JCamp is a free, six-day residential journalism training program for high school sophomores and juniors, run entirely by volunteers from the Asian American Journalists Association (AAJA). Founded in 2001, JCamp has trained nearly 900 alumni, roughly 75% of whom pursued journalism in college. Alumni now work at major outlets including the New York Times, Washington Post, CNN, Bloomberg, Wall Street Journal, and ABC/Disney.
What students do:
Over six intensive days, a cohort of roughly 30 students rotates through multimedia journalism disciplines:
- Broadcast journalism (anchoring, breaking news coverage)
- Newspaper and magazine reporting
- Photojournalism
- Online and digital media
Students attend sessions with working journalists, practice reporting and production under deadline, and hear from guest speakers. Past speakers include Hoda Kotb, Chuck Todd, Bob Schieffer, Gwen Ifill, Jill Abramson, and Arthur Sulzberger Jr.
Cost:
JCamp is completely free. All domestic transportation (including baggage fees), university dormitory housing, and meals are covered. International airfare to and from the US is the one cost not covered by the program.
Location:
The program is held in a different city each year, hosted on a university campus. The host city is announced after acceptance.
Selection:
Applications are reviewed in a multi-phase process by JCamp alumni and faculty. The cohort is approximately 30 students. A waitlist exists for overflow applicants.
Application timeline (typical):
| Milestone | Timing |
|---|---|
| Applications open | Early November |
| Application deadline | Mid-January |
| Decisions announced | Late March |
| Camp | Summer |