<![CDATA[Background and Aim: Rapid advances in information technology have increased the spread of hoaxes in digital media, posing risks to students’ mental health. Limited literacy and numeracy skills often hinder students’ ability to distinguish factual information from manipulated content. This community service program aimed to establish a school-based journalism community as a preventive strategy to combat hoaxes and strengthen students’ critical information evaluation skills. Methods: The program involved Indonesian language teachers from the Senior High School Teachers’ Working Group (MGMP) in Banda Aceh and five student representatives from five different schools. Activities were conducted through four stages: preparation, implementation, evaluation, and dissemination. Literacy and numeracy training was provided, and participants’ understanding was assessed using pretest and posttest instruments. Data were analyzed descriptively through score comparisons, N-Gain calculations, and paired sample t-tests. Results: Participants’ understanding improved significantly after the training. The average score increased from 68.87 in the pretest to 81.33 in the posttest, with statistical analysis confirming a significant difference between the two scores. The program also produced an anthology of opinion and feature articles written by participants and successfully established a school journalism community as a platform for developing and publishing students’ journalistic works. Conclusion: The program effectively enhanced participants’ literacy, numeracy, and critical thinking skills. The establishment of a school journalism community provides a sustainable mechanism for promoting information literacy and preventing the spread of hoaxes that may negatively affect students’ mental health.]]>
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