EIU Department of Journalism

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION – The IFP/EIU High School Journalism Camp is a six-day residential program that provides students an intimate look at journalism as a career. The goal is to educate students about the journalism profession, including approaches by modern, digital newsrooms. The camp introduces students to the complete process of publishing news: gathering and validating information, substantiating and using multiple sources, writing news, editing, designing, and production. In addition, students are exposed to the concepts of news literacy and how to differentiate and establish fact from fiction in today's sometimes frenetic, rush-to-report news environment.

INSTRUCTION – Professional journalists provide most of the instruction through presentations and hands-on exercises. Students start reporting immediately, beginning with a story by the end of the first day. By the end of the six days, students will have written stories, taken news photos, reported through social media, posted information on a news website, edited stories and learned how to better design news pages. Dozens of journalists assist each year, representing news organizations throughout Illinois and across the country.

FIELD TRIPS – Students will travel to various locations around Charleston, Illinois to interview people, take photographs and develop stories. In past years, students have visited the Ernie Pyle Museum, a local Amish community, Lincoln Log Cabin (once a working farm for Abraham Lincoln’s parents), and hiked through Turkey Run State Park.

FUNDING – The bulk of funding is provided by the Illinois Press Foundation and EIU Alumni giving. Housing, meals and tuition are paid from these funds. 

APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS – Students must complete an application form. Other requirements: (1) completion of freshman year in high school, (2) a 500-word essay by student describing his/her career goals and how the camp would help achieve those goals; (3) two letters of recommendation from student's teachers/advisers. Final application deadline is May 28, 2024, but entries will be judged and internship slots filled as applications roll in. So you may want to apply early. Graduating seniors are eligible to participate.

NEED MORE INFORMATION? Contact Betsy Jewell, Camp director, 2024 IPF/EIU High School Journalism Camp, by phone (217.581.2812), fax (217.581.2923) or e-mail (cejewell@eiu.edu).