INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — The Multicultural Media Producing Program is the first of its kind, a 16-week course to help teach students from all backgrounds the ins and outs of producing the news.

The program, created by WISH-TV owner and chief executive officer DuJuan McCoy, just graduated its first class Tuesday night.

“We want to increase diversity in the newsroom in helping create content and influence the message going out to viewers,” McCoy said.

The program brought in students from across central Indiana to learn every aspect of TV news and what it takes to put on a broadcast.

“I am a huge advocate for diversity in the media,” said Rebecca Lee, a Carmel High School senior. “I think it is so important because when you are writing a story, I strongly believe that every single perspective is super-valuable.”

Students ranged from high school to college with some coming directly from program partner Ivy Tech Community College and others coming from universities in Indiana.

“I think it’s very important because you get to see different aspects of the community and different things around the world,” said Vincent Gonzales, a Ben Davis High School senior. “Not even just here in Indianapolis but different aspects of life.”

Students in the program said it was important to them that there was a program ready to highlight and celebrate diversity. “It’s about what’s happening in the communities and getting that information out for people to understand what might be happening at their front door,” said Sarra Foster, an Ivy Tech second-year student.

“I think it’s good that high school kids, college kids, and people not even in college can experience stuff like this just to get their foot in,” said Mitchell Rans, IUPUI senior.

Lee added, “I feel like if we have more representation, especially with people who are writing the news a producing it we can get so many other valuable perspectives in the media.”

The program has already creating success stories. Danielle Moore, a senior at IUPUI, has already secured a job at WISH-TV as an associate producer, all before graduating college. “It’s really exciting for me, especially since I haven’t graduated college. It makes me feel really secure that I will have a job outside of college.”

The next class will be welcomed to WISH-TV early next year.