Journalism Summer Camp Gives Texas Students a Week Inside the Newsroom

This June, SMU Meadows’ Division of Journalism transformed classrooms, studios and newsrooms into a hands-on learning environment for 19 rising high school juniors and seniors from rural communities across Texas.

Hosted in partnership with SMU's STARS program, which is designed to provide high school students from small towns with opportunities to explore college-level academics and future career paths, the Division's inaugural Journalism Summer Camp introduced students to the many facets of modern journalism.

Through immersive workshops, industry mentorship, and real-world reporting experiences, student campers had the opportunity to develop storytelling skills across writing, photography, video, audio and digital media during this week-long experience.



“We wanted to introduce these students to journalism in a hands-on way that reflects how today's newsrooms operate,” explains Aleaya Bradley, Student Media Lab Manager in the Division of Journalism. “Our goal was to give students an authentic look at the profession while helping them build practical skills they can carry into college and beyond.”

Students were chosen through a competitive application process led by the STARS program and Division of Journalism leadership that was based on academic performance, writing ability, and demonstrated curiosity about journalism and storytelling. Selected students were then grouped according to their interests, with each team focusing on fashion media, broadcast journalism, sports journalism or business journalism.

During the camp, students learned from Meadows faculty, professional journalists and industry leaders about reporting, interviewing, photography, video production, podcasting and social media storytelling. As part of the experience, students interviewed professionals working in their chosen field before producing original multimedia stories inspired by those conversations.



The week concluded with a multimedia storytelling showcase, where students presented their projects to family members, faculty, staff, and invited guests, giving them the opportunity to experience what it's like to pitch, produce, and publicly share their work.

“The multimedia storytelling showcase served as the culmination of everything the students learned and it was exciting to watch them apply the skills they had developed in just one week,” says Bradley. “Journalism is about curiosity, critical thinking, and serving your community, and I hope they discovered that they can make an impact through storytelling.”

Beyond the academic experience, the camp also gave participants an opportunity to experience life as college students. Throughout the week, students lived together in Peyton Hall, ate on campus, and built friendships with peers who shared their interests, offering a glimpse into what life at SMU could look like.

The camp reflects Meadows’ commitment to expanding access to media education while creating meaningful opportunities for students who may not otherwise have access to college-level educational experiences. And for Bradley, the camp's greatest success extended well beyond the final projects students produced.

“Whether these students ultimately pursue journalism or another field, the ability to communicate effectively, think critically, and tell compelling stories will serve them wherever they go, but more than anything, I hope they left feeling confident in their voices and realizing that their stories matter.”

Following the success of this summer's program, the Division hopes to build on that momentum and continue offering the Journalism Summer Camp in the years ahead, inspiring future students to discover the power of telling stories that inform, connect and make a difference.