Everything You Need to Know About the EW Scripps High School Journalism Workshop

For high school students who are looking to attend a prestigious university, one very important thing that they will have to do is identify the kinds of extracurricular activities that are right for you. Learn more about the EW Scripps High School Journalism Workshop.

Whether a high school student is thinking about joining a sports team, signing up for a high school club or program, or looking into a great summer program to spend some of their summer days away from home, there is no doubt that finding the right extracurricular activity for you is very important to the success of any great high schooler now and in the future.

One such high school summer program – that is thought to be one of the oldest of its kind in the world – is the EW Scripps High School Journalism Workshop.

Here at AdmissionSight, we believe that one of the most important things for any high school is to get the information they need to succeed. Whether that means learning how to best prepare for the SAT or figuring out why your letters of recommendation are so important, we make it our job to get any high school student the help they need to get into their dream school, whether that’s a UC school like UCLA or Berkeley or an Ivy League school such as Harvard or Yale!

In this quick breakdown, we will go over everything that the EW Scripps High School Journalism Workshop offers as well as why choosing the right extracurriculars and summer programs is so important.

About the EW Scripps School of Journalism

The EW Scripps School of Journalism is part of the Scripps College of Communication at Ohio University. First founded in 1924, the EW Scripps School of Journalism has been recognized by major publications such as the Associated Press and the U.S. News & World Report for excellence in education in the fields of both journalism and mass modern communication.

The EW Scripps School of Journalism offers both undergraduate and graduate programs for students. The undergrad program offers two tracks to a degree in the Bachelor of Science, Journalism.

• The first degree comes in New & Information, which combines the previous sequences of Broadcast News, Magazine Journalism, News Writing and Editing and Online Journalism
• The second comes in Strategic Communication, which combines the previous sequences of Advertising and Public relations

The graduate school at EW Scripps School of Journalism offers Master’s of Science programs in Journalism and a Ph.D in Mass Communication.

About the EW Scripps High School of Journalism Workshop

The EW Scripps High School Journalism’s annual workshop for high school students who are passionate about and interested in journalism and writing. First held in 1946, the EW Scripps School of Journalism is believed to be one of the oldest programs of its kind in the United States and perhaps the entire world.

The goal of the workshop – which typically takes place on the campus of Ohio University – offers dedicated students and aspiring journalists to get hands-on experience and classroom experience so that they can dive deeper into their experience in print and broadcast journalism.

During their time at the EW Scripps High School Journalism Workshop, students participate in either a newspaper or TV news broadcast track. The program itself runs from Wednesday through Saturday as they get the chance to learn from award-winning journalism faculty and professional journalists.

Workshop director Lisa Lopez helps explain why the EW Scripps High School Journalism Workshop is such a fantastic opportunity for high school students who are interested in pursuing a degree in journalism when they get to college and pursue a career in journalism after that!

“The exciting aspect of this format is that it allows students to put classroom learning to immediate practical use,” she said. “Students will be given a news assignment, walk across campus to interview sources, and then come back to the computer or broadcast studio and write and produce their stories.”

Beyond that, journalism students at Ohio University take time out of their busy summer schedule to mentor students at the workshop and prepare them for interviews. In all, the instructors of the workshop include EW Scripps faculty, award-winning high school journalism teachers, working journalists as well as faculty and staff from other areas of the Scripps College of Communication.

Finally, guest speakers include award-winning journalists who come to speak to the students involved in order to educate, encourage, and inspire them.

One important thing to remember is that the EW Scripps High School of Journalism Workshop is dedicated to diversity. A multicultural grant from the Scripps Howard foundation funds 13 students so that they can attend the workshop for free. This is part of a national effort to diversify local and national newsrooms so that news can come from a diverse and multicultural point of view now and forever.

Mission Statement

Overall, the EW Scripps School of Journalism is committed to providing an education that emphasizes professional excellence, critical thinking, and social responsibility.

To maintain and enhance the democratic society and the free exchange of ideas in America, journalism must be built on the principles of truth, accuracy, and independence. Our faculty search for these principles, our students strive for them, and our alumni live them.

Through a blend of professional education, practical experience, and intellectual exploration, we teach journalism in a way that it can be applied to many professions and to a rewarding life in a multicultural and fast-changing world. Whether it’s telling a story, building a brand, or engaging in research, we prepare students for their chosen professions now and as those professions change in the future.

This is the mission statement of the actual college that is educating some of the most talented young journalists in the world. That credo extends to the workshop as they look to instill each and every young journalist with the moral compass necessary to be a truly impactful journalist that is dedicated to positive change.

Now more than ever, the need for journalists who are brilliant and dedicated to writing about the truth is great. The hope at the EW Scripps School of Journalism is that students one day turn into leading journalists and reporters who help Americans get the news they need to help them remain engaged and informed.

One important thing to note is that just like many other programs in the summer of 2020, the EW Scripps School Journalism decided to cancel its in-person workshop in order to protect students and faculty from possibly contracting the novel coronavirus. Instead, they held an online workshop from July 8th to July 9th. The entirely virtual format of the workshop offered free registration!

