The multicultural group, selected from hundreds of applicants, represents some of the finest teenage reporters, photographers and broadcasters in the country. All chosen participants attend at no charge.

“JCamp is one of AAJA’s signature programs that teaches students how to be better journalists and better leaders,” said AAJA President Paul Cheung, who has served on the all-volunteer staff for several years. “Our students and faculty members also inspire me to be a better journalist.”

There have been more than 450 graduates since the program began in 2001. Many have gone on to journalism careers, including Arelis Hernandez, an Orlando Sentinel reporter, who will become the first faculty member in JCamp’s history to serve as an instructor. This marks the second time JCamp has been held on the GWU campus, with the university’s School of Media and Public Affairs hosting the program this year.

JCamp is able to offer free tuition and cover the students’ expenses thanks to generous contributions, including The Annie E. Casey Foundation. “JCamp gives students the confidence to test out their own professional aspirations in a rich and supportive learning environment,” said Patrick T. McCarthy, president and CEO of The Annie E. Casey Foundation. “We are especially pleased to support JCamp because we believe strongly in giving young people a voice, increasing their opportunities for future leadership and making a strong connection to their communities.”

Returning as JCamp directors are:

• Clea Benson, Reporter, Bloomberg News
• Neal Justin, TV critic, Minneapolis Star Tribune
• Lorene Yue, Reporter, Crain’s Chicago Business

This year’s faculty includes:

• Bobby Caina Calvan, Freelancer, Washington D.C.
• Paul Cheung, Global Interactive Editor, Associated Press
• Kyndell Harkness, Photographer, Minneapolis Star Tribune
• Arelis Hernandez, Reporter, Orlando Sentinel
• Caridad Hernandez, Executive Producer for Investigations and Special Projects, CBS4 in Miami
• Richard Lui, Anchor, NBC News/MSNBC

This year’s students are:

JCamp 2013 is made possible by a grant from The Annie E. Casey Foundation. Additional support is provided by The George Washington University’s School of Media and Public Affairs, the Dow Jones Foundation, Bloomberg, CNN, CBS, General Motors, The New York Times, the Dow Jones News Fund, NBC, AAJA-Chicago, AAJA-Philadelphia and AAJA-Washington, D.C.

In honor of Chin and thanks to the generosity of Joe Grimm, a former newsroom recruiter and staff development editor for the Detroit Free-Press, the Asian American Journalists Association (AAJA) has established a college scholarship. This scholarship rewards an accomplished, community-minded student journalist for an insightful, articulate essay related to Chin and his legacy.

Lily Chin buries her son on her 62nd birthday.

ELIGIBILTY

1) Applicants must be committed to AAJA’s mission.

2) Applicants must demonstrate journalistic excellence, a strong interest in pursuing journalism as a career, and a commitment to community involvement.

3) Applicants must be a graduating high school senior, undergraduate, or graduate student enrolled full time with at least 12 credit units each semester for the fall of 2013 and spring of 2014 school year. Applicants must be currently taking or planning to take journalism courses and/or pursuing journalism as a career.

SCHOLARSHIP AWARD

The Vincent Chin Memorial Scholarship will award one college student $500.

HOW TO APPLY ONLINE

• Log in or create a new account on AAJA online. The accounts are free and you do not have to be an AAJA member to create one.
• Go to “Awards and Competitions” on your personal account page
• Click “View Open Competitions,” then click “2013 Vincent Chin Memorial Scholarship.”

PRIVACY POLICY

Application information will only be used internally by AAJA to promote student opportunities and for program evaluation and planning. In the application form, please indicate whether or not you would like to be notified of further student opportunities from AAJA. AAJA does not share applicant information with third parties.

REQUIRED MATERIALS

1) Completed Vincent Chin Scholarship Online Application form, available in your AAJA account.

2) A 500-word essay addressing one of the discussion questions above. It should be typed, double-spaced, 12pt font. Entries exceeding the word limit will be disqualified.

