Interested in writing, photography or current events? Looking for an experience to inspire your college essays? Or hoping to explore a world-class city with new friends this summer?

If so, check out the Boston University Summer Journalism Academy. It’s a program created and run by Boston University, one of the country’s top journalism schools, where high school students:

• Learn from award-winning, working journalists – including two who have shared in Pulitzer Prizes for their reporting;
• Report on actual events around Boston or (for learn-from-home students) your hometown.
• Place stories with Boston’s Daily Free Press, one of the country’s top college newspapers; and
• Improve their writing, interviewing, and research skills – applicable for any major and career.

The academy offers two options: an on-campus, residential program over three weeks for students with journalism experience, and a learn-from-home program over two weeks for all experience levels. For students interested in photography, we offer a special photojournalism track for both. Every option is organized in three segments:

Classroom starts each day with a review of journalism fundamentals in a collegiate format. A university-level journalism textbook provides daily readings and writing assignments. Instructors cover: story ideas; sources and research; interviewing; writing leads; story structure; writing for broadcast and web; accuracy; libel; ethics; and more. 

Newsroom, scheduled before lunch, provides time for students to apply what they learn in the Classroom to hands-on journalism assignments. Instructors — now serving as editors — divide students into small reporter teams, make assignments, and provide strategies for interviews and story angles. Over the rest of their day, students fan out around campus or in the city of Boston to conduct interviews and gather information.

Guest Talks offer students advice and insight from journalism experts in topics such as radio reporting, media law and studying journalism in college. Students also visit city newsrooms to hear from reporters where they work, such as WBUR public radio and the Boston Globe. Sessions feature three Guest Talks during each three-week session. from journalism experts in topics such as radio reporting, media law and studying journalism in college. Students also visit city newsrooms to hear from reporters where they work, such as WBUR public radio and NBC Boston. Sessions feature three Guest Talks during each three-week session.

Photojournalism track students experience a similar schedule as other students — attending class,  receiving assignments, and reporting stories as part of both on-campus and learn-from-home student teams. But their focus will be on the basics of using a camera (provided for on-campus students) and capturing images to accompany news stories.

For on-campus students, the academy also serves as an exploration of campus life and the city of Boston. Students living on campus will stay in Boston University residence halls and will receive a dining hall meal plan. They visit city highlights such as the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston Common, the Freedom Trail of the Revolutionary War, and Fenway Park. Many students schedule college tours with Boston University, Harvard, MIT, Boston College, Tufts, Emerson, Northeastern and the many other schools in the area.

Applications for the on-campus session June 24 to July 12 are due: April 19. Applications for learn-at-home sessions starting June 17, July 1 and July 15 are due: May 10. 

On Campus, residential: Three weeks, includes tuition, activity fees, room and board: $6200. ($400 discounts for Early Bird applicants by Mar. 8!) Learn-from-Home: Two weeks, tuition: $1500. ($200 discounts for Early Bird applicants by Mar. 8!)

Learn more about the Summer Journalism Academy and apply at: http://www.summerjournalism.org/.