Still trying to figure out what BSUJW course you want to take this summer? We’ve got you covered! Below you will find course objectives and summaries for each BSUJW class being offered this summer. If you have any questions about a course, feel free to email bsuworkshops@bsu.edu or call our office at 765-285-8900.

 

THE LEADERSHIP TRACK

What makes this Journalism Workshops a standout: Our leadership courses combine work and time-to-work into a true collaborative experience that prepares leaders to hit the ground running when school starts. Editors and team leaders in these courses learn in the mornings then adapt these lessons in the afternoons and evenings by working with each other and their staffs, guided by multiple nationally-recognized instructors.

Broadcast Leadership

Are you about to lead your broadcast staff? Jump into this hands-on leadership course to give you a head start on planning (and loving!) your year in broadcast! In this course, you will:

  • Create a production schedule for the year
  • Organize the structure of your staff to increase productivity and creativity
  • Determine how deadlines will work to keep your staff on track
  • Learn team-building strategies to motivate and inspire your staff
  • Plan and design the necessary components of a news program
  • Create or update your staff manual
  • Use our unique time schedule for work and collaboration
News and Web Leadership

Whether you will lead online or print or a hybrid, prepare to lead your staff! You gain leadership and editorial skills to prep you for a smooth year for your and your staff! In this course, you will:

  • Create a production schedule for the year
  • Plan out any special edition or themed issues your staff may produce this year
  • Learn team-building strategies to motivate and inspire your staff
  • Determine how deadlines will work to keep your staff on track
  • Explore and adapt tools for conflict resolution
  • Create or update your staff manual
  • Use our unique time schedule for work and collaboration
News and Web Revamp

Use this course to give your publication/website the makeover you think it needs – from cool and relevant coverage and content to an exciting visual presence! This course is specifically designed for editors and requires advanced design skills. In this course, you will:

  • Revamp your publication’s look and create templates to take back to your staff
  • Explore ways to ramp up your coverage and create alternative story forms to tell stories in a variety of visual ways
  • Create or polish your media’s brand – both visual and verbal
  • Use our unique time schedule for work and collaboration
Yearbook Leadership

Are you about to lead your yearbook staff? If so, we have the perfect course to help you prepare yourself to empower your staff to create an amazing yearbook! In this course, you will:

  • Learn the vital skills to focus you and your team on creating an exciting yearbook
  • Create your ladder and production cycles
  • Develop a “toolbox” of resources and activities to take back to your staffs to help the year run smoothly!
  • Learn team-building strategies to motivate and inspire your staff
  • Explore and adapt tools for conflict resolution
  • Create or update your staff manual
  • Use our unique time schedule for work and collaboration
Yearbook Theme Development

Need a theme? Want to polish one your already have? Creating and connecting a visual and verbal theme is one of the vital aspects of creating a yearbook. In our Yearbook Theme Development course, you will work to develop both the visual and verbal themes of your next yearbook. In this course, you will:

  • Develop components such as:
  • Traditional vs. non-tradition yearbook structures
  • Energize your coverage
  • Your ladder
  • Visual elements and design templates
  • Your book’s cover and more!
Middle School Yearboook – NEW THIS YEAR!

If you want to be ready to contribute to your yearbook staff when school starts, this is the course for you! After this course, you will fit right in on your staff and begin contributing from Day 1. You will:

  • Learn yearbook terms and concepts
  • Gain an understanding of yearbook design
  • Learn/practice yearbook writing, including headlines, stories and captions
  • Brainstorm coverage ideas
  • Create alternative story forms
BSUJW Social Media Reporting

If you have been charged with managing your staff’s social media for the year, look no further! We’ve created a unique opportunity to help you build a robust social media presence at your school by developing and practicing successful methods during the Summer Media Academy! In this course, you will:

  • Work collaboratively under the leadership of a social media guru to manage and create content for the Workshops social media accounts throughout the week
  • Learn and practice audience and engagement strategies
  • Create/update a social media manual for your staff
  • Learn social media ethics and the best ways to run your staff’s accounts
  • Gain effective recruiting skills to add to your team!

