7 Summer Journalism Programs for Middle School Students in New York
- Stephen Turban
- 1 day ago
- 4 min read
If you are a middle schooler in New York interested in journalism and reporting, you can opt for a summer program. Through such programs, you gain exposure to methods in journalistic writing and communication. Beyond academic learning, you develop practical skills in journalism.
You complete hands-on reporting projects, write essays, and develop storytelling acumen. Interacting with field professionals introduces you to various careers in journalism. To make the most of such opportunities, we have compiled a list of journalism programs in New York.
7 Summer Journalism Programs for Middle School Students in New York
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly selective
Location: Virtual
Cost: Varies; financial aid available
Dates: 8 weeks, varies by cohort
Application Deadline: Varies according to cohort
Eligibility: Students in grades 6 to 8
Students looking to conduct original research in journalism can opt for Lumiere’s Junior Explorer Program. Here, you are paired with PhD mentors from various prestigious universities, like Harvard, Oxford, MIT, and Princeton, who are experts in psychology and media subjects. Conducting hands-on research enables you to gain specialized knowledge in journalism. You learn the research process, which is a core skill for journalism, as you learn to read and interpret academic literature, build research questions, and create outputs such as a high school-level research paper or case study, which enables you to build crucial skills as you work on your research. Feedback and writing coaching sessions sharpen your scientific communication skills. Students who wish to publish their research in academic journals can opt for the Junior Research and Publication Program.
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Location: New York University, New York, NY
Cost/Stipend: None
Dates: July 6 – 31
Application Deadline: March 31
Eligibility: All NYC students in 7th or 8th grade during the application period
NYU’s College and Career Lab is an exploratory program where you study different subjects and step into the roles of various professions through hands-on activities. You attend college-style lectures and intensive workshops in a range of subjects. The culture, education, and human development track introduces you to media studies, which forms the basis for journalism. In the Arts track, you learn about various techniques and formats of storytelling. Together, these tracks enable you to pursue further academics and a career in journalism.
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Location: Virtual
Cost: Varies; financial aid available
Dates: 25 hours over 10 weeks (on weekends) during the spring cohort and 25 hours over 2 weeks (on weekdays) during the summer cohort.
Application Deadline: Rolling deadlines
Eligibility: Students in grades 6 – 8
Veritas AI’s AI Trailblazers program is an interdisciplinary program that you can participate in to explore your interests in journalism and technology. The program teaches you the foundations of AI and machine learning. This theoretical component covers diverse topics such as Python, data analysis, regression, image classification, neural networks, and AI ethics. Thereafter, you apply your knowledge to the practical project. This project must solve a real-world journalism problem using technology. In the past, students have built a machine-learning model to classify music genres and a machine-learning algorithm to provide a custom list of educational resources based on selected specifications.
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Location: Online
Cost: $1,895 (enrichment course fees) or $3,995 (college credit course fees)
Dates: Multi-length courses available throughout the year
Application Deadline: Varies according to session
Eligibility: Students aged 13 years and older
This program teaches you about contemporary journalism practices in the digital age. As journalism continues expanding, you can explore careers as a multimedia editor, social media specialist, podcaster, content writer, and more. You develop the core skillset every journalist needs, including how to gather facts through skillful interviewing and research, develop sources, and verify information. You hone your writing and communication skills while gaining first-hand professional insights from seasoned media experts. For the capstone project, you craft a professional news story for a platform, such as print/digital, social media, or video.
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Location: Online
Cost: $900
Dates: To be announced
Application Deadline: One week before the program
Eligibility: Students in grades 6 – 12 who meet the Indigo-tier eligibility criteria
Northwestern CTD hosts several programs for middle and high school students. The Effective Essay Writing program helps sharpen your writing skills. You learn strategies for analyzing, composing, and revising essays. The program also introduces you to process analysis, definition, argument, and research. The techniques and strategies you learn in this program not only help with college applications but also strengthen your skills for a career in journalism.
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Location: New York, NY
Cost/Stipend: Stipend may be available
Dates: One year starting in spring
Application Deadline: On a rolling basis for schools
Eligibility: Students in grades 4 – 8
MSPC enables you to develop as a researcher and storyteller. During the program, you gain skills in interviewing, research, writing, editing, and publishing. The program also provides opportunities to collaborate with aspiring journalists from different schools. You can connect and interact with professional journalists, high school media teams, and civic leaders. Organized at a school or grade level, you benefit from collaborative activities and hands-on projects. You can also attend a citywide Middle School Journalism Conference.
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Location: Online
Cost: $3,200; need-based financial aid is available
Dates: July 6 – 17 (Session 2)
Application Deadline: March 13
Eligibility: Students in grades 8 – 11
The Stanford Pre-Collegiate Summer Institute offers a range of programs for students to explore their subjects of interest. Journalism 101 covers how reporters discover, verify, and narrate stories with impact. Through discussions, lectures, and mock interviews, you learn the core elements of modern journalism, such as news reporting, feature writing, ethics, interviewing, digital storytelling, and research. The program also teaches you to conduct research and ask probing questions. You develop strong writing skills. By the end of the program, you produce a researched feature article.
Stephen is one of the founders of Lumiere and a Harvard College graduate. He founded Lumiere as a Ph.D. student at Harvard Business School. Lumiere is a selective research program where students work 1-1 with a research mentor to develop an independent research paper.