Complete and submit your completed application requirements by midnight PDST on June 28, 2013.

Essay Topic Question Options for AAJA’s Vincent Chin Memorial Scholarship

Option 1
Could it happen again? The attack on Vincent Chin occurred during a time in which Asians, specifically Japanese, were blamed for U.S. unemployment. People literally bashed Japanese cars with sledgehammers. Video and photos of such acts were shown in the news media. Few people connected them to potential attacks on real people. Does symbolic violence make it more acceptable to attack people? Does this climate exist against other people today? What can be done?

Option 2
How are Asian Americans one people? Asian Americans overcame many differences in rallying together to seek justice after Vincent Chin’s killing. They came from different cultures and language backgrounds. They brought histories of being foes as often as being allies. In the Detroit area, though, they decided that an attack on a Chinese American man, mistaken for being Japanese, was a danger and an injustice to all. They united in protest. Some call this the start of a pan-Asian consciousness in the United States. How does life in the United States make people from so many nationalities one group?

Option 3
Protest or conform? Some Asian Americans were reluctant to join the Vincent Chin cause. They had been pursuing success by getting along in the mainstream. Some had been acculturated to not make trouble or call attention to themselves. Yet a group of people began writing letters, visiting the media and protesting in the streets. This question about whether to protest or conform comes to every one of us. Although the stakes are not as high as justice over the death of a young man, we are all confronted at work or in other groups to decide: When and how do you make a stand?

Option 4
Who was Lily Chin? The Vincent Chin trials paint the portrait of a mother in anguish. We frequently ask who was Vincent Chin or who killed him. The emergence of his mother as a strong voice is a compelling story too. Describe her life and her legacy.

“I love America. I think this is a good country. But now, after these men killed my son , I don’t like to live here. This is not fair. What kind of law is this? What kind of justice?” 

- Lily Chin, Chin’s mother

QUESTIONS FOR US ALL
Even for those not vying for the scholarship, these questions can provoke productive discussion and reflection on what happened, the aftermath and its relevance today. AAJA hopes that Vincent Chin’s ultimate legacy will be to prevent others from suffering hate and injustice.

Learn more about JCamp by watching this video made during the program’s 10th anniversary, in 2011.

AAJA is proud to announce JCamp 2013 will take place June 21 to 26 at George Washington University in Washington, D.C. High school freshmen, sophomores and juniors are encouraged to apply to this all-expenses-paid program.

The six-day training camp brings together a culturally diverse group of students from across the nation to learn from veteran journalists and leading media executives. JCamp participants will receive hands-on training and produce multiplatform news packages for the program’s news site, JCamp Live.

HOW TO APPLY

Start by clicking on the AAJA log-in page to create your unique profile. You don’t have to be an AAJA member or Asian to apply for JCamp.

Once you’ve created a profile, scroll down and find the “Awards and Competitions” header on the right side.

Then click “View Open Competitions” to launch the JCamp 2013 application.

Here are the attachments (PDF, DOC, JPEG formats) you’ll need to complete the application:

• Transcript.
• Letter of recommendation.
• Two 250-word essays:
  1. One 250-word essay about what living person you would interview, why and what questions you would ask.
  2. One 250-word essay on why you should be selected for JCamp.

• Optional materials that may also be submitted:
  1. Work samples as PDFs.
  2. A YouTube video with a URL provided by the applicant.

***If you have extra work samples that you want to send, please scan and compress them as PDFs  and send to 2013aajajcamp@gmail.com. Put your full name followed by JCamp 2013 in the subject heading. Ex: John Smith, JCamp 2013. DO NOT USE THE ADDITIONAL UPLOADS ON THE ONLINE APPLICATION FORM. If you are having technical difficulties, please contact Nao Vang at 415-346-2051 ext. 102 or NaoV@aaja.org.***

Complete the application requirements by the deadline: March 15, 2013

PRIVACY POLICY

1. Application information will only be used internally by AAJA to promote student opportunities and for program evaluation and planning. In the application form, please indicate whether you would like to be notified of further student opportunities from AAJA, including scholarships and additional journalism training.
2. AAJA does not share applicant information with third parties.

