Savannah Tryens-Fernandes, a child health and wellness reporter for AL.com, is among nine recipients of the 2023-2024 Rosalynn Carter Fellowships for Mental Health Journalism.

Tryens-Fernandes will spend the next year examining child and youth homelessness in Alabama, and the impact of Birmingham’s first shelter designed for young adults.

She is a member of The Alabama Education Lab team at AL.com. Since joining AL.com in 2021, she has reported stories about the impact of the pandemic on people with disabilities, the impact of school discipline policies on students, efforts to revitalize rural communities, and how rural households find food to feed their families.

Her work also recently was honored by the Education Writers Association, which named coverage of an LGBTQ-supportive charter school as a finalist for feature reporting.

Tryens-Fernandes is one of three Report for America corps members in AL.com’s newsroom. Their staff positions are supported by the national nonprofit.

The Ed Lab team is grant- and donor-based. To support reporters and their work, make a tax-deductible contribution. Donations are partially matched by Report for America.

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