The Yale Daily News Summer Journalism Program is a four-day intensive course in journalism for high school students. The program is run entirely by undergraduate staff members of the Yale Daily News. During the program, high school students participate in workshops on the fundamentals of reporting and writing, attend lectures by esteemed guest speakers in the journalism industry, and practice real hands-on reporting by producing a story. The students will publish their piece at the end of the program in a special issue produced by the Yale Daily News.
The 2025 program will be offered both in person and online from August 22-25. Students who are able to participate in person are encouraged to do so, but housing, food and transportation costs will not be covered by the News, aside from lunch each day. A typical day would have programming in the morning, followed by lunch, and conclude with afternoon events. More details regarding the scheduling of these events will be released in August to admitted students.
No prior journalism experience whatsoever is required! We will guide you through all the aspects of journalism and support you with publishing your piece.
The Yale Daily News will waive the program fee for all participants from New Haven Public Schools who would not be able to otherwise participate. Proof of financial need for these applicants is not necessary; we will rely on the honor system. Other applicants who would not be able to participate in the program without financial aid may apply for a partial need-based scholarship when submitting the regular application.
We ask that all other participants pay $600 for their time spent with the Yale Daily News during the program. Students participating remotely will be charged $300. The News uses this money to help keep our newspaper free for all readers and fund various initiatives within our organization, such as financial stipends for low-income members of the Yale Daily News.
Questions about the program fee and financial aid should be directed to publisher@yaledailynews.com.
Please fill out and submit this application by 5 p.m. ET on August 1st.
Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis and we encourage you to apply early before our spots fill.
We will email you about your acceptance status by August 6. If accepted, you will receive a detailed program itinerary and instructions for payment.
For questions, contact publisher@yaledailynews.com.
What are dates and times of the program?
We have set the dates of the program from Friday, August 22 through Monday, August 25. The in-person program will run from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. on Friday, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, and from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. on Monday. The virtual program will run from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, and from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Monday.
When is the application deadline? When can I expect to hear back?
The application deadline is August 1st at 5pm EST. We will aim to return decisions by August 6.
How much does this camp cost? Is there financial aid offered?
The total price for in-person attendees is $600. Online attendees will be charged $300 — because the schedule is completely distinct, the online program has unique events independent of the in person program, which are covered by this fee.
The Yale Daily News will waive the program fee for all participants from New Haven Public Schools who would not be able to otherwise participate. We offer a partial need-based scholarship to other applicants for whom the program fee is a barrier to entry.
Are there meals provided?
The Yale Daily News will provide lunch to in person program participants on Saturday, Sunday and Monday. All food will be vegetarian. Students are encouraged to bring their own lunches if they have other dietary requirements. The camp will allow students to leave our building during the lunch break to purchase food if they prefer, although we cannot cover the cost of food purchases. Questions about dining in New Haven and food accommodations should be directed to publisher@yaledailynews.com.
Is housing offered?
Housing is not offered. That being said, when the summer journalism program was offered in-person before 2020, some students chose to stay in an area hotel, often with family members. If you choose to do so, the News can help coordinate travel and accommodation planning.
Is the program in person or online?
The 2025 SJP will be held both in person and online. The in person program will run in the morning until 3 p.m., and be based out of the Yale Daily News Building at 202 York St., New Haven, Conn. — right in the heart of Yale University’s campus. The online program, which will have equivalent but unique programming and events, will run from 5 p.m. into the evening. Both programs will feature enriching and engaging instruction in journalistic craft, but we encourage interested students to apply to the in person program for a more comprehensive and immersive experience.
Who can attend the program?
The summer journalism program is geared towards rising high school students interested in journalism. As was the case before Covid-19, the program is mostly geared towards Connecticut-area students; that being said, there was an increase in interest from students located in other parts of the country and world during the pandemic, and to reflect this, a concurrent online program will also be offered. The price of the online program has been adjusted to account for some parts of the program that cannot be executed over a video-conferencing platform. International students are welcome to attend, but must be able to commit to the schedule of the program.
What is the difference between the online program and in person program?
Both programs will feature high quality workshops in writing, editing and multimedia storytelling, as well as guest speaker events with professional journalists. Participants of both programs will also be able to workshop and publish a story in a special issue of the Yale Daily News.
Although the lengths of the two programs are comparable, remote attendees might miss out on opportunities to connect with fellow SJP students, as well as the experience of being on Yale’s historic campus. That being said, the core content of the program will still be offered, such as the opportunity to receive edits from Yale Daily News editors and t0 be featured in the SJP edition of the news.
Who runs the camp?
The Summer Journalism Program is staffed entirely by members of the Yale Daily News.
I have more questions…
Please direct all inquiries to publisher@yaledailynews.com. Our team will work hard to get back to you as soon as possible.