Journalism & Media Programs & Competitions for High School Students

Journalism programs — school-press associations, summer newsrooms, and national student-media competitions — build reporting, editing, and publication-leadership credentials.

Editor-in-chief of a real publication remains one of the most convincing leadership lines on any application.

41 verified programs match this page; 20 of the featured listings are completely free; 12 can be done online.

Featured programs

Browse 30+ curated programs for high school students:

• Forbes 30 Under 30 Recognition — Forbes Magazine: Gain national recognition as a high school entrepreneur with Forbes 30 Under 30. Boost college applications and showcase your achievements in business
• Northwestern National High School Institute (Cherubs) - Journalism — Medill School of Journalism, Northwestern University: Immerse yourself in a free summer program at Medill School of Journalism, mastering writing, editing, and multimedia skills. Boost your college applic
• Student Press Law Center Free Press Advocacy — Student Press Law Center: Student advocacy for First Amendment rights and press freedom. Training and legal support for student journalists. Shows commitment to constitutional
• Al Neuharth Free Spirit Scholar — Freedom Forum: 51 high school juniors (one from each state + DC) receive $1,000 and trip to Washington for journalism conference.
• Global Kids Online Leaders Program — Global Kids: Youth journalism and advocacy program focused on global issues. Create content on human rights, social justice. Develops voice on international affair
• Poynter High School Journalism Workshops — Poynter Institute: Training from premier journalism institute. Learn ethics, fact-checking, and multimedia storytelling. Industry connections.
• New York Times Student Review Contest — The New York Times: Engage in a national writing competition for high schoolers to review books, films, and more. Build critical thinking, boost college applications, and
• National Student Production Awards — National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (NATAS): Showcase your talent in broadcasting and video production with this national competition for high school students. Build creative skills and boost you
• Journalism Education Association Writing Competitions — JEA: Showcase your writing skills in this on-site journalism competition for high school students. Build your portfolio, gain hands-on experience, and boos
• Al Neuharth Free Spirit and Journalism Conference — Freedom Forum: Join a free, all-expense-paid journalism conference in Washington, DC, for high school juniors and seniors. Build hands-on skills and boost your colle
• Columbia Scholastic Press Association Crown Awards — Columbia University: Gain national recognition in journalism and publishing! This high school competition develops writing skills, boosts college applications, and honors
• Princeton Summer Journalism Program (PSJP) — Princeton University: Transform your storytelling skills in a free hybrid summer program for rising high school seniors. Gain hands-on journalism experience to boost colleg
• New York Times Student Editorial Contest — The New York Times Learning Network: Craft a compelling editorial for a national writing competition. Open to high school students, this free opportunity builds writing skills for college
• School of The New York Times - Summer Academy — The New York Times: Explore a free summer program in journalism, writing, and media for high school students. Build hands-on skills, boost college applications, and learn
• JCamp High School Journalism — Asian American Journalists Association: Transform your passion for writing into real-world journalism skills at this free summer program. Gain hands-on experience and boost your college appl
• AAJA Journalism Camp (JCamp) — Asian American Journalists Association: Transform your passion for journalism at this free summer program for high school students. Gain hands-on media experience, build skills, and boost yo
• C-SPAN StudentCam — C-SPAN: Engage in a national documentary competition exploring public policy issues. Build media skills, boost college applications, and showcase your creativ
• Northwestern Medill-Northwestern Journalism Institute (Cherubs) - Writing & Reporting — Northwestern Medill: Develop journalism, writing, and media ethics skills in this prestigious summer program for high school juniors. Gain hands-on experience to stand out
• Boston University Summer Journalism Academy — Boston University: Intensive journalism, writing, and photography summer program at Boston University for rising juniors and seniors.
• UMiami Summer Scholars Program — University of Miami: Summer scholars program at University of Miami covering architecture, business, media, and science.
• The School of the New York Times Summer Academy — NY Times: Pre-college program at NY Times for high school students focusing on writing, journalism, media, theater, esports, technology.
• SPJ/JEA High School Essay Contest — Society of Professional Journalists: National essay contest on press freedom run since 1998 by the Society of Professional Journalists with the Journalism Education Association: grades 9-
• Scholastic Kids Press — Scholastic: Scholastic's kid-journalism corps: each year editors select Kid Reporters ages 10-14 (grades 5-8) who report 'news for kids, by kids,' interviewing au
• MIPA Summer Journalism Workshop — Michigan Interscholastic Press Association: Five-day residential journalism workshop at Michigan State University for students entering grades 7-12: intensive classes for writers, photographers,
• High School Journalism Institute — Indiana University Media School: Journalism camp at IU Bloomington running since 1946: rising 9th graders through rising college freshmen pick week-long workshops from reporting and e
• Girls Write Now — Girls Write Now: National virtual mentorship community pairing teen writers (historically disempowered by gender) one-on-one with professional writer mentors, plus mul
• Camp at Cronkite — Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication: Week-long residential journalism camp at ASU's Cronkite School in downtown Phoenix for high schoolers ages 15-17: reporting, writing, video, photograp
• Youthcast Media Group Journalism Boot Camps and Workshops — Youthcast Media Group: Virtual journalism boot camps and reporting workshops where high schoolers nationwide cover health and safety issues with veteran-journalist mentors;
• Youth Journalism International — Youth Journalism International: Free global online newsroom (since 1994) where students 19 and under report real stories with coaching from experienced editors, publish international
• MediaWise Teen Fact-Checking Network — The Poynter Institute: Poynter MediaWise's virtual newsroom where US middle and high schoolers debunk viral misinformation, publishing fact-checks and 'Is This Legit?' media

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