Apply for The Colorado Sun’s free summer journalism camp for teens

Whether you’re constantly checking the latest headlines on your phone between classes, are determined to become your high school newspaper’s top editor or have never considered working in a newsroom, you are a great candidate for The Colorado Sun’s Rise & Shine Journalism Workshop.  

The free program, which The Sun will host Wednesday, June 18, at its office in downtown Denver, is open to high school students across the state who have a natural sense of curiosity and want to take an inside look at how journalists cover their communities, build trust with sources and crank out well-written stories on a deadline.

Applications for the fifth annual Rise & Shine Journalism Workshop are open and due April 25.

Participants must meet the following criteria: 

Be a resident of Colorado
Will be in high school in the fall
Have an interest in journalism 

The workshop is geared toward all high school students, regardless of any previous experience contributing to a student newspaper, a school broadcast station, a school yearbook or another news outlet. 

The Sun also encourages students from underrepresented and diverse communities to apply as well as students who have thought about a career in journalism and who want to understand how their skills could transfer to a newsroom.

Through the workshop — which will also be available online for any students who cannot attend in person in Denver — teens will explore a variety of newsroom roles, including reporters, editors, photojournalists and digital staff. They’ll learn critical journalism skills, including how to interview a source with thoughtful questions, how to cover a breaking news conference, how to structure the beginning of a story, how to capture compelling photos for a story and how to promote stories on social media.

Students will hear from a variety of seasoned journalists from online and print news outlets as well as radio and broadcast news stations — including Kyle Clark from 9News and Ryan Warner from Colorado Public Radio.

“Rise & Shine is an opportunity not just to deepen your understanding of journalism — across platforms — but to connect with working journalists who might inspire you and whom you will certainly inspire in return,” Warner, a returning workshop instructor, said. 

Each student will also be paired with a mentor, a professional journalist who will spend one-on-one time with them practicing skills they learn during the day and answering their questions about how they approach and juggle different stories. 

The Sun will notify students accepted into the program by early May. For questions about the workshop, contact The Sun at sunevents@coloradosun.com.