Whether you’re a Colorado high school student reporting stories for your school newspaper or someone who has never considered journalism a possibility for your future, The Colorado Sun wants you to join our corps of student journalists at the next Rise & Shine Journalism Workshop on Oct. 12.
The free program, now in its sixth year, will give students a deep dive into how journalists keep their communities informed, hold people in power accountable and chase all kinds of stories from breaking news to months-long investigations.
Applications are open and must be submitted by Sept. 8.
The workshop, which The Sun will hold at The Space by Arapahoe Libraries in Englewood, will introduce students to some of Colorado’s most accomplished journalists working for online news outlets and broadcast news stations.
Those journalists will teach students how to find story ideas, build relationships with sources, and prepare for an interview. Students will also gain experience writing a compelling lede, capturing photos that complement a story and jumping on breaking news at a news conference.
Each student participant will also be paired with a mentor, a professional journalist, who will help them better understand the demands and deadlines of journalism and what it takes to keep up with a statewide beat. Students will spend time one on one with their mentor during the workshop so they can ask them questions, get advice on how to begin thinking like a journalist and practice some of the critical skills they learn during the day.
This year’s program is open to 25 high school students who:
- Reside in Colorado
- Will be in high school in the fall
- Have an interest in journalism
The Sun will also offer the workshop online for students who are unable to attend in person.
Students do not need to have any previous experience in journalism to take part in the workshop. The Sun encourages students from underrepresented and diverse backgrounds to apply.
The Sun will notify students accepted into the program by Sept. 14. For questions about the workshop, contact The Sun at sunevents@coloradosun.com.