2012.03.13
Summer Minority Journalism Workshop now taking applications
Kathy Lu
AmberLynn Anderson
In case you missed it, Monday’s Extra section featured a Q-and-A with 2010 Minority Journalism Workshop participant AmberLynn Anderson.
Currently a journalism major, AmberLynn talked about what the workshop taught her and how it inspired her to go to college.
Her story is a wonderful example of how the workshop can make a difference in a student’s life. And I’m happy to say that after many years of working with the workshop, it’s not the first time I’ve heard a story like AmberLynn’s.
The annual summer program brings high school students to The Roanoke Times newsroom and allows them to learn about journalism alongside our reporters. They also spend a day with Washington and Lee University’s journalism faculty to learn the basics of the trade — from interviewing to researching skills.
The goal is to teach the students useful life skills — how to write a concise essay, for instance — and help them get to know the newspaper that serves their community.
We don’t expect the students to become journalists, but sometimes, they do. And sometimes, they even come back to work at their hometown paper.
This year, the workshop will be held from June 17-22. The program is open to rising high school sophomores, juniors and seniors in the Roanoke and New River valleys. The program is free, and lunches are covered during the week.
Deadline to apply is April 13. Follow this link to download an application.
– Kathy Lu, workshop coordinator and features editor
