NY Times - Summer in DC
“Our DC Summer Academy gives intellectually curious high school students the opportunity to live and learn in New York City while studying topics in journalism, media, technology, arts, culture, sports, fashion, business, science and more. Each two-week course draws on the expertise and unrivaled access of The New York Times and encourages students to take their learning beyond the classroom and into the real world.”
Choose from a variety of interest courses, including:
Public Policy + Activism (tackle the most challenging issues facing the United States today)
Government/Law/Ethics (go inside the Hill and learn how ethics, the government and law interact to form America’s center of legal power)
DC Reporting: The Political Beat (uncover the unseen in the Nation’s Capital and learn how to think like a reporter, conduct interviews and create informative, entertaining content)
International Relations + Development (think critically about solutions to the world’s greatest problems by examining current constructs, political relationships and problems between existing power players on the world stage)
Photojournalism (learn the art of storytelling through narrative photographs in a study of photojournalism as a practical, journalism-oriented venture)
How long will this take? Most of the courses are two weeks, and all are based in Washington, DC.
How do I get started? Go to their website and get started.
How do I expand this narrative arc? Check out some of the other activities we have found for you that relate to politics, public policy, reporting or activism by searching our database under “Politics + Debate” and “Activism + Community Engagement”. In addition:
The New York Times runs many student competitions through the year for all different types of writing, many of which relate to politics, policy or international relations. Consider submitting an entry.
Get involved in your school newspaper in a leadership role and writing articles on these topics.
Do you love talking, writing and debating about issues? Start a Speakers Corner at your school where you encourage other students to publicly, and respectfully, debate timely topics
HOT TIP: This is a a good program for someone with these genuine interests. But make sure it is part of a strong politics, public policy or activism narrative arc. See below for more information about summer programs in general.
IMPORTANT NOTE ABOUT SUMMER PROGRAMS: College admissions officers are very adept at identifying “resume padders”: expensive, one-off programs paid for by your parents which do not mesh with your narrative arc. Therefore, make sure any summer program or course you consider falls into one (or more) of these four buckets:
Highly selective/competitive
Totally unique + linked to your narrative arc
Evidence of adulthood (long hours, multi-year commitment or simply hard work)
A jumping off point or expansion for an authentic narrative arc.
If none of the above apply, a program could still have value to you if it allows you to test a potential interest. However, if it does not end up being a jumping off point for further interests, then you may not want to mention it in your high school resume