IPF/EIU High School Journalism Camp
June 21-27, 2026 | Application deadline: May 29, 2026
Discover What It Takes to Be a Journalist
Curious about journalism, media, or storytelling? The IPF/EIU High School Journalism Camp gives you a real look at what it is like to work in today’s fast-paced news world. Spend six days on a college campus learning from professional journalists, building real skills, and creating stories that matter. If you like writing, photography, social media, or asking good questions, this camp is for you.
Camp Description
The IPF/EIU High School Journalism Camp is a six-day residential program designed to give high school students an inside look at journalism as a career. Students learn how modern newsrooms operate, with an emphasis on digital journalism and ethical reporting.
Throughout the camp, students experience the full news process. This includes gathering and verifying information, using multiple sources, writing and editing stories, designing layouts, and producing published content. The program also introduces news literacy skills, helping students learn how to tell fact from fiction in today’s fast-moving media environment.
Instruction
Instruction is led primarily by professional journalists through a mix of presentations and hands-on activities. Students begin reporting right away and will complete their first story by the end of the first day.
By the end of the week, students will have:
- Written multiple news stories
- Taken news photographs
- Reported using social media
- Posted content to a news website
- Edited stories and learned basic news design
Each year, dozens of journalists participate, representing news organizations from across Illinois and around the country.
Field Trips
Students take part in reporting trips around Charleston, Illinois to conduct interviews, take photographs, and develop story ideas.
Past field trip locations have included:
- The Ernie Pyle Museum
- A local Amish community
- Lincoln Log Cabin State Historic Site
- Turkey Run State Park
These trips give students real-world reporting experience outside the classroom.
Application Requirements
To apply, students must submit a complete application that includes:
- A completed application form
- Completion of at least the freshman year of high school
- A 500-word essay explaining career goals and how the camp will help achieve them
- Two letters of recommendation from teachers or advisers
Graduating seniors are eligible to participate.
The final application deadline is May 29, 2026. Applications are reviewed as they are received, and available spots may fill before the deadline, so applying early is strongly encouraged.