Of course, the hope is that next summer, the EW Scripps High School Journalism Workshop will be back to being in-person and on the beautiful campus at Ohio University. Despite that, the 2020 summer’s program was still excited about offering students the chance to:

• Gain remote experience with any of the school’s seven professional tracks
• Interact with working professionals and faculty of the Scripps School of Journalism via Microsoft Teams
• Participate in numerous engaging Question & Answer call sessions with current Ohio University students

There is no doubt that if a high schooler is already passionate about journalism or is interested in attending a journalism program for the undergraduate degree, that the EW Scripps High School Journalism Workshop is a great way to spend a few days during the summer months.

What you should know about extracurriculars?

Now that you have a great idea about the EW Scripps High School Journalism Workshop, let’s break down why choosing the right extracurriculars is so important for any high school student who is interested in attending a fantastic college or university. On top of that, let us at AdmissionSight break down why summer programs can be so beneficial for high schoolers.

But first, let’s go over how every high schooler should go about picking their extracurriculars in high school.

Prioritize opportunities with leadership potential

One of the most important things for high schoolers to consider as they are looking to pick the extracurriculars that they will invest their time in during their high school years is to find teams, groups, and goals that allow four leadership potential. For example, play a sport that you think you could one day become a captain of a team for or join a club where you will one day try to become president, VP or something similarly impressive. College admissions officers love seeing leadership in a high school student’s college application because it makes it clear that the student is able to take responsibility and gain recognition amongst their peers and teachers.

Find extracurriculars that connect to your chosen major

If a high school student believes that they know what kind of degree they are hoping to pursue when they finally get to college, choosing at least one extracurricular that applies to that major should be a top priority.

For example, if a student is interested in earning a degree in writing, journalism, or some similar degree, the EW Scripps High School Journalism Workshop is absolutely an extracurricular summer program that they should consider.

On the other hand, if a student is interested in pursuing a degree in a STEM program, joining something like the National Science Bowl or the USA Physics Olympiad are two great options to consider.

Find extracurriculars that highlight your time management skills

When you get to college, you will need to be able to manage your time incredibly wisely. Between your workload, out-of-classroom activities, social life, and more, you will have to be able to find a way to do what you have to do as well as do what you want to do. On top of that, you will not have your parents keeping tabs on you to make sure that you are managing your time wisely.

For that reason, choosing extracurriculars that highlight your ability to manage your own time is super smart and useful. Colleges look for students who are well rounded and can handle a full high school workload (ideally with AP and honors courses in your curriculum) as well as time-intensive extracurriculars.

Show off your success and awards

A great way to make the most of your time outside of class in high school is to participate in extracurriculars that can end with your receiving some kind of recognition. Whether it’s awarded, scholarships, being mentioned in publications or something else that sets you apart, it’s a great way to impress college admissions counselors.

Beyond that, any awards or experiences you gain through your extracurriculars in high school offers any student great material to write about in their personal statement when applying to schools.

Prioritize your passions

This is the last consideration that we will mention on this least, but it is certainly not the least. Truly, one of the most important things to consider when you are looking for the right extracurriculars for you is to find something that you are passionate about. More than anything, it is crucial that you choose things that will excite and engage you every single day.

On top of that, it is very important to remember that college admissions officers are looking for students who have committed years of their time and energy to 2-3 extracurriculars rather than students who have spent a few months doing one thing before quickly moving over to another project. Your ability to show dedication, passion, and maturity through your extracurriculars can go a very long way in terms of getting into the school of your dreams.

The benefit of summer programs

Finally, let’s go over why signing up for summer programs such as the EW Scripps High School Journalism workshop can be so valuable for high school students.

They help students make lifelong friendships and connections

Summer programs are a great way to continue growing as a person and student during the summer months when the majority of high school students have loads of free time on their schedule. One huge reason why summer program is so great is that they allow high schoolers to socialize outside of their high school community and meet boys and girls who they share similar interests and passions with.

This is not only important because it can help students make great friends, but also because it can help students when it comes to building their professional network. You never know who you’ll work with or who will end up helping you get a job after you graduate high school. Meeting an intelligent young man or woman during a summer program could help you take a major step in your professional career somewhere down the line!

They offer students a peek at campus life

Much like the EW Scripps High School Journalism Program, which as you now know takes place on the campus of Ohio University, many summer programs are sponsored and hosted by colleges and universities. Whether a program spans a couple of days or a couple of weeks, students very regularly end up living on college campuses around the country. This gives high schoolers a little taste of what it’s like to actually be a college student.

This is especially useful to consider if there is a summer program that a student is interested in that takes place at a school that the student has on their shortlist of places they may want to attend!

Allow students to make great use of their free time

There’s no arguing that summer vacation offers students the valuable opportunity to recharge and relax in preparation for another busy high school year ahead. With that being said, students should make it a priority to also make good use of that free time. Taking the time to find one or two fantastic summer programs each summer to attend. There is a never-ending list of fantastic programs out there, all high school students have to do is start doing research when it comes to finding the programs that they believe could be a great fit for them!

Conclusion

Hopefully, this quick breakdown of the EW Scripps High School Journalism Workshop has helped you get a great idea of what it offers its participants and why it is such a fantastic summer program to consider.

In the end, when it comes to getting into the college or university of your dreams, it takes your ability to prove excellence in a number of important factors. Of course, academic success is a primary factor, but so too is the way that you spend your time when you are not in the classroom.

Here at AdmissionSight, we make it our priority to help each and every student we work with get the necessary extracurricular and academic guidance necessary to help them get into the school of their dreams. From there, there is little doubt that the sky is the limit when it comes to what a passionate and dedicated student can achieve!