Questions? Contact Nao Vang, AAJA Student Programs Coordinator: 415-346-2051, Ext. 102, or NaoV@aaja.org.

ABOUT JCAMP

AAJA’s JCamp is a national multicultural journalism program for high school students.

The selected students demonstrate a keen interest in broadcasting, newspaper, magazine, photojournalism or online media. This program is not limited to Asian American students and is open to all high school freshmen, sophomores and juniors. There is no fee to apply and all costs are covered  — including airfare, lodging and meals. Students stay in university housing during the camp week.

JCamp’s goal is to develop the next generation of journalists. This six-day training camp brings together a multicultural group of high school students from across the nation to sharpen their journalism skills and work together in a unique learning environment. The curriculum consists of interactive workshops, hands-on training and field trips. Students also work on JCamp Live, a blog that showcases skills acquired at JCamp: http://jcamplive.aaja.org

JCamp strives to ensure excellence in the profession for decades to come by confronting the lack of diversity in journalism, not just in race but in factors including socioeconomics, geography and religion. With diverse media teams, future readers, viewers and listeners will get different views on government, human interest, entertainment, recreation, science, medicine, national and international news.

The curriculum focuses on teaching and ingraining the following core principles:

• The Value of Cross-Cultural Communication Skills – This heightened awareness comes from interactions with peers and mentors from completely different environments and backgrounds, along with training in the basics of effective interpersonal skills and the importance of creating inclusive environments as colleagues and journalists.
• The Fundamentals of Leadership – Faculty work with students on persuasive communication skills, teamwork, professionalism, project management, developing a personal identity and accountability.
• The Importance of Diversity in the Newsroom and in Media Coverage – JCamp fosters an appreciation for diverse viewpoints and reporting in diverse communities. Students also learn why it is important that media outlets reflect the communities they cover.
• Strong Ethics in Journalism Practice – Students gain an understanding of the universal ethics of good journalism and the responsibilities of the media to cover communities with sensitivity and high standards.
• The Value of Networking & Career Mapping – Regardless of a student’s eventual career choice, each will go home with an understanding of how to pursue a profession and an appreciation for the importance of networking and building relationships with mentors and peers.

• Terrell Brown, JCamp 2002: After attending JCamp, Brown was awarded a full scholarship for broadcasting excellence by the National Press Club. In 2009, at age 22, Brown was named a CBS News correspondent — the youngest in that network’s history.
• Jessica Carballo, JCamp 2004: Carballo won the Sun-Sentinel Correspondent of the Year Award, the Sun-Sentinel scholarship upon high school graduation, and she was the Miami Herald Silver Knight Winner in Journalism. She worked as a ABC production intern at WPLG-TV in Miami and is a 2010 graduate of Yale University.
• Arelis Hernandez, JCamp 2004: Hernandez graduated in 2009 from the University of Maryland, majoring in broadcast journalism. During her senior year at the university, Hernandez was named to the select list of the Top 100 Student Journalists in the country. She is a breaking-news reporter for the Orlando Sentinel.

SAN FRANCISCO — Maria Cristina Chicuen of Miami and Brian Chang of Thousand Oaks, Calif., were named New York Times/Boston Globe scholars June 23 at the Asian American Journalists Association’s JCamp for high school students.

Chicuen, a rising senior at Felix Varela Senior High School, and Chang, who will be a senior at Westlake High School, were honored for their leadership skills, passion for journalism and outstanding work for the the JCamp Live blog. Chichen, 17, and Chang, 16, collaborated on a report about a cigar shop in the French Quarter of New Orleans.

“Maria and Brian are the future of journalism,” said Clea Benson, a reporter at Bloomberg News and co-director of JCamp.  “We’re grateful to the New York Times Co. for helping nurture their talent.”

