FREE Paid High School Journalism Program Spring 2014 at Columbia College Chicago

Mission: Through an eight-week academy, workshops, mentoring and the creation of youth-produced publications and videos, Links works to build expertise, relationships, news literacy skills and leadership opportunities that connect students, teachers and volunteers through journalism, while revitalizing youth media in Chicago. Columbia Links was developed to bring together journalism professionals, college students and CPS teachers and high school students in an effort to make youth more media savvy, improve their news literacy and introduce them to the world of journalism, enabling and empowering them to make a difference in their communities.

Investigative/Multimedia Reporting Academy: This spring 2014 academy focuses on singular subjects that the students select, such as police and teen relations or school reform. Teen reporters learn how to use critical thinking skills to judge the reliability and credibility of news reports and sources to heighten their news literacy. They conduct in-depth interviews with experts and officials, as well as people affected by the subject of the articles. They also produce original research, gather primary sources and write an editorial or suggest a series of recommendations related to the subject. The students have an opportunity to present their findings to decision-makers such as public officials, members of the clergy, community workers and school administrators. Students selected for the program will be paid a stipend as apprentice reporters.