Be one of 35 high school students in the Tampa Bay area selected to participate in this prestigious, intensive program.  Choose from three weeks, each with a different emphasis -- writing, design/photography and multimedia/audio & video. Come to one. Or, if you're really into it (and we hope you are), come to all three.

Poynter faculty and professional journalists will lead these workshops this June in Poynter's beautiful building just south of downtown St. Petersburg, across the street from USF St. Petersburg. 

During the week of writing camp, students will learn tools that will hep them in any type of writing -- for school, for publication or for pleasure. They'll learn to find a focus for their writing, to gather telling details and to organize their stories. They'll learn about "gold coins" that keep the reader wanting more.

HOW TO APPLY

Watch this space in February 2010 for a link to apply.  The program is open to students who will be in public or private high school in the fall. Click here for information about our annual one-day writing workshop, coming next on Saturday, March 13, 2010.

The design/photography week will focus on visual journalism, including page design, typography and photojournalism.  Students will learn to communicate visually and how to plan their visualizations. They'll do photography assignments outside the building, creating a picture story that incorporates lighting and composition concepts that they learn in the classroom.  This will not be an art photography experience, but an opportunity to document the world as it unfolds.

During multimedia week, students will learn to capture audio and video, edit it and create a story for broadcast or for publication online. They'll learn to write for the ear. They'll learn to use professional audio and video equipment and to edit with Final Cut Pro.  They'll learn the importance of natural sound, good lighting and camera techniques. 

Tuition includes supplies, field trips and a snack each day. Participants also will be invited back to Poynter for events during the school year, including a panel with advice on the college search for those high school students interested in pursuing careers in journalism.

We'll meet from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday through Friday.  We won't serve lunch, but we'll provide a mid-morning snack to keep you going. At 1, you can take off for the beach, your summer jobs or, if you're really into it, work on what you learned in class. We'll find a quiet corner for you here at the Institute.

TO APPLY, watch this space for an online application. Deadline to apply is April 2, 2010. Cost is $350 per week, or $950 for students who apply to and are accepted for all three weeks. Dates for the workshops are the weeks of June 14, June 21 and June 28, 2010.

In addition to the online application, students will need to provide:

• A letter of recommendation from a teacher. 
  
• Applicants may submit up to three samples of their writing, design, photography or audio/video production work.  This is optional, and samples will not be returned. 
  
• Students applying for financial aid will need to send a letter indicating 1) whether you qualify for free or reduced school lunch 2) your 2009 household income and the number of people living in your household 3) any special circumstances you want us to consider and 4) how much of the tuition per week you can afford to pay.

Send all application materials to The Poynter Institute, High School Program, 801 Third Street S, St. Petersburg, FL 33701 or fax to (727) 553-4682. 

The High School Journalism Program is one of the longest-running programs at The Poynter Institute. Founded along with the Institute in 1975, its goal is to give about young people the chance to learn about writing and the values and craft of journalism. We hope some students will pursue careers in journalism. We intend for all students to grow as citizens in this democracy and to gain an appreciation for the role of free and independent media. 

Here's what one graduate of the summer high school program had to say about her experience. Here's a perspective from a parent.

"Everything rocked," Charlie Hart, who went on to graduate in journalism from the University of Missouri - Columbia, wrote in his evaluation. "Thank you very much for the wonderful opportunity  to learn with the best and brightest in the industry."
 

Financial aid is available. In recent years, Poynter has received grants for this program from the Community Foundation of Greater St. Petersburg, Gannett Foundation/10Connects and other private individuals. (To make a donation to support this program, click here.) Full and partial scholarships are available, so all interested high school students are urged to apply.

We make special efforts to attract a diverse group that cuts across race, ethnicity, geography and socioeconomic status. We believe that the future of the profession, and its ability to serve the public, depends on a workforce of skilled professionals as varied as the communities they cover.

 

High school journalism teachers in the Tampa Bay area who are interested in a paid position to help teach can contact Wendy Wallace for details.

The Poynter Institute also hosts a one-day writers workshop each year, open to any high school student or teacher who wants to be a better writer. And the program director, Wendy Wallace, is available to support scholastic journalism in any way she can, in an advisory role, as guest lecturer or simply as a conduit to Poynter.

Poynter offers a summer writing camp for south Pinellas students in fourth through eighth grades. For details, email the program coordinator.

For more information about the high school program, please contact Wendy Wallace at The Poynter Institute.