make Midtown thrive again.

Story by JD Malone

Healing hands
A massage therapist brings comfort to AIDS patients when other people in their lives shy from their touch.

Story by Leann Frola

Pictures by Elie Gardner

Design by Alex Fong

NORTHEAST

Same dance, different politics
Views on national immigration policy? They're as diverse as the steps dancers weave on Saturday nights of salsa.

Story by Annie Shuppy

Pictures by Mike Greener

Design by Cara Herman

Rhythm's universal language
Salsa Saturdays in downtown St. Petersburg unite people to the beat of the conga drums.

Story by Lisa Boone

Pictures by Mike Greener

Design by Cara Herman

SOUTHEAST

Seas the day! And other boat-name wisdom
Christen your craft. Don't change its name. And Poseidon help you if your yacht's named "Sally."

Story by Dugan Arnett

A new chapter
With major bookstore chains encroaching on their territory, can Bayboro Books and other local independent bookstores stay competitive and maintain their charm?

Story by Karen Johnson

Pictures by Julie Kubal

Design by Jon Kleinow

MAGGIORE

A grocery store for Midtown
Now fast food's not the only food that's fast for residents of St. Petersburg's Midtown. And a recent study suggests that means healthier families.

Story by Sara Satullo

Delicate sanctuary
Boyd Hill Nature Park nurtures a native oasis for Florida butterflies.

Story by Creighton Welch

Web design by Rich Cornish

Pictures by Erika Alexander

THE POINT

My name is ... Michael Jackson
When the King of Pop was still a toddler, another family of Jacksons decided "Michael" was a great name. Meet Michael Jackson, the moonwalking fishmonger.

Story by Andrew Tran

Pictures by Lingbing Hang

Design by Donna Rhodes

Aging into activism
Man lives life as sales executive. Man retires to Florida. Man becomes civil rights activist. What drives a successful corporate retiree to recast himself as a radical advocate for social justice?

Story by Pat Walters

THE BEACH

Forgotten landmarks
If you didn't grow up in St. Pete Beach, you might assume the island was nothing more than a stretch of commercial businesses, beautiful beaches and expensive island condominiums. It was quite different 50 years ago.

Story by Daniel Wallace

Design project by Ben Koski

Lured to starvation
Bait buckets make great meals for seabirds - until the anglers leave.

Story by Ivy Guiler

GULFPORT

Common grounds
How one pot of coffee fuels three people's lives.

Story by Matt Frye

Pictures by Matt Frye

Design by Michelle Gonzalez

Home, made to order
Gulfport, Fla., was once home to Alvah Curtis Roebuck. No surprise, then, that some of its houses came straight from a Sears, Roebuck and Co. catalog.

Story by Carolyn Quinn

Laboratory for an aging population
Nearly a third of Gulfport, Fla., residents are over 56, making the Senior Center's minibus service a model lifeline.

Story by Toru Fujioka

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WEEK ONE:


WEST OF 34th STREET

BREAKING NEWS: Thrift Store Manager Fired After Charity Learns of Sexual Battery Charges
Rickie L. Holmes, 49, of St. Vincent de Paul Thrift Store in St. Petersburg, Fla., had not disclosed he was facing charges that he molested a young girl more than two decades ago.

Story by Monique Garcia

Pictures by Barton Glasser

Spiritual Resource
St. Petersburg's Society of St. Vincent de Paul ministers to the physical and spiritual needs of the local community.

Multimedia presentation by Libby Roerig

Pictures by Barton Glasser

Instead of Golf Clubs, They Lug Memories
Remember when walking, not wheels, took you from one hole to the next - and when what carried your clubs was not cart, but a caddy? A look at the mechanization of a pastime.

Story by Liam Dillon

EAST OF 34th STREET

With One Thing in Common, They're All Kinds of Different
The only thing shared by the members of the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 39 in St. Petersburg, Fla., is their military service. But it's their diversity that holds them together.

Story by JD Malone

Pictures by Elie Gardner

Design by Alex Fong

This VFW Wants You
The oldest Veterans of Foreign Wars post in the South knows it needs some reinforcements for its sagging building -- and its aging ranks.

Story by Leann Frola

Pictures by Elie Gardner

Design by Alex Fong

 NORTHEAST

Preserving a Sisterhood of Service
It's now less about cotillion and more about camaraderie, but the Women's Club in St. Petersburg, Fla., keeps its most precious tradition: caring for community.

Story by Annie Shuppy

His Own Armada
Swim coach Fred Lewis encourages excellence. His swimmers achieve it.

Story by Lisa Boone

Pictures by Mike Greener

Design by Cara Herman

SOUTHEAST

Polka 'Til They Drop
Sunday afternoons at the Polish American Society are for some serious socializing, where after decades of accordion chords and vodka swigs, members dance hard and die happy.

Story by Dugan Arnett

Pictures by Julie Kubal

Multimedia presentation by Jon Kleinow

Soundtrack to a Heritage
The accordion's redolent wheeze at the Polish American Society in St. Petersburg, Fla., brings back tales of family gatherings and old Polish neighborhoods.

Story by Karen Johnson

Pictures by Julie Kubal

Multimedia presentation by Jon Kleinow

MAGGIORE

Kindness' Unlimited Budget
At Campbell Park Neighborhood Family Center Summer Camp, money's tight but counselors' caring isn't.

Story by Sara Satullo

Pictures by Erika Alexander

Design by Rich Cornish

Education Unplugged
At Boyd Hill Nature Park's Pioneer Camp in St. Petersburg, Fla., kids learn without school - and have fun without electricity.

Story by Creighton Welch

Pictures by Erika Alexander

Design by Rich Cornish

THE POINT

Goooaaalll!!
Will U.S. soccer kids become the next generation of fans?

Story by Pat Walters

Pictures by Lingbing Hang

Design by Donna Rhodes

Florida Skater Punk Goes Pop
Now that city parks are protected from lawsuits, kids can pick a legal concrete ramp over a forbidden storefront. But does legitimacy destroy skating's soul?

Story by Andrew Tran

THE BEACH

The Artistic Chemist
A St. Petersburg, Fla., artist has a style -- and a chemical formula -- all his own.

Story by Daniel Wallace

Pictures by Michelle Le

Design by Ben Koski

Video project by Ivy Guiler

GULFPORT

After the Curveball
When an off-field injury kept Bruce VonHoff from fulfilling his major league dreams, he turned to the church for a new game plan.

Story by Toru Fujioka

Pictures by Matt Frye

Design by Michelle Gonzalez

Tombstones Separated by Florida's Past
Two cemeteries, one in St. Petersburg and one just across the fence in Gulfport, were created to serve white and black, apart. Now tradition holds the line.

Story by Carolyn Quinn

We hope you enjoyed our fellows' projects from the Poynter Summer Fellowship for Young Journalists. If you have any questions about the summer program site, click here to send us an e-mail. Thanks for your interest in the program!