Brian Wilson presented on starting a journalism day camp for younger students to get them interested and involved in his high school's journalism program. He discussed finding a point person in every school to spread the word, registering students online, preparing materials and sessions on topics like writing, photography and design. Over 100 students attended the free day camp which included a keynote, round robin sessions on different journalism skills, lunch and prizes. The benefits included getting the next generation interested in journalism and building involvement in the program within the community.

1. Presented by Brian Wilson
Waterford (MI) Kettering High School
bwilson3560@gmail.com
Twitter: @wilsob01

2. HOW IT STARTED…
Origins of the plan
Getting younger
students more
involved with the
program.
Conversations with
other district
advisers

3. HOW IT STARTED…
Spreading the word:
Find a ‘point-person’ in every building:
they are your key resources. Marrying an
elementary teacher helps.
Send an introduction.
Put the registration form on your
website.

4. HOW IT STARTED…

5. HOW IT STARTED…

6. HOW IT STARTED…

7. HOW IT STARTED…

8. HOW IT STARTED…

9. HOW IT STARTED…

10. HOW IT STARTED…

11. HOW IT STARTED…
We put a registration form on our
student news website and had the
participants’ info downloaded
directly onto a Google spreadsheet.

12. PREPARATIONS…
“Lots of words” flier

13. PREPARATIONS…
“Fewer words” flier

14. PREPARATIONS…
Aimed for 100 kids
Free day for them included pizza, press pass, sessions,
raffle
A note on ‘free’
Grant for next year
$5 t-shirts

15. PREPARATIONS…
Shirts and press passes

16. PREPARATIONS…
We split the students into four groups
based on their ages and had about 25
kids per group
Group ‘A’: 2nd and 3rd graders
Group ‘B’: 4th and 5th graders
Group ‘C’: 6th and 7th graders
Group ‘D’: 8th graders

17. PREPARATIONS…
What we secured for no cost:
buttons, bracelets, other fun swag
Reporters’ notebooks
‘Official’ press passes

18. PREPARATIONS…
What cost us money:
pizza
t-shirts (but we charged for them)
a couple of giveaways

19. THE BIG DAY…
Keynote, explanations
Four round-robin sessions
Lunch, raffle, prizes

20. KEYNOTE SPEAKER

21. KEYNOTE SPEAKER

22. THE BIG DAY…

23. THE BIG DAY…

24. THE BIG DAY…
Round-Robin Sessions:
Feature writing
PhotoShop
Design
Broadcasting

25. FEATURE WRITING

26. FEATURE WRITING

27. FEATURE WRITING

28. PHOTOSHOP

29. PHOTOSHOP

30. DESIGN

31. DESIGN

32. BROADCASTING

33. BROADCASTING

34. LUNCH

35. LUNCH

36. LUNCH

37. COVERAGE OF THE DAY
[stuff that
didn’t quite
work right]

38. COVERAGE OF THE DAY
[stuff that
didn’t quite
work right]

39. FEEDBACK…

40. THE NEXT STEPS…

41. THE NEXT STEPS…

42. BENEFITS
Of course, the next generation of journalists
Parent and teacher involvement in your program
Community building
School board, administration
Promotional items will now be floating through
your community

43. Presented by Brian Wilson
Waterford (MI) Kettering High School
bwilson3560@gmail.com
Twitter: @wilsob01