THE GREAT JOURNALISM TRACK

Whether you are a seasoned or rookie writer, photographer or designer, this track will take your skills set to the next level!

Feature Writing – NEW THIS YEAR!

Looking to learn how to write a compelling feature story? Look no further! Students in this course will learn how to interview for, write and edit a feature story! Some of the skills students should walk away with are:

  • Craft 2-3 stories over the course of Workshops
  • Give and receive feedback
  • Brainstorm coverage ideas
  • Hone interview skills
  • Create a contact strategy
  • Identify an engaging and compelling feature or profile
In-Depth Writing – NEW THIS YEAR!

Watchdog Journalism continues its prevalence in the field and is alive and well within scholastic journalism. In this course, you will learn how to investigate and cover tough topics within your school and community!

  • Craft 2-3 stories over the course of Workshops
  • Give and receive feedback
  • Brainstorm coverage ideas
  • Hone interview and investigative skills
  • Create a contact strategy
  • Learn how to localize national, state and local news of relevance to your audience
Sports Writing – BACK THIS YEAR!

Tired of the same old sports story? In this course, learn how to cover your school’s athletics both on and off the field!

  • Craft 2-3 stories over the course of Workshops
  • Give and receive feedback
  • Brainstorm coverage ideas
  • Hone interview skills
  • Create a contact strategy
  • Learn how to cover sporting events, play-by-plays and write sports profiles!
Visual-Storytelling: Photography

Outstanding photography is critical to your staff, and being a good photojournalist takes practice. In this course, you will get out of the classroom to take photos and complete several photo assignments. Meanwhile, classroom instruction will take you through different elements of photography – for beginning and seasoned photojournalists — to help advance your skills. NOTE: You will need to bring a digital SLR, charger, and other necessary tools.

  • Take photos in, around and for Workshops
  • Complete a photo story centered around a theme or subject
  • Learn/use photo principles to enhance your visual storytelling
  • Brainstorm visual storytelling topics and coverage ideas specific to your school
Visual Storytelling: Web

Have you been designing for a while? Ready to take your design skills to the next level? Intended for those of you who are proficient in InDesign with some Photoshop and Illustrator skills and/or design for web experience, you will work hands-on to:

  • Learn the basics of web design and website management
  • Gain an understanding of how this medium works in relation to production cycles, content management, use of social media and other relevant topics
  • Create a cohesive and navigable site to showcase your publication
  • Learn to design for web platforms
Beginning InDesign

If you are new to design or just want to improve your skills set, this course is a hands-on way to deepen your design “tool box” and prepare you to design anything!

  • Acquire basic InDesign tools and tricks
  • Create mock page designs and icons
  • Learn design principles and the cognitive processes behind them
Advanced Design

Have you been designing for a while? Ready to take your design skills to the next level? Intended for those of you who are proficient in InDesign with some Photoshop and Illustrator skills and/or design for web experience, you will work hands-on to:

  • Create new pieces of both print and interactive design
  • Design print infographics and interactive web pages
  • Learn complex design concepts and how to apply them

THE ADVISER TRACK

We have designed this track to educate and inspire! Advisers will work with one of the best leaders in scholastic journalism to learn, brainstorm and plan strategies, lessons and methodologies to empower themselves and their students to understand and produce great journalism.

Adviser Planning and Development

Whether you are new to the advising world or want to load your advising toolbox with new ideas, inspiration, teaching skills, etc., this is the place to be! Much like The Leadership Track, you will have the opportunity to determine what you want to learn to help you hit the ground running when school starts. Specific or general, the topics covered during class coupled with dedicated time to develop your skills or plan your year makes this experience a true workshop! Collaboration with fellow advisers is encouraged! Continuing Education Units or Course Credit is available.