AAJA’s JCamp, now in its 12th year, is a five-day program for high school students from multicultural backgrounds that aims to ensure that a pipeline of diverse young journalists enters the profession. More than 500 students have participated in JCamp since 2001.

“JCamp not only exposed me to the opportunities journalism offers,” Chicuen said. “Most importantly, it taught me that passion is vital to achieve excellence in this field. And while I learned, I had the privilege to meet friends from all over the country that soon became family.”

Media Contact: AAJA Executive Director Kathy Chow

• E-mail: kathyc@aaja.org
• Telephone: 415-346-2051 | Fax: 415-346-6343
• Mailing address: 5 Third St., Suite 1108, San Francisco, Calif. 94103

The Asian American Journalists Association is a nonprofit professional and educational organization with more than 1,500 members across the United States and in Asia. Founded in 1981, AAJA has been at the forefront of change in the journalism industry. AAJA’s mission is to encourage Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs) to enter the ranks of journalism, to work for fair and accurate coverage of AAPIs, and to increase the number of AAPI journalists and news managers in the industry. AAJA is an alliance partner in UNITY Journalists, along with the Native American Journalists Association, the National Association of Hispanic Journalists and the National Lesbian and Gay Journalists Association. For more information about AAJA, visit www.aaja.org.

The students selected demonstrate a keen interest in broadcasting, newspapers, magazines, photojournalism or online media. This program is open to high school freshmen, sophomores and juniors of all ethnicities.  There is no fee to apply, and all costs are covered — including travel, lodging and meals. Students stay in university housing during the camp week.

JCamp’s goal is to develop the next generation of journalists. This six-day training camp brings together a multicultural group of high school students from across the nation to sharpen their journalism skills and work together in a unique learning environment. The curriculum consists of interactive workshops, hands-on training and field trips. The students also work on a blog that showcases their JCamp skills: JCamp Live.

JCamp strives to help ensure excellence in the profession for decades to come by confronting the lack of diversity in journalism, not just in race, but also in matters of religion, political viewpoints, socioeconomics and other factors. With diversity in 21st-century newsrooms, the audience gets different views on city governments, human interest stories, entertainment and recreation, science and medicine, and national and international news.

The JCamp curriculum focuses on teaching and ingraining the following core principles:

• Diversity in newsrooms and media coverage: An appreciation for diverse viewpoints and reporting in diverse communities. Students learn why it is important that the media reflect the communities they cover.
• Journalism ethics: An understanding of the universal ethics of good journalism and the responsibilities of the media to cover communities with fairness, sensitivity and high standards.
• Networking and career mapping: Regardless of a student’s eventual career choice, an understanding of how to pursue a profession and an appreciation for the importance of networking and building relationships with mentors and peers.

JCamp speakers (and their roles at the time) have included Tim Russert, managing editor and moderator of “Meet the Press”; Ed Bradley, correspondent for “60 Minutes”; Carl Bernstein, Pulitzer Prize-winning Watergate reporter; Aaron Brown, CNN anchor; James Colton, Sports Illustrated photography editor; Leonard Downie Jr., Washington Post executive editor; Hoda Kotb, “Dateline NBC” correspondent; Atoosa Rubenstein, Seventeen magazine editor in chief; Carole Simpson, ABC News senior correspondent; Arthur Sulzberger Jr., New York Times publisher; Helen Thomas, Hearst Newspapers Washington columnist; and Brian Williams, “NBC Nightly News” anchor and managing editor.

JCamp received a 2012 Diversity Award Honorable Mention from the Journalism Education Association for “its commitment to promoting diversity in the scholastic media arena.”

JCamp 2012

This year’s JCamp will be in New Orleans at Loyola University from June 19-24. The program will be in conjunction with the National Association of Black Journalists’ annual convention. Scheduled speakers include Anders Gyllenhaal, Washington editor for the McClatchy Co.; Mara Schiavocampo of NBC News; Byron Pitts, chief national correspondent for “CBS Evening News”; and Hoda Kotb, “Today” co-anchor and “Dateline NBC” correspondent.

