Journalism Camp

Are you a Detroit high school student interested in expanding your writing, reporting and journalism skills? Do you have a special interest in climate, health or the environment in your community? Or do you simply enjoy storytelling and writing about issues you care about?

Our 2025 Summer Journalism Camp is for you!

Coaching Detroit Forward is partnering with The Detroit Writing Room and Planet Detroit to offer a free 2-week journalism camp in July 2025. The camp will be held in person at Wayne State University’s Journalism Institute for Media Diversity. Detroit high school students can apply for scholarships to attend free of charge.

Students will learn from over 20 Detroit Writing Room coaches and award-winning journalists who have worked at publications from The New York Times to The Detroit News and Detroit Free Press. 

The camp provides an immersive experience that teaches high school students fundamental writing and reporting skills while focusing on issues impacting their neighborhoods. Most importantly, they’ll receive the tools and confidence to write about issues that matter to them and their communities. With access to some of the top editors, journalists and photographers in Detroit, students also gain mentors who can guide them to future internship and job opportunities. 

This year’s camp is in partnership with Planet Detroit, a nonprofit news outlet that covers important stories about the environmental, public health and social justice in Detroit. Each day, students will learn from journalists covering these beats and participate in interactive workshops and real-world reporting exercises.

What Students Will Learn:

  • Environmental reporting with Emilia Askari and Jena Brooker

  • Public health reporting with Isabelle Tavares

  • Opinion writing with Laura Berman 

  • Race and social justice reporting with Kat Stafford

  • Food writing with Dorothy Hernandez

  • Story structure with Walter Middlebrook

  • Ledes with Anna Clark

  • AP Style and nutgrafs with Krishnan Anantharaman

  • Headline writing and SEO with Kate Abbey-Lambertz

  • Publication design with Michelle Sheridan

  • Video storytelling with SaMya Overall

  • Interviewing and journalism ethics with Stephanie Steinberg

Check out stories written by students in our 2023, 2022, 2021 and 2020 camps.

Publication Opportunities:

Over the two weeks, students will report and write a story focused on an environmental, health or equity topic they choose. They will also be paired with an Editing Coach to receive feedback and one-on-one editing. On the last day, students will share their stories with the group.

Each student will have their article published online at planetdetroit.org and detroitwritingroom.com. Detroit students will also have their articles published on coachingdetroitforward.org.

Articles will be printed in the sixth edition of Perspectives Magazine, an annual print publication produced by students in our journalism and photography camps. Local media outlets, including Chalkbeat Detroit, Bridge Magazine and El Central Hispanic News, may also republish the students’ stories.

Students’ stories will also be entered for Society of Professional Journalist Detroit Awards.

Students Who Attend Will Receive:

  • A welcome package with writing supplies, T-shirt, water bottle, press pass and “A Newshound’s Guide to Student Journalism”

  • Daily lunch and snacks

  • Daily parking pass or rideshare transportation stipend

  • A certificate of completion

  • Copies of Perspectives Magazine

  • Invitations to a Perspectives Magazine Launch Party at Playground Detroit in November 2025

  • Free tickets to select Detroit Writing Room workshops and events throughout the year

Dates:

The camp is held weekdays Monday through Friday.

July 7-18, 2025

11 a.m. to 3 p.m. EST

Location:

Wayne State University’s Manoogian Hall

Requirements:

  • Students must plan their own transportation to and from camp. Students driving themselves will receive a parking pass. We also have $10 daily transportation stipends available for rideshare or public transportation costs.

  • Students will need a laptop each day. Coaching Detroit Forward laptops are available for Detroit students to borrow.

To Apply:

The deadline to apply is May 2, 2025.

A special thank you to our 2025 Journalism Camp sponsors and partners who helped make this camp free for Detroit students!