During the 2024 summer break from August 20 through 22, Mountlake Terrace High School held its first annual journalism camp for aspiring young journalists. The Junior J-Camp, as it was called, was held in conjunction with the annual STEM Camp – a highly successful mainstay each summer at Terrace.
About 50 6th, 7th and 8th graders attended journalism-focused sessions in room 130 and 120, to learn about photography, graphic design, and of course, writing. Student directors led lessons, activities and presentations all centered around the difficult job of being a student journalist. Campers were tasked with making a two-page spread about the concurrently running STEM Camp.
Campers learned how to take photos that effectively captured small moments in time, all for the cause of telling stories. Students also learned how to interview STEM campers and staff members, as well as how to turn those interviews into effective journalistic stories.
Students who were interested in design were ushered into the Hawkeye/Tempo newsroom where they learned how to use Adobe software, and how to design not only a good looking spread, but also a spread that effectively led the viewer’s eye.
J-Camp students worked on state of the art computers, software, and digital cameras so they could learn how to be a journalist with professional equipment in a professional environment. Every single student worked incredibly hard, and were able to collaboratively produce publishable work in just three days. The Hawkling Herald, the name for the campers’ publication, was able to produce 20 pages of work in fewer than 13 hours.
Journalism and print news publications are often seen as dying media, but the students of J-Camp have shown that to be untrue. J-camp will continue next year with even more experience and enthusiasm.
The afternoon session of the STEM & Journalism Camp for 2024.