AAJA and JCamp would like to thank the following for making this year’s program possible: Annie E. Casey Foundation, Bloomberg, CBS, CNN, Dow Jones News Fund, Dow Jones Foundation, Google, Loyola University New Orleans, National Association of Black Journalists, Southwest Airlines, Star Tribune staff, New York Times and AAJA members. We offer special thanks to USA Today and AAJA’s Florida Chapter.

For more information, please contact AAJA Student Programs Coordinator Nao Vang at 415-346-2051, Ext. 102, or naov@aaja.org.

“Here at Loyola we are passionate about journalism and journalism education,” said Dr. Sonya Duhe, Director and Professor of the School of Mass Communications at Loyola University. “So we are just thrilled to host these most talented young journalists from across the country.”

Since the program started in 2001, a total of 459 of the nation’s brightest young people have graduated from JCamp, which endeavors to develop the next generation of journalists. High school students from across the country are selected in a competitive application process where academic achievement and journalistic talent are among the strongest considerations. The students selected for the 2012 JCamp are: http://bit.ly/2012jcampstudents

Neal Justin, JCamp co-director and TV critic for the Minneapolis Star Tribune also stated: “We are absolutely thrilled to be bringing JCamp to New Orleans and, more specifically, Loyola University. The facilities, location and staff are top notch, providing a great home base for one of the strongest classes in our 12-year history.”

Students from all racial and ethnic backgrounds attend the program to sharpen their journalism skills and work together in a unique learning environment. The curriculum consists of hands-on training with leading professional journalists, lectures from some of the industry’s biggest stars, and reporting field trips.

“We are really excited for this year’s class of JCampers to get a taste of academic life at Loyola while they are learning more about the profession of journalism,” said AAJA National President Doris Truong. “New Orleans has so many stories, and the students will be privileged to have easy access to the city from Loyola’s campus.”

AAJA JCamp Documentary from Nao Vang on Vimeo.

AAJA JCamp’s mission
JCamp brings a multicultural group of high school students together for five days of intensive journalism training. Students will learn from professional journalists and get hands-on training in writing, photography, television broadcasting, online media, and reporting. Sessions and workshops will be led by experienced journalists from some of the top media companies in the industry. Students with a strong interest in broadcasting, newspapers, magazines, photojournalism or online media are encouraged to apply. The program is designed for high school freshmen, sophomores, and juniors. Every year, JCamp receives hundreds of applications from all regions of the country. Students selected for the program have all costs covered including airfare, campus housing and meals.

Changing the Face of Media
JCamp was started in 2001 as a response to the industry’s diversity crisis. The program is designed to help assure excellence in the profession for decades to come and to confront the lack of diversity in journalism, not just in race, but also in matters of religious background, political background and other factors. Since the program began, hundreds of the nation’s most talented teenagers have graduated. Early surveys of JCamp students indicated that approximately 75% went on to pursue journalism in college. With a multicultural team, media get more accurate perspectives on stories of Latinos, African Americans, Asian American and Pacific Islanders, and Middle Eastern Americans.

With a diverse team, readers and viewers get different views on city governments, local communities, business, entertainment and recreation, science and medicine, and national and international issues.

Previous JCamp speakers
Tim Russert, managing editor and moderator of “Meet the Press”; Ed Bradley, correspondent for “60 Minutes”; Carl Bernstein, Pulitzer Prize-winning Watergate reporter; Aaron Brown, CNN anchor; James Colton, Sports Illustrated photography editor; Leonard Downie Jr., Washington Post executive editor; Hoda Kotb, “Dateline NBC” correspondent; Atoosa Rubenstein, Seventeen magazine editor-in-chief; Carole Simpson, ABC News senior correspondent; Arthur Sulzberger Jr., New York Times publisher; Helen Thomas, Hearst Newspapers Washington columnist; and Brian Williams, “NBC Nightly News” anchor and managing editor.